Walt's Nine Old Men
Walt's Nine Old Men were a core group of supervising animators who created Walt Disney Studios' most famous work - such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and The Rescuers. Walt jokingly called them his "Nine Old Men" (even though most of them were in their 20s when they first started at the studio) - referring to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's nine Supreme Court judges. All nine of these talented gentlemen were named Disney Legends in 1989.
Les Clark (born 11/17/07) was the first of the nine to join the Disney Studios - on
February 23, 1927 (just a few days after graduating from high school). Leslie James Clark started as an inbetweener (an artist who creates the drawings that appear in-between the extremes of an action that are drawn by an animator) on the 1928 landmark short Steamboat Willie. But Clark's true debut as an animator came in 1929 on the first Silly Symphony, The Skeleton Dance (in particular a scene of a skeleton playing the ribs of a bony buddy like a xylophone). He entered animation at a pivotal time and participated in events that shaped not only Disney's future but the history of the art form itself. Clark made contributions to all of the early classics - such as Fantasia and Dumbo - and later became a directing animator for features like Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan. After 48 years with Disney, Clark retired on
September 30, 1975 - making him the longest continuously employed member of Walt Disney Productions. Sadly he passed away in 1979 after suffering from cancer.
"Les quietly went ahead perfecting what he did best, constantly at art class working hard to improve and learn. There was much admiration for this quiet, thoughtful man, who came in with no art background yet through sheer determination and desire not only kept up, but helped advance the art with his refinements of many fundamentals." -Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston
Wolfgang "Woolie" Reitherman (born 6/26/09) was hired by the Disney Studios on
May 21, 1933 - but didn't begin working until June 1933. His first contributions can be seen in the shorts Funny Little Bunnies and The Wise Little Hen (Donald Duck's debut). During World War II, he left the Studio to enlist with the U.S. Air Force. Reitherman became an ace pilot, serving in Africa, India, China, and the South Pacific, earning the distinguished Flying Cross medal. After the war, he returned to the Studio. Reitherman became known as the "action man," animating such classic showdowns as the dinosaur battle in Fantasia, the Monstro chase scene in Pinocchio, and the clash between Prince Phillip and Maleficient the Dragon in Sleeping Beauty. He went on to direct such classic as The Jungle Book and The Rescuers and produce such features as The AristoCats and The Fox and the Hound. In 1963, Reitherman became the first animator in the history of the company to be given the directorial reins of an entire animated feature, beginning with The Sword in the Stone.
He retired in 1981 and passed suddenly only 4 years later at age 75.
"He didn't think he was a good artist, even though he was. He was always stuck with the chase stuff because most people hated to do that, but Woolie got a big kick out of doing fast, action, wild-out stuff and he did it well." -Ward Kimball
Eric Larson (born 9/3/05) was hired by the Disney Studios on June 1, 1933. He began as an assistant animator on the shorts The Tortoise and the Hare and Two-Gun Mickey. In 1940, Larson became an animation director and designed Figaro the cat for Pinocchio. He also animated the horses and centaurs for the "Pastoral Symphony" sequence in Fantasia.
Larson assisted Marc Davis in creating the title character of the 1950 Cinderella and animated Caterpillar for the 1951 Alice in Wonderland. But his most famous sequence, is the flight to Neverland in the 1953 Peter Pan. After Walt's death in 1966, Larson was placed in charge of finding and training new talent - in addition to his character animating work (which ended with the 1986 The Great Mouse Detective). Many well-known animators went through Larson's training program, including Brad Bird, Don Bluth, Tim Burton, Ron Clements, Andreas Deja, Glen Keane, and John Lasseter. Larson retired in February 1986 after 52 years with Disney. He passed away two years later.
"No one was more concerned with passing on the Disney legacy than Eric." -animator Andreas Deja
He too started as an inbetween artist on such shorts as Orphan's Benefit and The Goddess of Spring. But Kimball soon became active in all areas - an animator & designer of Jiminy Cricket for Pinnochio, a producer for the television episodes Man in Space & Cosmic Capers, a writer & creator of the TV series The Mouse Factory, and directing animator of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. In 1948 he formed the Firehouse Five Plus Two, a Dixieland jazz band composed of fellow Disney employees. He also maintained a full-sized train and tracks at his home in California, and was a president of the Train Collectors Association. Kimball is credited with helping and inspiring Walt Disney to install the Disneyland Railroad at Disneyland. Kimball retired in 1972, but continued to do various projects on his own, and even returned to Disney to do some publicity tours. Three years after his 2002 passing, the Disneyland Railroad named their newly-acquired Engine №5 the "Ward Kimball" in his memory.
"He was a brilliant animator and filmmaker with a distinctive style and humor all his own."
-Roy E. Disney
Milt Kahl (born 3/22/09) began working at the Disney Studios on June 25, 1934 (he was inspired to seek Disney employment after seeing The Three Little Pigs). His earliest works include Mickey's Service Station and Mickey's Fire Brigade. Like the other Nine Old Men, he made contributions to all the early classics such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Ferdinand the Bull (for which he also voiced the young Ferdinand). Often considered the finest draughtsman of the Disney animators, Kahl later became directing animator for Lady and the Tramp and Sleeping Beauty. His last work before retiring on April 30, 1976 - was as key animator for The Rescuers. Kahl spent the rest of his life lecturing on animation before passing in April 1987.
"Milt Kahl's contribution to the art of Disney animation is immeasurable, and his work will continue to delight millions for years to come. If indeed, animators could be considered royalty, there's no doubt Milt Kahl would be king." -animator Floyd Norman
Frank Thomas (born 9/5/12) joined the Disney Studios on September 24, 1934. He started out working on such shorts as Mickey's Circus and More Kittens. As a full-fledged animator, Thomas contributed to features such as Fantasia, Dumbo, Bambi, and Cinderella. He animated all 7 dwarfs in Snow White, the "I've Got No Strings" number in Pinocchio, and the pond skating sequence in Bambi. A premiere character animator, Thomas later served as a directing animator for The Sword in the Stone and The Jungle Book. Thomas was a member of the Dixieland band Firehouse Five Plus Two, playing the piano. After retiring on January 31, 1978 Thomas and his best friend/fellow animator Ollie Johnston consulted on projects and wrote many books including the acclaimed The Illusion of Life. He even voiced a train engineer in Brad Bird's 1999 film The Iron Giant, and a spectator in the 2004 The Incredibles. Thomas passed in September 2004.
"Observe Everything. Communicate Well. Draw, Draw, Draw." -Frank Thomas when asked to
give advice to young animators
Ollie Johnston (born 10/31/12) was hired by the Disney Studios on January 21, 1935. He began as an inbetweener on the shorts Mickey's Garden and Mickey's Rival. Johnston contributed to all the early classics and eventually became directing animator for such features as Alice in Wonderland, Lady and the Tramp, and 101 Dalmatians.
His lifelong hobby was live steam trains. Starting in 1949, he built a 1" scale backyard railroad, with three 1/12th scale locomotives (now owned by his sons). This railroad was one of the inspirations for Walt Disney to build his own backyard railroad, which later inspired the building of the railroad in Disneyland. Johnston retired on January 31, 1978 and went on to write several books with Frank Thomas (such as Too Funny For Words) and even lent his voice to the Disney/Pixar feature The Incredibles. Johnston was presented with a National Medal of Arts award by President George W. Bush and Laura Bush in 2005. The last living member of the Nine Old Men, he passed away in April 2008.
"People know his work. They know his characters. They've seen him act without realizing it.
He was one of the pillars, one of the key contributors to the golden age of Disney animation."
-film historian Leonard Maltin
John Lounsbery (born 3/9/11) was hired by the Disney Studios on July 2, 1935. His first assignment was as an assistant animator on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Lounsbery's later contributions included Honest John in Pinocchio, faithful Timothy the mouse in Dumbo and Tony the cook in Lady and the Tramp. During the war years, he worked on Victory Through Air Power, The Three Caballeros, and various propaganda shorts. He later served as directing animator on Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree and Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, which won an Academy Award. Lounsbery underrated himself and underplayed his talent - and so in turn was vastly underrated as an animator-director by many in the business. He humbly continued to animate (specifically on The Rescuers) until his death on February 13, 1976.
"John was not a pretentious man, but very much a teacher. Very kind and very sharing with all of his information." -animator Don Bluth
Like Lounsbery, he too began as an apprentice animator on Snow White. Davis went on to create Disney's most memorable animated women - including Cruella De Vil in 101 Dalmatians, Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty and Tinker Bell in Peter Pan. He later transferred to Disney's design and development organization (today known as Walt Disney Imagineering). As one of Disney's original Imagineers, Davis contributed to such Disneyland attractions as the Enchanted Tiki Room, It's a Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion and The Jungle Cruise. (His wife Alice Davis created the original costuming for figures in the Pirates of the Caribbean and It's a Small World.) After 43 years with Disney, Davis retired in 1978, but continued to lend his expertise to the development of EPCOT and Tokyo Disneyland. He passed away in January 2000 - that same month, the Marc Frasier Davis Scholarship Fund was formally established at the California Institute of the Arts.
"We really don't have a story, with a beginning, an end, or a plot. It's more a series of experiences building up to a climax. I call them experience rides." -Marc Davis on Disneyland attractions
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These highly-skilled men brought to Disney a wide variety of talents, ideas, and ambitions that resulted in animation that is still highly-regarded and loved today.
WALT'S NINE OLD MEN
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"I am in no sense of the word a great artist.
I have always had artists working for me whose skills were greater
than my own."
- Walt Disney
"When Frank and Ollie retired from production on the same Friday I was the next animator on Ollie’s desk the following Monday; the very desk he had used for decades to create so many indelible animated moments. I was properly awed as I sat down in Ollie’s chair, at his desk.
As I was checking it out and getting the feel of it I noticed the pencil sharpener was full of shavings. Instead of throwing them out I poured them into a glass jar, labeled it and set it atop the desk. Good luck shavings … a simple reminder of the hard work required to create magic. My own jar of real Disney dust. The last jar." -Brad Bird
email: disneyhistory@gmail.com
"Of all the things I've done, the most vital is coordinating those who work with me and aiming their efforts at a certain goal." -Walt Disney
