Eric Larson
Eric Cleon Larson (September 3, 1905 – October 25, 1988) was an American animator for the Walt Disney Studios starting in 1933, and was one of the "Disney's Nine Old Men".[1]
Eric Larson | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Born | Eric Cleon Larson September 3, 1905 Cleveland, Utah, U.S. |
Died | October 25, 1988 83) | (aged
Occupation | Animator |
Years active | 1933–1986 |
Known for | One of Disney's "Nine Old Men" |
Spouse(s) | Gertrude Jannes Larson
( m. 1933; died 1975) |
Biography
Born in Cleveland, Utah, Larson was the son of Danish immigrants Peter, a clothing salesman, and Nora.[2] He worked on such films as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Bambi, The Three Caballeros, Make Mine Music, Melody Time, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, The Sword in the Stone, The Jungle Book, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Throughout the years, Larson has animated characters on classics like The Aristocats and Robin Hood and also provided the titles on The Rescuers (along with Mel Shaw and Burny Mattinson). In the 1980s his work was minor, but he served as animation consultant on animated films and shorts like Mickey's Christmas Carol, The Black Cauldron, and The Great Mouse Detective.
In 1973, he began a recruitment training program that brought a new generation of animators into the Disney studio. Many well-known figures in animation today went through Larson's training program, including Brad Bird, Don Bluth, Chris Buck, Tim Burton, Randy Cartwright, Ron Clements, Andreas Deja, Gary Goldman, Ed Gombert, Mark Henn, Dan Haskett, Glen Keane, Bill Kroyer, John Lasseter, John Musker, Phil Nibbelink, Richard Rich, Burny Mattinson, Melvin Shaw, Jeffrey J. Varab, John Pomeroy, Joe Ranft, Jerry Rees, Henry Selick and Tad Stones among many others.
Larson was married to Gertrude Larson. By his retirement in 1986, he was the longest-working employee at Disney, having worked there for 53 years. He died on October 25, 1988, at the age of 83.
Filmography
Year | Title | Credits | Characters |
---|---|---|---|
1937 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | Animator | Forest Animals, Dwarfs |
1940 | Pinocchio | Animation Director | Figaro, Cleo, Geppetto, Marionettes, Donkeys, Lampwick as a donkey |
Fantasia | Animation Supervisor - Segment "The Pastoral Symphony" | Pegasus, Centaurs, Centaurettes | |
1942 | Bambi | Supervising Animator | Thumper, Friend Owl |
1945 | The Three Caballeros | Animator | "The Flying Gauchito", Donald Duck, Jose Carioca, Panchito, Aracuan |
Tiger Trouble (Short) | Animator | ||
African Diary (Short) | Animator | ||
1946 | A Knight for a Day (Short) | Animator | Cedric |
Make Mine Music | Animator | "Casey at the Bat" "Peter and the Wolf" | |
Song of the South | Directing Animator | Bre'r Rabbit, Bre'r Bear, Bre'r Fox | |
1948 | Melody Time | Directing Animator | "Once Upon A Wintertime", "Johnny Appleseed" "Little Toot" |
1949 | So Dear to My Heart | Animator | Danny Lamb in cartoon form, Wise Owl |
1950 | Cinderella | Directing Animator | Cinderella, Stepsisters, Prince Charming |
1951 | Alice in Wonderland | Directing Animator | Alice, Dinah, Caterpillar, Queen Of Hearts, Cheshire Cat |
1952 | Lambert the Sheepish Lion (Short) | Animator | |
1953 | Peter Pan | Directing Animator | Peter Pan, Wendy, Captain Hook |
1955 | Lady and the Tramp | Directing Animator | Lady, Tramp, Beaver, Peg |
1959 | Sleeping Beauty | Sequence Director | |
1961 | One Hundred and One Dalmatians | Directing Animator | Pongo, Perdita, Puppies, Colonel, Tibbs |
1962 | A Symposium on Popular Songs (Short) | Animator | Ludwig Von Drake |
1963 | The Sword in the Stone | Character Animator | Wart, Merlin, Archimedes, Sir Ector, Granny Squirrel, Madam Mim |
1964 | Man's Search for Happiness (Short) | Animator | |
Mary Poppins | Animator | Animals, Racers | |
1966 | Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (Short) | Animator | |
1967 | The Jungle Book | Character Animator | Mowgli, Bagheera, Baloo, King Louie, Vultures |
1968 | Understanding Stresses and Strains (Short) | Animator | |
1969 | It's Tough to Be a Bird (Documentary Short) | Animator | |
1970 | The Aristocats | Character Animator | Roquefort, Marie, Toulouse, Berlioz, Edgar, O'Malley, Scat Cat, Alley Cats |
1971 | Bedknobs and Broomsticks | Animator | |
1973 | Robin Hood | Character Animator | Robin Hood, Little John, Vultures |
1974 | Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too (Short) | Directing Animator | |
1977 | The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh | Animator | Kanga, Roo |
The Rescuers | Titles | ||
1983 | Mickey's Christmas Carol (Short) | Animation Consultant | |
1985 | The Black Cauldron | Animation Consultant | |
1986 | The Great Mouse Detective | Animation Consultant | |
References
- Canemaker, John. (2001). Walt Disney's nine old men and the art of animation (1st ed.). New York: Disney Editions. ISBN 0-7868-6496-6. OCLC 45388625.
- 1920 United States Federal Census