13 Facts About Les Clark

Leslie James Clark was an American animator and the first of Disney's Nine Old Men, joining Walt Disney Productions in 1927.

Les Clark was born in Ogden, Utah in 1907, the eldest of 12 children to James Clark, a carpenter, and Lute Wadsworth.

Les Clark said I had a good line, and why don't I come to work on Monday.

In 1927, Les Clark began working the Monday after he graduated high school for a temporary position, first as a camera operator and later as an ink and paint artist.

Iwerks mainly animated the first Mickey Mouse cartoons Plane Crazy, The Gallopin' Gaucho, and Steamboat Willie in which Les Clark worked as an inbetweener.

Les Clark drew the scene of a skeleton playing on another skeleton's ribcage like a xylophone.

For Song of the South, Les Clark handled the animation interacting with Uncle Remus during the "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" musical number.

Les Clark then reteamed with Davis again on the character Tinker Bell for the 1953 film Peter Pan.

Les Clark remembered Disney first approached him to direct in 1940, but he decided to remain an animator.

Les Clark made his feature directorial debut with Sleeping Beauty, in which he directed the opening scene in which the townspeople arrive at the castle for Aurora's christening.

Les Clark returned to directing educational animated shorts, including Donald in Mathmagic Land, in which he directed a sequence with a pool table.

In 1967, Les Clark married his second wife, Georgia Vester, after meeting at an arts exhibit.

Les Clark died of lung cancer in Santa Barbara, California on September 12,1979.