Disney's Nine Old Men facts for kids

Disney's Nine Old Men were a special group of animators who worked for Disney. They were super important in creating many classic Disney movies, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to The Fox and the Hound. Even though they were young when they started, Walt Disney called them "Nine Old Men." This was a funny way to refer to how Franklin D. Roosevelt once called the US Supreme Court "nine old men."

Meet the Nine Old Men

This group of talented artists helped shape the look and feel of Disney animation for decades. Each one brought unique skills to the team.

Les Clark: The Mickey Mouse Master

• Les Clark (born November 17, 1907, died September 12, 1979) joined Disney in 1927. He was the only one of the Nine Old Men who worked on Mickey Mouse from the very beginning with Ub Iwerks. Les animated many scenes over the years, even working on Lady and the Tramp. Later, he became a director for many animated shorts.

Ollie Johnston: Storyteller and Author

• Ollie Johnston (born October 31, 1912, died April 14, 2008) started at Disney in 1935. His first big project was Snow White. He later co-wrote a famous book for animators called The Illusion of Life with Frank Thomas. Ollie animated characters like Mr. Smee in Peter Pan and the Stepsisters in Cinderella. He also helped create Prince John in Robin Hood.

Frank Thomas: The Villain Animator

• Frank Thomas (born September 5, 1912, died September 8, 2004) joined Disney in 1934. Like Ollie Johnston, he also co-wrote The Illusion of Life. Frank was known for animating some of Disney's most famous villains. These include the wicked Stepmother in Cinderella and Captain Hook in Peter Pan. He also animated the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland.

Wolfgang Reitherman: The Director

• Wolfgang "Woolie" Reitherman (born June 26, 1909, died May 22, 1985) joined Disney in 1935. He was both an animator and a director. Woolie directed all the Disney animated movies made after Walt Disney passed away until his own retirement. Some of his animation work includes the Crocodile in Peter Pan and the Dragon in Sleeping Beauty.

John Lounsbery: The Stretchy Style

• John Lounsbery (born March 9, 1911, died February 13, 1976) started in 1935. He quickly became a top animator. John was known for his unique animation style, which often looked squashy and stretchy. He animated Ben Ali Gator in Fantasia and the Elephants in The Jungle Book. In the 1970s, John became a director. He co-directed Winnie The Pooh And Tigger Too and The Rescuers.

Eric Larson: The Talent Scout

• Eric Larson (born September 3, 1905, died October 25, 1988) joined Disney in 1933. He animated well-known characters like Peg in Lady and the Tramp and the Vultures in The Jungle Book. Eric also animated Peter Pan's famous flight over London. In the 1970s, he was given the important job of finding and training new talent for Disney. Many of today's top animators learned from Eric.

Ward Kimball: The Wild and Unique Animator

• Ward Kimball (born March 4, 1914, died July 8, 2002) joined Disney in 1934. His work was often more wild and unique than other Disney animators. He animated Lucifer, Jaq, and Gus in Cinderella. Ward also brought to life the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland.

Milt Kahl: The Master Draftsman

• Milt Kahl (born March 22, 1909, died April 19, 1987) started in 1934 on Snow White. He was known for his amazing drawing skills. Milt animated characters like Shere Khan in The Jungle Book and Edgar the butler in The Aristocats. He also animated the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood and Madame Medusa in The Rescuers.

Marc Davis: Character Designer and Imagineer

• Marc Davis (born March 30, 1913, died January 12, 2000) started in 1935 on Snow White. He worked on characters like Bambi and Thumper in Bambi. Marc also animated Maleficent and her raven in Sleeping Beauty and Cruella DeVil in One Hundred and One Dalmatians. Besides movies, Marc designed characters for famous Disneyland rides like Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion.

Their Legacy and Later Years

By the time the movie Robin Hood was released, only four of the Nine Old Men were still animating at Disney. These were Milt Kahl, John Lounsbery, Frank Thomas, and Ollie Johnston. Eric Larson and Wolfgang Reitherman were still working for Disney, but not as animators.

John Lounsbery passed away in 1976. Milt Kahl retired the same year and died in 1987. Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston retired in 1978. They both later had small cameo appearances in movies directed by Brad Bird. These films were The Iron Giant (1999) and The Incredibles (2004). Frank Thomas died in 2004, leaving Ollie Johnston as the last living "Old Man." Ollie passed away on April 14, 2008. Their work continues to inspire animators and delight audiences worldwide.

References

• Canemaker, John. (2001). Walt Disney's Nine Old Men and the Art of Animation. New York, NY: Disney Editions. ISBN 0-7868-6496-6

Images for kids

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  Disney's Nine Old Men. From left to right: Back row: Milt Kahl, Marc Davis, Frank Thomas, Eric Larson, and Ollie Johnston. Front row: Woolie Reitherman, Les Clark, Ward Kimball, and John Lounsbery.

See also

In Spanish: Los Nueve Ancianos (Disney) para niños