Friday, April 25, 2008

Walt Disney's Nine Old Men : A tribute to Marc Davis



After Ollie Johnston last week, here is a new tribute to one of Walt Disney's nine old men : Marc Davis.

Born March 30, 1913, Marc Davis was a prominent artist and animator for Walt Disney Studios. Some of the animated characters Davis mainly designed and animated are Thumper from Bambi (1942), Brer Rabbit from Song of the South (1946), Cinderella (1950), Alice of Alice in Wonderland (1951) ( picture below )...



But also Tinker Bell in Peter Pan (1953), Maleficent ( artwork below ) and Aurora in Sleeping Beauty (1959) ( picture above, top )...



...and Cruella De Vil of 101 Dalmatians (1961).



Of course, Disney theme parks fans will also remember him forever for the unforgettable characters he designed for many Disneyland rides and show animatronics: The Enchanted Tiki Room, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, Ford's Magic Skyway, Carousel of Progress, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Jungle Cruise, America Sings, Haunted Mansion, It's a Small World, Western River Expedition, and the Country Bear Jamboree.

Among these all-time favorites attractions that guests remember the most is indeed the Haunted Mansion...




And Pirates of Caribbean, probably the most emblematic of his work for Disneyland.






Nobody better than him could talk about his life, and here he is Marc below, in this wonderful three-part video.










Photos, artwork and video: copyright Disney Enterprises Inc.

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