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. 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 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 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.
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 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.
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. Larson served as animation director for Pinocchio, Fantasia, and Dumbo. 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).
He retired in February 1986 after 52 years with Disney.
He too started as an inbetween artist on such shorts as Orphan's Benefit and The Godess 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 retired in 1972.
Milt Kahl (born 3/22/09) began working at the Disney Studios on June 25, 1934. 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. 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.
"These things look so beautiful, they could hang in a museum!" - Woolie Reitherman on Kahl's first rough drawings of Merlin the magician and Madame Medusa for The Sword in the Stone
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 even animated all 7 dwarfs in Snow White! 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 the acclaimed book The Illusion of Life.
"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. Although retired since January 31, 1978 - he wrote 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.
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. He also 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 continued to work until his death on February 13, 1976.
Like Lounsbery, he too began as an aprentice 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. After 43 years with the Studio, he retired in 1978, but continued to lend his expertise to the development of EPCOT and Tokyo Disneyland.
"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 rides
 | ||||||
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
| ||||
| ||||||
Get your Disney tickets at Maple Leaf Tickets!
"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
