Disney Studios housed one of the most revered creative groups in our industry history, the fabled Nine Old Men. These were a group of animators, directors, and supervisors that Walt held in the highest esteem in his studio. Most animation enthusiasts know names in this group like, Milt Kahl, Woolie Reitherman, Frank Thomas, and Ollie Johnston. However, a name that is often overlooked, is the man behind some of the best offerings ever to come out of the studio, Les Clark
Les Clark started at Disney Studios before reverence was behind the name, they were like any other small animation studio that produced 5-6 minute shorts. Mostly these were silly characters getting into trouble, and the occasional music number like Skeleton Dance.
These musical numbers required more than simple gags, and snappy timing, they required dance numbers to a musical beat, and that's where Les Clark shined. He was known around the studio for having an excellent sense of timing and would often chart out his entire scene before drawing a single line. In those early days, it was exceptionally difficult to have sound effects and/or voice actors synced -up to the animation, so a musical backing was a simpler solution. Les Clark was able to listen to the audio and write down the beat, getting a feel about where to place his keyframes. When the rough drawings were filmed, they would sync up to the tempo perfectly, and give the illusion that the characters were dancing to the beat.
Les was even asked to animated on Disney's first animated shirt with sound effects and dialogue, Steamboat Willie. His timing skills were not only necessary but required to get the job done to the quality standards that Walt was looking for.
Over the next several decades, Les Clark proved to be an invaluable member of the studio and the prestigious Nine Old Men. He put his personal touches on some of the most iconic characters in animation's history, Pinocchio, Cinderella, Alice, and Tinkerbell, to name just a few. His contributions were many and were are fortunate that we can enjoy his work for many years to come.
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