Ben Clopton
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Ashby Clopton, Junior (July 27, 1906 - November 19, 1987) was an artist best-known for his work on Walt Disney
and Harman-Ising
animated cartoons.
Clopton was the fourth child of Benjamin Ashby and Hannah Olivia (Eklund) Clopton. His parents married in 1897 in the Gallatin Valley of Montana and settled between Deep Creek and Grayson, near Townsend, Montana in 1910, where the family owned a ranch and raised dryland wheat. He attended the University of Missoula in the mid-1920s.
Clopton left for California in January 1927 for what was supposed to be a few months Instead, he was hired by Walt Disney
in February and began working under animator Ub Iwerks
as an in-betweener. His first cartoon was Alice's Three Bad Eggs. Clopton assisted Iwerks in drawing the first Mickey Mouse
cartoon, Plane Crazy
, in late April, 1927, but left the Disney studio in the middle of May to join Hugh Harman and Rudy Ising, who had been hired from Disney to make cartoons for Charles Mintz under contract with Universal Studios
.. Clopton directed six Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
cartoons in 1928-1929.
Mintz lost distributorship of the Oswald cartoons in 1929. Harman and Ising then formed their own studio and signed a deal with Leon Schlesinger
in 1930 to create the Looney Tunes
series. Clopton took a job with Iwerks' studio until 1933, when Scheslinger refused to renew Harman and Ising's contract, started his own studio, and hired staff. Clopton was among the animators and his first film credit is on Buddy the Gob
, released January 13, 1934. Clopton is credited on sixteen cartoons through 1936, when he left for the Walter Lantz
studio. Clopton's name is on three cartoons released in 1937. His name appears for a final time on screen as an animator on Gulliver's Travels
, released in 1939 by the Fleischer Studios
.
Clopton returned to California and worked at Disney with his brother John before they were inducted into the U.S. Army in April, 1942. He was divorced in 1945 by his wife Sylvia Lamarr, stand-in for Hedy Lamarr
and Joan Crawford
. A wire service report made no mention of his animation career, instead stating he was a rancher. She testified at her divorce trial "He kept a loaded rifle around the house. He used to shoot holes in the ceiling. It made me very nervous".
He was living in Santa Monica, California at the time of his mother's death in 1966 but re-settled back home in Townsend, Montana, where he died in 1987.
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
and Harman-Ising
Harman and Ising
Hugh Harman and Rudolf "Rudy" Ising were an American animation team best known for founding the Warner Bros. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animation studios...
animated cartoons.
Clopton was the fourth child of Benjamin Ashby and Hannah Olivia (Eklund) Clopton. His parents married in 1897 in the Gallatin Valley of Montana and settled between Deep Creek and Grayson, near Townsend, Montana in 1910, where the family owned a ranch and raised dryland wheat. He attended the University of Missoula in the mid-1920s.
Clopton left for California in January 1927 for what was supposed to be a few months Instead, he was hired by Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
in February and began working under animator Ub Iwerks
Ub Iwerks
Ub Iwerks, A.S.C. was a two-time Academy Award winning American animator, cartoonist, character designer, inventor, creator of Mickey Mouse, and special effects technician, who was famous for his work for Walt Disney....
as an in-betweener. His first cartoon was Alice's Three Bad Eggs. Clopton assisted Iwerks in drawing the first Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
cartoon, Plane Crazy
Plane Crazy
Plane Crazy is an American animated short film directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The cartoon, produced in 1928 by The Walt Disney Studio, was the first to feature the character Mickey Mouse. It was made as a silent film and given a test screening to a theater audience on May 15, 1928, but...
, in late April, 1927, but left the Disney studio in the middle of May to join Hugh Harman and Rudy Ising, who had been hired from Disney to make cartoons for Charles Mintz under contract with Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
.. Clopton directed six Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit is an anthropomorphic rabbit and animated cartoon character created by Ub Iwerks and Walt Disney for films distributed by Universal Pictures in the 1920s and 1930s...
cartoons in 1928-1929.
Mintz lost distributorship of the Oswald cartoons in 1929. Harman and Ising then formed their own studio and signed a deal with Leon Schlesinger
Leon Schlesinger
Leon Schlesinger was an American film producer, most noted for founding Leon Schlesinger Productions, which later became the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio, during the golden age of Hollywood animation.-Early life and career:...
in 1930 to create the Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
series. Clopton took a job with Iwerks' studio until 1933, when Scheslinger refused to renew Harman and Ising's contract, started his own studio, and hired staff. Clopton was among the animators and his first film credit is on Buddy the Gob
Buddy the Gob
Buddy The Gob is a Warner Bros. Looney Tunes theatrical cartoon short released on January 13, 1934. It was animated by Jack King and Ben Clopton. The musical score was by Bernard Brown....
, released January 13, 1934. Clopton is credited on sixteen cartoons through 1936, when he left for the Walter Lantz
Walter Lantz
Walter Benjamin Lantz was an American cartoonist, animator, film producer, and director, best known for founding Walter Lantz Productions and creating Woody Woodpecker.-Early years and start in animation:...
studio. Clopton's name is on three cartoons released in 1937. His name appears for a final time on screen as an animator on Gulliver's Travels
Gulliver's Travels (1939 film)
Gulliver's Travels is a 1939 American cel-animated Technicolor feature film, directed by Dave Fleischer and produced by Max Fleischer for Fleischer Studios. The film was released on Friday, December 22, 1939 by Paramount Pictures, who had the feature produced as an answer to the success of Walt...
, released in 1939 by the Fleischer Studios
Fleischer Studios
Fleischer Studios, Inc., was an American corporation which originated as an Animation studio located at 1600 Broadway, New York City, New York...
.
Clopton returned to California and worked at Disney with his brother John before they were inducted into the U.S. Army in April, 1942. He was divorced in 1945 by his wife Sylvia Lamarr, stand-in for Hedy Lamarr
Hedy Lamarr
Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian-American actress celebrated for her great beauty who was a major contract star of MGM's "Golden Age".Lamarr also co-invented – with composer George Antheil – an early technique for spread spectrum communications and frequency hopping, necessary to wireless...
and Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
. A wire service report made no mention of his animation career, instead stating he was a rancher. She testified at her divorce trial "He kept a loaded rifle around the house. He used to shoot holes in the ceiling. It made me very nervous".
He was living in Santa Monica, California at the time of his mother's death in 1966 but re-settled back home in Townsend, Montana, where he died in 1987.