Les Clark
Born	Leslie James Clark (1907-11-17)November 17, 1907 Ogden, Utah, U.S.
Died	September 12, 1979(1979-09-12) (aged 71) Santa Barbara, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Animator, film director
Years active	1927–1975
Employer	Walt Disney Productions (1931–1968) Universal Pictures (1943–1979) Paramount Pictures (1979)
Known for	One ofDisney's Nine Old Men
Spouses	Miriam Lauritzen ​ (div. 1952)​ Georgia Vester ​ (m. 1967)​
Children	2

Leslie James Clark (November 17, 1907 – September 12, 1979) was an Americananimator and the first ofDisney's Nine Old Men, joiningWalt Disney Productions in 1927.

Les Clark was born inOgden, Utah in 1907, the eldest of 12 children to James Clark, a carpenter,^[1] and Lute Wadsworth.^[2] By 1910, the family lived inSalt Lake City^[1] and by 1920, they lived inTwin Falls, Idaho.^[3] By 1930, they lived inLos Angeles,^[4] where Clark attendedVenice High School. During high school, he worked a summer job at an ice cream shop near theWalt Disney Studio.Walt andRoy Disney were frequent patrons at the shop, and Walt had once complimented Les on his lettering job of the menus. Eventually, Clark asked Walt for a job. He recalled Walt's reply:

...[Walt said] 'Bring some of your drawings in and let's see what they look like.' So, I copied some cartoons and showed them to Walt. He said I had a good line, and why don't I come to work on Monday.^[5]

In 1927, Clark began working the Monday after he graduated high school for a temporary position,^[5][6] first as a camera operator and later as an ink and paint artist.^[7] At the time, the studio were finishing theAlice Comedies and starting work onOswald the Lucky Rabbit.^[8] In 1928, Disney traveled to New York to renegotiate their contract withCharles Mintz. Disney refused to accept a less acceptable contract leaving the character to Mintz, who held the character's copyrights.^[9][7] On the way back toLos Angeles, Disney andUb Iwerks co-createdMickey Mouse as a replacement. Iwerks mainly animated the firstMickey Mouse cartoonsPlane Crazy (1928),The Gallopin' Gaucho (1928), andSteamboat Willie (1928) in which Clark worked as aninbetweener.^[10] A year later, Clark made his debut as an animator for the firstSilly Symphony shortThe Skeleton Dance (1929). He drew the scene of a skeleton playing on another skeleton's ribcage like a xylophone.^[8]

In 1930, Iwerks left Disney to form hisnamesake studio. Clark then became the official animator for Mickey Mouse.^[11] Most notably, Clark animated the character in the 1935 shortThe Band Concert.^[12] On theSilly Symphony shortThe Goddess of Spring (1934), Clark used his sister Marceil as a reference model for the characterPersephone. After watching his finalized animation, Clark remembered: "I was very disappointed in my effort and I told Walt so."^[13][14]

OnSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Clark animated several scenes of the dwarfs during the "Silly Song" sequence, including Dopey smashing his face with a cymbal, Doc playing a horn, and Doc and Happy running from Sneezy's loud sneeze.^[15] He also animated the scene of the three dwarfs dancing withSnow White, a moment first filmed in live-action that used as a visual reference for the animators.^[16] Clark then animated Mickey Mouse inThe Sorcerer's Apprentice segment forFantasia (1940). Clark animated the scenes in which Mickey "puts the hat on and starts bringing the brooms to life—the dance up the stairs and the water vats—until he exits over the water."^[17][18] Clark also animated the Sugar Plum Fairies forThe Nutcracker Suite segment.^[19]

Meanwhile, Clark animated a few scenes of the title character inPinocchio (1940), most particularly when Pinocchio turns around when Geppetto inspects him before leaving for school.^[20] He next animated the train sequence toBaia inThe Three Caballeros (1945).Andreas Deja complimented Clark's animation, writing it is "charming, as it chugs along to an energetic musical beat through a landscape that is reminiscent of a children's illustration."^[21]

ForSong of the South (1946), Clark handled the animation interacting withUncle Remus (portrayed byJames Baskett) during the "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" musical number.^[20] A year later, he animated the Singing Harp for theMickey and the Beanstalk segment inFun and Fancy Free (1947).^[22]Melody Time (1948) soon followed, in which Clark animated the bumblebee for theBumble Boogie segment.^[22]

OnCinderella (1950), Clark animatedthe title character, sharing the role withEric Larson andMarc Davis.^[23] He also animated the title character inAlice in Wonderland (1951), most particularly the scene when she enlarges herself at the White Rabbit's house.^[24][25] Clark then reteamed with Davis again on the characterTinker Bell for the 1953 filmPeter Pan.^[26] ForLady and the Tramp (1955), Clark animated the scenes of Lady as a puppy.^[20]

AfterLady and the Tramp (1955), Clark transitioned into becoming a director. He remembered Disney first approached him to direct in 1940, but he decided to remain an animator.^[27] During the mid-1950s, he was asked again and accepted the offer. For theDisneyland television program, he directed and animated the opening titles with Tinker Bell.^[24] Also, he directed the "Five Senses" animated inserts withJiminy Cricket forThe Mickey Mouse Club.^[27] He made his feature directorial debut withSleeping Beauty (1959), in which he directed the opening scene in which the townspeople arrive at the castle for Aurora's christening.^[28] He returned to directing educational animated shorts, includingDonald in Mathmagic Land (1959), in which he directed a sequence with a pool table.^[29] His last project for Disney wasMan, Monsters and Mysteries (1974).^[28]

He retired from Disney on September 30, 1975.^[24]

During the late 1930s, Clark met Miriam Lauritzen, a set decorator and model, who had a son Richard from a previous marriage. Clark married Lauritzen and adopted Richard. In 1945, they had a daughter, Miriam. The couple divorced in 1952 due to Miriam's alcoholism.^[15] In 1967, Clark married his second wife, Georgia Vester, after meeting at an arts exhibit.^[24]

He died of lung cancer inSanta Barbara, California on September 12, 1979.^[30]

• Canemaker, John (2001).Walt Disney's Nine Old Men and the Art of Animation. New York: Disney Editions.ISBN 978-0-786-86496-6.
• Culhane, John (1983).Walt Disney's Fantasia. Harry N. Abrams.ISBN 978-3-8228-0393-6.
• Deja, Andreas (2015). "Les Clark".The Nine Old Men: Lessons, Techniques, and Inspiration from Disney's Great Animators.CRC Press. pp. 1–31.ISBN 978-1-1350-1586-2.
• Ghez, Didier, ed. (2012). "Les Clark by John Culhane".Walt's People: Volume 12—Talking Disney with the Artists who Knew Him. Theme Park Press. pp. 29–41.ISBN 978-1-4771-4789-4.
• Thomas, Frank; Johnston, Ollie (1981).Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life.Abbeville Press.ISBN 0-89659-233-2.
• Peri, Don (2008). "Les Clark".Working with Walt: Interviews with Disney Artists.University Press of Mississippi. pp. 119–133.ISBN 978-1-604-73023-4.

• Les Clark atIMDb
• Les Clark atFind a Grave

• 1907 births
• 1979 deaths
• 20th-century American artists
• American animated film directors
• Animators from Utah
• Animators from California
• Deaths from cancer in California
• Film directors from Utah
• Venice High School (Los Angeles) alumni
• Walt Disney Animation Studios people

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