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{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox actor
{{short description|American voice actor (1904–1985)}}
| name = Clarence Charles "Ducky" Nash
{{Infobox person
| image = Clarence_Nash_San_Diego_Comic_Con_1982.jpg
| caption = Clarence Nash in 1982 | name = Clarence Nash
| image = Clarence_Nash_San_Diego_Comic_Con_1982 crop.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Nash at the 1982 ]
| landscape =
| birth_name = | birth_name = Clarence Charles Nash
| alias =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1904|12|7}} | birth_date = {{Birth date|1904|12|7}}
| birth_place = ], ]<ref name="imdb"> from ]</ref> | birth_place = {{nowrap|], ], U.S.}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1985|2|20|1904|12|7}} | death_date = {{Death date and age|1985|2|20|1904|12|7}}
| death_place = ], ]<ref name="imdb" /> | death_place = ], U.S.
| resting_place = ], ], U.S.
| occupation = Voice actor
| occupation = {{hlist|Voice actor|impressionist}}
| spouse = Margaret Seamans<ref name="imdb" />
| parents = | other_names = Ducky Nash
| awards = ] (1978)<ref></ref>
| children = 2<ref name="imdb" />
| years_active = 1928–1985
| website =
| spouse = {{marriage|Margaret Seamans|1930<!--Per instructions on ] when marriage ends with death of article's subject-->}}
| children = 2
}} }}
'''Clarence Charles "Ducky" Nash''' (7 December 1904 - 20 February 1985) was an ] ], best known for providing the voice of ] for the ]. He was born in the rural community of ], ], and a street in that town is named in his honor. '''Clarence Charles''' "'''Ducky'''" '''Nash''' (December 7, 1904 – February 20, 1985) was an American voice actor and impressionist. He is best remembered as the original voice of the ] cartoon character ]. He was born in the rural community of ], and ] is named in his honor.<ref name="Watonga">{{cite web|url=https://www.tulsaworld.com/entertainment/jimmie-tramel-from-donald-duck-to-tom-and-jerry-this/article_f056f54e-3edc-56d3-9fb2-293b99a77eb3.html|title=From Donald Duck to Tom and Jerry, this duck tale started in Oklahoma|publisher=Jimmie Tramel, Tulsa World, February 2, 2020|access-date=February 2, 2020}}</ref> In 1993, he was posthumously made a ] for his contributions to Walt Disney films.<ref> Walt Disney Official Fan Club website (Note: Source is behind a paywall.)</ref>


==Career==
==Beginning his career==
===Radio career===
Nash made a name for himself in the late 1920s as an impressionist for ], a ] ], on their show, ''The Merrymakers''. He later was employed by the ] for publicity purposes. Dubbed "Whistling Clarence, the Adohr Bird Man", Nash rode the streets with a team of ]s and gave treats to the children. In 1932, Nash happened by the Disney Studio with his team of horses, and decided to leave a copy of his Adohr publicity sheet with the receptionist. As it turns out, his name was recognized from a reprise appearance on ''The Merrymakers'' a few days previous, and ] himself had been impressed by Nash's vocal skills. He was asked to make an informal audition.
Nash made a name for himself in the late 1920s as an impressionist for ], a ] ], on their show, ''The Merrymakers''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/02/22/arts/clarence-nash-is-dead-at-80-donald-duck-s-voice-in-films.html| title=Verdugo Views: Donald Duck and his brood nested in Glendale| newspaper=The Los Angeles Times|date=December 3, 2014}}</ref> He later was employed by the Adohr Milk Company for publicity purposes. Dubbed "Whistling Clarence, the Adohr Bird Man", Nash rode the streets with a team of ]s and gave treats to the children.<ref name=":0"/> In 1932, Nash happened by the Disney Studio with his team of horses, and decided to leave a copy of his Adohr publicity sheet with the receptionist.<ref name=":0"/> As it turns out, his name was recognized from a reprise appearance on ''The Merrymakers'' a few days previous, and ] had been impressed by Nash's vocal skills. He was asked to make an informal audition.<ref name=":0"/>


] in Hollywood.]]
==Donald Duck==
] in Hollywood.]]Nash went through several of his voices, and Walt Disney happened by when Nash gave his impersonation of a family of ]s. Disney declared Nash perfect for the role of a talking duck in their upcoming animated short, '']''. The duck, of course, was Donald Duck, who Nash went on to voice for over 50 years, in over 120 shorts and films. The last film to feature Nash's famous voice was '']'', released in 1983 although he continued to provide Donald's voice for commercials, promos and other miscellaneous material until his death.


===Donald Duck===
Donald Duck went on to become one of the most famous cartoon characters in the world, and a great part of this was due to Nash's distinctive voice. It may well be one of the most recognizable character voices in history. The voice is distinctive both for its ducklike quality and the fact that it is often very difficult for anybody to understand, especially when Donald flew into a rage (which happened fairly often). To keep Donald's voice consistent throughout the world, Nash voiced Donald's voice in all foreign languages the Disney shorts were translated to (with the aid of the ]), meaning Donald retained his same level of incoherency all across the globe. '']'' magazine, in its 1950s comic-strip style satire of Disney characters, featured a "translation" of "Darnold" Duck's "quacky, incomprehensible" voice.
One source indicates Nash auditioned before a casting director for Walt Disney Studios and did a voice impression of a billy goat that Nash had started doing as a child in Watonga. The director then reached for the intercom and told ], "I think we have found our duck."<ref name="Watonga" /> Another version indicates Nash went through several of his voices, and Walt Disney happened by when Nash gave his impersonation of a family of ]s. Disney declared Nash perfect for the role of a talking duck in their upcoming animated short, '']''. The duck was Donald Duck, who Nash went on to voice for 51 years, in over 120 shorts and films. The last film to feature Nash's famous voice was 1983's '']'', although he continued to provide Donald's voice for commercials, promos, and other miscellaneous material until his death.


As early as 1938, promoters from ] were approaching him on his unique voice of Donald. Disney reportedly did not like the engagements at first, feeling that a human doing the voice would be spoiling the illusion, but then long after he had second thoughts. In early 1941, Nash was traveling on personal appearance tours sponsored by Disney. During World War II, Nash, with his ventriloquist puppet of Donald, which was built by Disney's character modeling department, became a regular performer at ] bond rallies and other events to support the war effort. In the mid-1940s, Roy and Walt approved the Donald puppet and they decided to harness it for the 1944 re-release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. ] and Disney were unsure how the film would do the second time around at the box office after its initial blockbuster run, so they did a promotional campaign with Disney characters including Nash performing with the Donald puppet. During the promotional period of '']'', he did multiple radio appearances from May to September 1947, with one of those appearances starring Disney himself. He voiced Donald for 1950s TV commercials.<ref name="bio">{{cite web|last=Kaufman|first=J.B.|title=Promoting 'Fun and Fancy Free'|url=https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/promoting-fun-and-fancy-free/|website=]|access-date=September 1, 2020|date=August 31, 2020}}</ref>
==Other characters==
In addition to Donald's voice, Nash also voiced ] (in her earliest appearances, when she was little more than a female version of Donald), as well as Donald's nephews ]. He provided the voice for ] in the cartoon 'Bellboy Donald' and for a bullfrog in '']''. Nash also provided the meows of ] the kitten in a handful of shorts.


Nash's Donald Duck voice was achieved by what is called ]: an ] form of ] which uses the inner cheek to produce sound rather than the ].<ref name="buccal">{{cite journal | last1=Weinberg | first1=Bernd | last2=Westerhouse | first2=Jan | title=A Study of Buccal Speech | journal=Journal of Speech and Hearing Research | publisher=American Speech Language Hearing Association | volume=14 | issue=3 | year=1971 | issn=0022-4685 | doi=10.1044/jshr.1403.652 | pages=652–658| pmid=5163900 }} also published as {{cite journal | last1=Weinberg | first1=B. | last2=Westerhouse | first2=J. | title=A Study of Buccal Speech | journal=The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America | publisher=Acoustical Society of America (ASA) | volume=51 | issue=1A | year=1972 | issn=0001-4966 | doi=10.1121/1.1981697 | pages=652–8| pmid=5163900 | bibcode=1972ASAJ...51Q..91W | doi-access=free }}</ref> He first discovered it while trying to mimic his pet goat Mary. In his days before Disney, Nash performed in ] shows where he often spoke in a "nervous baby goat" voice.<ref>{{cite book|last=Blitz |first=Marcia |title=Donald Duck |year=1979 |publisher=]|isbn=978-0-517-52961-4 |page=19}}</ref>
Several ] cartoons directed by ] and ] featured a third main character, a duckling named ]. ] provided Little Quacker's voice, though the voice is sometimes attributed mistakenly to Nash because it sounds similar to Donald Duck's.


Donald Duck became one of the world's most famous cartoon characters, in great part due to Nash's voice.{{cn|date=November 2022}} The voice is distinctive both for its ducklike quality and the fact that it is often very difficult for anybody to understand, especially when Donald flew into a rage (which happened fairly often). To keep Donald's voice consistent throughout the world, Nash voiced the character in all foreign languages the Disney shorts were translated to (with the aid of the ]), meaning Donald retained his same level of incoherency all across the globe.{{clear left}}
==Later years==
When Disney shut down their shorts department in 1962, Nash continued to voice Donald in various projects over the next two decades, notably performing the song "Macho Duck" on the '']'' album in the 1970s. (Contrary to popular belief, however, Nash did not perform the duck voice for ]' "]")


===Other characters===
Nash's performance as Donald in '']'' made Donald the only character in the film to be voiced by his original actor. Despite the fact that the Scrooge is voiced by his most famous voice actor ], voice actor Bill Thompson was in charge of the voice in the 1967 cartoon ].
In addition to Donald's voice, Clarence Nash also voiced Donald's nephews ] and his girlfriend ]. He provided the meows and yowls of ] the kitten in '']'' and in a handful of shorts. In ''Pinocchio'', he also provided the ]-esque voice for the Rough House statue. He also voiced a bullfrog croaking "Watch out!" in '']'' and also did some dog sounds in '']'', and also voiced ] for a brief period of time after ]'s death in 1971.<ref>{{cite web|last=Barnes |first=Brooks |url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/198701/Clarence-Nash/biography |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150519033825/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/198701/Clarence-Nash/biography |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 19, 2015 |title=Movies |department=Movies & TV Dept. |work=] |date=2015 |access-date=September 11, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-02-21-mn-619-story.html |title=50-Year Career : Clarence Nash, Donald Duck's Voice, Dies |newspaper=LA Times |date=February 21, 1985|access-date=September 11, 2016}}</ref>


Nash's iconic Donald Duck voice would be impersonated elsewhere in animation, most notably in the Tom and Jerry cartoons directed by ] and ] with the characters ] (voiced by ]) and ] (voiced by ]), additionally he also provided the vocal cords for Tom in the early shorts whenever he hisses. As with most Hanna-Barbera productions, these characters used celebrity impersonations, in these cases an impersonation of Clarence Nash's Donald Duck voice. Because both were much similar to Nash's voice they were often mistakenly attributed to Nash.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/the-original-voice-of-donald-duck-clarence-nash-part-2/ |title=The Original Voice of Donald Duck: Clarence Nash, Part 2 |date=2022-04-01 |access-date=2022-06-29 |website=Cartoon Research |last=Korkis |first=Jim}}</ref> Likewise, contrary to popular belief, he did not perform the duck voice for ]' "]", it was one of Dees' acquaintances.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Galindo |first1=Brian |title=Did You Shake Your Tail Feather To "Disco Duck"? |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/briangalindo/did-you-shake-your-tail-feather-to-disco-duck |website=buzzfeed.com |access-date=23 April 2023}}</ref> Nash would also use his duck voice on '']'' during the 1940s, playing Gracie's pet duck.
In the late 1970s, Nash was known for often taking walks in the neighborhood around Fremont Elementary School in ], entertaining children with his Donald Duck voice.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}}


Nash appeared as himself in the 1941 film '']'', which shows how Disney films were produced, and was a contestant on a 1954 episode of '']''<ref>Archived at {{cbignore}} and the {{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NpqJl7xHxw |title=What's My Line|publisher=] |access-date=September 11, 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and a 1964 episode of '']''.<ref>Archived at {{cbignore}} and the {{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjPCBF_z6WA|title=To Tell the Truth|publisher=] |access-date=October 10, 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Nash also appeared as himself in a 1956 episode of '']'' entitled "]", in which he interacts with an animated Donald who blames him for his speech problems: the two end up arguing mainly due to Donald's short temper.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLhW51HMNUY | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416123559/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLhW51HMNUY| archive-date=2014-04-16 | url-status=dead|title=Disneyland - 2.18 - A Day in the Life of Donald Duck - Part 1 of 4 |publisher=] |access-date=September 11, 2016}}</ref> He was also a guest on a 1976 episode of '']''. The 1984 special '']'' included several clips from Disney films and ''Disneyland'' episodes.<ref>Archived at {{cbignore}} and the {{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=912bPA5iE8Q |title=DONALD DUCK 50th BIRTHDAY SPECIAL-#3-Clarence Nash-Star Wars |publisher=] |date=December 12, 1954|access-date=September 11, 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
Nash appeared as on on-screen actor in the 1941 movie ]. He was also a contestant on a 1954 episode of ] and was a guest on a 1976 episode of ]. He was in a cameo in 1984 for a ''Donald Duck 50th Birthday'' television special. {{Citation needed|date=September 2010}}}

===Later years===
When Disney shut down their shorts department in 1962, Nash continued to voice Donald in various projects over the next two decades.

In the late 1970s, Nash was known for often taking walks in the neighborhood around Fremont Elementary School in ], entertaining children with his Donald Duck voice. As he passed the age of 70, he found the harsh voice increasingly straining on his throat and so limited public performances to groups of children. During recording sessions, he would take frequent breaks and drink plenty of water to avoid overexerting himself.{{cn|date=June 2020}}

One of Nash's final performances was in '']'' (1983), which made Donald the only character in the film to be voiced by his original actor. His career at Disney was the subject of the premiere episode of '']'', a 1984 series of documentaries about behind-the-scenes personalities at the studio.

==Personal life==
Nash married Margaret Seamans in 1930, and they were married for over 50 years; they had two daughters, Kay and Peggy.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/02/22/arts/clarence-nash-is-dead-at-80-donald-duck-s-voice-in-films.html | title=Clarence Nash is Dead at 80; Donald Duck's Voice in Films| newspaper=The New York Times| date=February 22, 1985}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-02-21-mn-619-story.html |title=50-Year Career : Clarence Nash, Donald Duck's Voice, Dies|newspaper=LA Times |date=February 21, 1985|access-date=September 11, 2016}}</ref>


==Death== ==Death==
]
Clarence Nash died in 1985 of ] at the age of 80 and was interred in the ] in ]. The tombstone of the grave he now shares with his wife Margaret Nash (who died in 1993) depicts a carving of Donald and Daisy Duck holding hands <ref>{{Find a Grave|2578}}</ref>.
Nash died on February 20, 1985, of ] in the ] in ], at the age of 80 and was interred in the ] in ].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-02-21-mn-619-story.html |title=50-Year Career : Clarence Nash, Donald Duck's Voice, Dies|newspaper=LA Times|date=February 21, 1985|access-date=September 11, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-02-21-mn-619-story.html|title=50-Year Career : Clarence Nash, Donald Duck's Voice, Dies|work=Los Angeles Times|date=February 21, 1985|last=Folkart|first=Burt A.}}</ref> The tombstone of the grave he now shares with his wife Margaret Nash depicts a carving of Donald and Daisy Duck holding hands.


==Successor== ==Successor and upcoming biography==
After Nash's death, Donald's voice has been taken up by Disney animator ], who was trained under Nash personally. Anselmo is also among the many voiceover artists to have also voiced Huey, Dewey and Louie over the years. Later characters whose voices owe considerable credit to Nash's duck voice have been voiced by actors such as ], ], ] and ]. The most prominent of these is Weldon's ] for ]. After Nash's death, Donald's voice has been taken up by Disney animator ], who was trained under Nash personally. Anselmo is also among the many voiceover artists to have voiced Huey, Dewey and Louie over the years. Later characters whose voices owe considerable credit to Nash's duck voice have been voiced by actors such as ], ], ] and ]. The most prominent of these is Weldon's ] for ].

It was announced in 2020 that Disney historian ] was working with Margaret Barnes, Nash's granddaughter, on a biography of Nash.<ref name="bio"/>

==Filmography==
===Radio===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|rowspan="1"| 1938 || '']'' || Donald Duck ||
|-
|rowspan="1"| 1941–1943 || '']'' || Herman the Duck ||
|-
|rowspan="1"| 1945 || '']'' || Donald Duck ||
|}
===Shorts===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|rowspan="2"| 1934 ||'']'' || Donald Duck || rowspan="7" | (voice)
|-
| '']'' || Bat
|-
|rowspan="1"| 1935 || '']'' || Kitten, Cat Judge, Cat Jury
|-
|rowspan="1"| 1936 || '']'' || Joey Hippo
|-
|rowspan="1"| 1939 || '']'' || Tootsie the Penguin
|-
| 1947 || '']'' || Donald Duck
|-
| 1983 || '']'' || Nephew Fred/Donald Duck
|}

===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|rowspan="1"| 1940 || '']'' || Figaro, Rough House Statue || rowspan="12" | (voice)
|-
|rowspan="1"| 1941 || '']'' || Himself, Donald Duck
|-
|rowspan="2"| 1942 || '']'' || Bullfrog, Hunter Dogs
|-
| '']'' || rowspan="2" | Donald Duck
|-
|rowspan="1"| 1944 || '']''
|-
|rowspan="1"|1946 || '']'' || Mr. Bluebird
|-
|rowspan="1"| 1947 || '']'' || Donald Duck, Cat
|-
|rowspan="1"| 1949 || '']'' || Ichabod's Horse, Cat
|-
|rowspan="1"| 1950 || '']'' || Birds
|-
|rowspan="1"| 1951 || '']'' || Dinah
|-
|rowspan="1"| 1961 || '']'' || Dogs
|-
|rowspan="1"| 1965 || ''Donald Duck Goes West'' || Donald Duck
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|rowspan="1"| 1954–1985 || '']'' || Donald Duck/Himself || Voice & live-action
|-
|rowspan="1"| 1954 || '']''
|Himself (Voice of Donald Duck)
|Live appearance<ref>Archived at {{cbignore}} and the {{cbignore}}: {{Citation|last=What's My Line?|title=What's My Line? - Clarence "Donald Duck" Nash; Bob Hope (Dec 12, 1954) |date=September 23, 2015|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl4VsFFUFu0|access-date=February 20, 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan="1"| 1963 || '']'' || Himself-Challenger || Live appearance
|-
|rowspan="1"| 1984 || '']'' || Himself/Donald Duck || Live-action & voice<br/>Final role
|}

==Discography==
* ''Mickey and the Beanstalk'' (Capitol, 1947)<ref name="Mickey and the Beanstalk">. Retrieved October 7, 2017.</ref> as Donald Duck
* ''Donald Duck's Singing Lesson''/''Pluto, The Pup'' (Golden, 1949)<ref>. Retrieved November 25, 2018. "Original Voices..."</ref> as Donald Duck
* ''Cinderella'' (RCA, 1949)<ref>. Retrieved October 7, 2017.</ref> as Lucifer, Bruno, Major, Additional Animal Voices
* ''Mickey's New Car''/''Donald Duck at the Opera'' (Golden, 1950)<ref name="45World">. Retrieved November 25, 2018. "Original Voices..."</ref> as Donald Duck
* ''Donald Duck, Babysitter''/''Mickey Mouse and Farmer Rush Rush'' (Golden, 1950)<ref name="45World"/> as Donald Duck
* ''Donald Duck Cowboy'' (Golden, 1950)<ref>''Billboard''. October 14, 1950, P.113. "...are sung by the original D. Duck voice..."</ref> as Donald Duck
* ''Trick or Treat'' (RCA Victor, 1952)<ref>. Retrieved November 25, 2018.</ref> as Donald Duck
* ''Mr. Television'' (RCA Victor, 1952)<ref name="Billboard">''Billboard''. June 30, 1951, P.20. "Milton Berle and Clarence Nash, the voice of Disney's Donald Duck, waxed two singles for RCA Victor last week titled respectively "Mr. Television" and "Mr. Animated Cartoon.""</ref> as Donald Duck
* ''Mr. Animated Cartoon'' (RCA Victor, 1952)<ref name="Billboard"/> as Donald Duck
* ''Donald Duck, Fire Chief'' (Golden, 1953)<ref>Hollis, Tim (2015). ''Toons in Toyland: The Story of Cartoon Character Merchandise''. University Press of Mississippi. {{ISBN |978-1628461992}}. Retrieved November 25, 2018.</ref> as Donald Duck
* ''Mickey Mouse's Birthday Party'' (Capitol, 1954)<ref>. Retrieved October 7, 2017.</ref> as Donald Duck
* ''School Days'' (Golden, 1954)<ref name="45World4">. Retrieved November 25, 2018. "Original Voices..."</ref> as Donald Duck
* ''Mickey Mouse's Christmas Party'' (Golden, 1954)<ref name="45World4"/> as Donald Duck
*''Happy Birthday to Mickey Mouse''/''Donald Duck's Unbirthday'' (Golden, 1955)<ref>. Retrieved December 29, 2017.</ref> as Donald Duck
* ''Walt Disney's Song Parade from Disneyland'' (Golden, 1956)<ref>. Retrieved October 8, 2017.</ref> as Donald Duck
* ''Goofy's Dance Party'' (Disneyland, 1959)<ref>. Retrieved November 25, 2018.</ref> as Donald Duck
* ''Donald Duck and His Friends'' (Disneyland, 1960)<ref name="Donald Duck's Quacked Records">. Retrieved October 7, 2017.</ref> as Donald Duck
* ''Chipmunk Fun'' (Disneyland, 1963)<ref>. Retrieved October 7, 2017.</ref> as Donald Duck
* ''Mickey and the Beanstalk'' (Disneyland, 1963)<ref name="Mickey and the Beanstalk"/> as Donald Duck
* ''Dickens' Christmas Carol Presented by the Walt Disney Players'' (Disneyland, 1975)<ref>. Retrieved October 7, 2017.</ref> as Donald Duck
* ''Yankee Doodle Mickey'' (Disneyland, 1980)<ref>. Retrieved October 7, 2017.</ref> as Donald Duck
* ''Goin' Quackers'' (Disneyland, 1980)<ref name="Donald Duck's Quacked Records"/> as Donald Duck
* ''Pardners'' (Disneyland, 1980)<ref name="Mouse Tracks"> Hollis, Tim; Ehrbar, Greg (2006). ''Mouse Tracks: The Story of Walt Disney Records''. University Press of Mississippi. {{ISBN |978-1578068494}}. Retrieved October 7, 2017.</ref> as Donald Duck
* ''Merry Christmas Carols'' (Disneyland, 1980)<ref name="Mouse Tracks"/> as Donald Duck
* '']'' (Disneyland, 1982)<ref name="Mouse Tracks"/> as Donald Duck
* ''Mickey Mouse Splashdance'' (Disneyland, 1983)<ref>. Retrieved October 7, 2017.</ref> as Donald Duck

==See also==
* ]


==References== ==References==
Line 51: Line 186:


==External links== ==External links==
{{commons category|Clarence Nash}}
*{{IMDB name|0621699}}
{{Portal|Biography}}
* {{IMDb name|0621699}}


{{S-start}}
{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see ]. -->
{{Succession box
| NAME = Nash, Clarence
| before = None
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| title = ]
| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
| years = 1934–1985
| DATE OF BIRTH = December 7, 1904
| after = ]
| PLACE OF BIRTH = ], ]
| DATE OF DEATH = February 20, 1985
| PLACE OF DEATH = ], ]
}} }}
{{s-end}}

{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Clarence Nash
|list =
{{Disney Legends Awards 1990s}}
{{Inkpot Award 1970s}}
{{Winsor McCay Award 1980s}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nash, Clarence}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Nash, Clarence}}
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Latest revision as of 01:14, 10 September 2024

American voice actor (1904–1985)
Clarence Nash
Nash at the 1982 San Diego Comic-Con
BornClarence Charles Nash
(1904-12-07)December 7, 1904
Watonga, Oklahoma Territory, U.S.
DiedFebruary 20, 1985(1985-02-20) (aged 80)
Burbank, California, U.S.
Resting placeSan Fernando Mission Cemetery, Mission Hills, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other namesDucky Nash
Occupations
  • Voice actor
  • impressionist
Years active1928–1985
Spouse Margaret Seamans ​(m. 1930)​
Children2
AwardsInkpot Award (1978)

Clarence Charles "Ducky" Nash (December 7, 1904 – February 20, 1985) was an American voice actor and impressionist. He is best remembered as the original voice of the Disney cartoon character Donald Duck. He was born in the rural community of Watonga, Oklahoma, and a street in that town is named in his honor. In 1993, he was posthumously made a Disney Legend for his contributions to Walt Disney films.

Career

Radio career

Nash made a name for himself in the late 1920s as an impressionist for KHJ, a Los Angeles radio station, on their show, The Merrymakers. He later was employed by the Adohr Milk Company for publicity purposes. Dubbed "Whistling Clarence, the Adohr Bird Man", Nash rode the streets with a team of miniature horses and gave treats to the children. In 1932, Nash happened by the Disney Studio with his team of horses, and decided to leave a copy of his Adohr publicity sheet with the receptionist. As it turns out, his name was recognized from a reprise appearance on The Merrymakers a few days previous, and Walt Disney had been impressed by Nash's vocal skills. He was asked to make an informal audition.

Nash left Donald's "footprints" at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

Donald Duck

One source indicates Nash auditioned before a casting director for Walt Disney Studios and did a voice impression of a billy goat that Nash had started doing as a child in Watonga. The director then reached for the intercom and told Walt Disney, "I think we have found our duck." Another version indicates Nash went through several of his voices, and Walt Disney happened by when Nash gave his impersonation of a family of ducks. Disney declared Nash perfect for the role of a talking duck in their upcoming animated short, The Wise Little Hen. The duck was Donald Duck, who Nash went on to voice for 51 years, in over 120 shorts and films. The last film to feature Nash's famous voice was 1983's Mickey's Christmas Carol, although he continued to provide Donald's voice for commercials, promos, and other miscellaneous material until his death.

As early as 1938, promoters from lecture circuits were approaching him on his unique voice of Donald. Disney reportedly did not like the engagements at first, feeling that a human doing the voice would be spoiling the illusion, but then long after he had second thoughts. In early 1941, Nash was traveling on personal appearance tours sponsored by Disney. During World War II, Nash, with his ventriloquist puppet of Donald, which was built by Disney's character modeling department, became a regular performer at USO bond rallies and other events to support the war effort. In the mid-1940s, Roy and Walt approved the Donald puppet and they decided to harness it for the 1944 re-release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. RKO and Disney were unsure how the film would do the second time around at the box office after its initial blockbuster run, so they did a promotional campaign with Disney characters including Nash performing with the Donald puppet. During the promotional period of Fun and Fancy Free, he did multiple radio appearances from May to September 1947, with one of those appearances starring Disney himself. He voiced Donald for 1950s TV commercials.

Nash's Donald Duck voice was achieved by what is called buccal speech: an alaryngeal form of vocalization which uses the inner cheek to produce sound rather than the larynx. He first discovered it while trying to mimic his pet goat Mary. In his days before Disney, Nash performed in vaudeville shows where he often spoke in a "nervous baby goat" voice.

Donald Duck became one of the world's most famous cartoon characters, in great part due to Nash's voice. The voice is distinctive both for its ducklike quality and the fact that it is often very difficult for anybody to understand, especially when Donald flew into a rage (which happened fairly often). To keep Donald's voice consistent throughout the world, Nash voiced the character in all foreign languages the Disney shorts were translated to (with the aid of the phonetic alphabet), meaning Donald retained his same level of incoherency all across the globe.

Other characters

In addition to Donald's voice, Clarence Nash also voiced Donald's nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie and his girlfriend Daisy. He provided the meows and yowls of Figaro the kitten in Pinocchio and in a handful of shorts. In Pinocchio, he also provided the Popeye-esque voice for the Rough House statue. He also voiced a bullfrog croaking "Watch out!" in Bambi and also did some dog sounds in One Hundred and One Dalmatians, and also voiced Jiminy Cricket for a brief period of time after Cliff Edwards's death in 1971.

Nash's iconic Donald Duck voice would be impersonated elsewhere in animation, most notably in the Tom and Jerry cartoons directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera with the characters Little Quacker (voiced by Red Coffey) and Yakky Doodle (voiced by Jimmy Weldon), additionally he also provided the vocal cords for Tom in the early shorts whenever he hisses. As with most Hanna-Barbera productions, these characters used celebrity impersonations, in these cases an impersonation of Clarence Nash's Donald Duck voice. Because both were much similar to Nash's voice they were often mistakenly attributed to Nash. Likewise, contrary to popular belief, he did not perform the duck voice for Rick Dees' "Disco Duck", it was one of Dees' acquaintances. Nash would also use his duck voice on The Burns & Allen Show during the 1940s, playing Gracie's pet duck.

Nash appeared as himself in the 1941 film The Reluctant Dragon, which shows how Disney films were produced, and was a contestant on a 1954 episode of What's My Line and a 1964 episode of To Tell the Truth. Nash also appeared as himself in a 1956 episode of Disneyland entitled "A Day in the Life of Donald Duck", in which he interacts with an animated Donald who blames him for his speech problems: the two end up arguing mainly due to Donald's short temper. He was also a guest on a 1976 episode of The Mike Douglas Show. The 1984 special Donald Duck's 50th Birthday included several clips from Disney films and Disneyland episodes.

Later years

When Disney shut down their shorts department in 1962, Nash continued to voice Donald in various projects over the next two decades.

In the late 1970s, Nash was known for often taking walks in the neighborhood around Fremont Elementary School in Glendale, California, entertaining children with his Donald Duck voice. As he passed the age of 70, he found the harsh voice increasingly straining on his throat and so limited public performances to groups of children. During recording sessions, he would take frequent breaks and drink plenty of water to avoid overexerting himself.

One of Nash's final performances was in Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983), which made Donald the only character in the film to be voiced by his original actor. His career at Disney was the subject of the premiere episode of Disney Family Album, a 1984 series of documentaries about behind-the-scenes personalities at the studio.

Personal life

Nash married Margaret Seamans in 1930, and they were married for over 50 years; they had two daughters, Kay and Peggy.

Death

Grave of Clarence Nash at the San Fernando Mission Cemetery

Nash died on February 20, 1985, of leukemia in the Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, at the age of 80 and was interred in the San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Mission Hills, Los Angeles, California. The tombstone of the grave he now shares with his wife Margaret Nash depicts a carving of Donald and Daisy Duck holding hands.

Successor and upcoming biography

After Nash's death, Donald's voice has been taken up by Disney animator Tony Anselmo, who was trained under Nash personally. Anselmo is also among the many voiceover artists to have voiced Huey, Dewey and Louie over the years. Later characters whose voices owe considerable credit to Nash's duck voice have been voiced by actors such as Jimmy Weldon, Frank Welker, Luba Goy and Red Coffey. The most prominent of these is Weldon's Yakky Doodle for Hanna-Barbera.

It was announced in 2020 that Disney historian J.B. Kaufman was working with Margaret Barnes, Nash's granddaughter, on a biography of Nash.

Filmography

Radio

Year Title Role Notes
1938 The Mickey Mouse Theater of the Air Donald Duck
1941–1943 The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show Herman the Duck
1945 Command Performance Donald Duck

Shorts

Year Title Role Notes
1934 The Wise Little Hen Donald Duck (voice)
The Flying Mouse Bat
1935 Pluto's Judgement Day Kitten, Cat Judge, Cat Jury
1936 Elmer Elephant Joey Hippo
1939 Donald's Penguin Tootsie the Penguin
1947 Mickey and the Beanstalk Donald Duck
1983 Mickey's Christmas Carol Nephew Fred/Donald Duck

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1940 Pinocchio Figaro, Rough House Statue (voice)
1941 The Reluctant Dragon Himself, Donald Duck
1942 Bambi Bullfrog, Hunter Dogs
Saludos Amigos Donald Duck
1944 The Three Caballeros
1946 Song of the South Mr. Bluebird
1947 Fun and Fancy Free Donald Duck, Cat
1949 The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad Ichabod's Horse, Cat
1950 Cinderella Birds
1951 Alice in Wonderland Dinah
1961 One Hundred and One Dalmatians Dogs
1965 Donald Duck Goes West Donald Duck

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1954–1985 Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color Donald Duck/Himself Voice & live-action
1954 What's My Line? Himself (Voice of Donald Duck) Live appearance
1963 To Tell the Truth Himself-Challenger Live appearance
1984 Donald Duck's 50th Birthday Himself/Donald Duck Live-action & voice
Final role

Discography

  • Mickey and the Beanstalk (Capitol, 1947) as Donald Duck
  • Donald Duck's Singing Lesson/Pluto, The Pup (Golden, 1949) as Donald Duck
  • Cinderella (RCA, 1949) as Lucifer, Bruno, Major, Additional Animal Voices
  • Mickey's New Car/Donald Duck at the Opera (Golden, 1950) as Donald Duck
  • Donald Duck, Babysitter/Mickey Mouse and Farmer Rush Rush (Golden, 1950) as Donald Duck
  • Donald Duck Cowboy (Golden, 1950) as Donald Duck
  • Trick or Treat (RCA Victor, 1952) as Donald Duck
  • Mr. Television (RCA Victor, 1952) as Donald Duck
  • Mr. Animated Cartoon (RCA Victor, 1952) as Donald Duck
  • Donald Duck, Fire Chief (Golden, 1953) as Donald Duck
  • Mickey Mouse's Birthday Party (Capitol, 1954) as Donald Duck
  • School Days (Golden, 1954) as Donald Duck
  • Mickey Mouse's Christmas Party (Golden, 1954) as Donald Duck
  • Happy Birthday to Mickey Mouse/Donald Duck's Unbirthday (Golden, 1955) as Donald Duck
  • Walt Disney's Song Parade from Disneyland (Golden, 1956) as Donald Duck
  • Goofy's Dance Party (Disneyland, 1959) as Donald Duck
  • Donald Duck and His Friends (Disneyland, 1960) as Donald Duck
  • Chipmunk Fun (Disneyland, 1963) as Donald Duck
  • Mickey and the Beanstalk (Disneyland, 1963) as Donald Duck
  • Dickens' Christmas Carol Presented by the Walt Disney Players (Disneyland, 1975) as Donald Duck
  • Yankee Doodle Mickey (Disneyland, 1980) as Donald Duck
  • Goin' Quackers (Disneyland, 1980) as Donald Duck
  • Pardners (Disneyland, 1980) as Donald Duck
  • Merry Christmas Carols (Disneyland, 1980) as Donald Duck
  • Mousercise (Disneyland, 1982) as Donald Duck
  • Mickey Mouse Splashdance (Disneyland, 1983) as Donald Duck

See also

References

  1. Inkpot Award
  2. ^ "From Donald Duck to Tom and Jerry, this duck tale started in Oklahoma". Jimmie Tramel, Tulsa World, February 2, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  3. "Walt Disney Legends: Clarence Nash" Walt Disney Official Fan Club website (Note: Source is behind a paywall.)
  4. ^ "Verdugo Views: Donald Duck and his brood nested in Glendale". The Los Angeles Times. December 3, 2014.
  5. ^ Kaufman, J.B. (August 31, 2020). "Promoting 'Fun and Fancy Free'". Cartoon Research. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  6. Weinberg, Bernd; Westerhouse, Jan (1971). "A Study of Buccal Speech". Journal of Speech and Hearing Research. 14 (3). American Speech Language Hearing Association: 652–658. doi:10.1044/jshr.1403.652. ISSN 0022-4685. PMID 5163900. also published as Weinberg, B.; Westerhouse, J. (1972). "A Study of Buccal Speech". The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. 51 (1A). Acoustical Society of America (ASA): 652–8. Bibcode:1972ASAJ...51Q..91W. doi:10.1121/1.1981697. ISSN 0001-4966. PMID 5163900.
  7. Blitz, Marcia (1979). Donald Duck. Harmony Books. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-517-52961-4.
  8. Barnes, Brooks (2015). "Movies". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 19, 2015. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  9. "50-Year Career : Clarence Nash, Donald Duck's Voice, Dies". LA Times. February 21, 1985. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  10. Korkis, Jim (April 1, 2022). "The Original Voice of Donald Duck: Clarence Nash, Part 2". Cartoon Research. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  11. Galindo, Brian. "Did You Shake Your Tail Feather To "Disco Duck"?". buzzfeed.com. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  12. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "What's My Line". YouTube. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  13. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "To Tell the Truth". YouTube. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
  14. "Disneyland - 2.18 - A Day in the Life of Donald Duck - Part 1 of 4". YouTube. Archived from the original on April 16, 2014. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  15. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "DONALD DUCK 50th BIRTHDAY SPECIAL-#3-Clarence Nash-Star Wars". YouTube. December 12, 1954. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  16. "Clarence Nash is Dead at 80; Donald Duck's Voice in Films". The New York Times. February 22, 1985.
  17. "50-Year Career : Clarence Nash, Donald Duck's Voice, Dies". LA Times. February 21, 1985. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  18. "50-Year Career : Clarence Nash, Donald Duck's Voice, Dies". LA Times. February 21, 1985. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  19. Folkart, Burt A. (February 21, 1985). "50-Year Career : Clarence Nash, Donald Duck's Voice, Dies". Los Angeles Times.
  20. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: What's My Line? (September 23, 2015), What's My Line? - Clarence "Donald Duck" Nash; Bob Hope (Dec 12, 1954) [W/ COMMERCIALS], retrieved February 20, 2019
  21. ^ "Walt Disney's Fun and Fancy Free on Records, Part 2". Retrieved October 7, 2017.
  22. "Golden Records-78 RPM-Label Discography Page 1". Retrieved November 25, 2018. "Original Voices..."
  23. "Walt Disney's "Cinderella" on Records". Retrieved October 7, 2017.
  24. ^ "Golden Records-78 RPM-Label Discography Page 2". Retrieved November 25, 2018. "Original Voices..."
  25. Billboard. October 14, 1950, P.113. "...are sung by the original D. Duck voice..."
  26. "Walt Disney's "Trick or Treat" with June Foray on Records". Retrieved November 25, 2018.
  27. ^ Billboard. June 30, 1951, P.20. "Milton Berle and Clarence Nash, the voice of Disney's Donald Duck, waxed two singles for RCA Victor last week titled respectively "Mr. Television" and "Mr. Animated Cartoon.""
  28. Hollis, Tim (2015). Toons in Toyland: The Story of Cartoon Character Merchandise. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1628461992. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
  29. "A Spin Special: Stan Freberg Records". Retrieved October 7, 2017.
  30. ^ "Golden Records-78 RPM-Label Discography Page 4". Retrieved November 25, 2018. "Original Voices..."
  31. "Mickey's Birthday & Donald's Unbirthday on Golden Records". Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  32. ""Walt Disney's Song Parade from Disneyland" on Golden Records". Retrieved October 8, 2017.
  33. "Suppose Goofy Gave a Dance Party-and He Never Showed Up?". Retrieved November 25, 2018.
  34. ^ "Donald Duck's Quacked Records". Retrieved October 7, 2017.
  35. "Disney's "Chip 'n' Dale" on Records". Retrieved October 7, 2017.
  36. "Mickey's Christmas Carol". Retrieved October 7, 2017.
  37. "Mickey Discovers America (and Molly Ringwald) on Records". Retrieved October 7, 2017.
  38. ^ Hollis, Tim; Ehrbar, Greg (2006). Mouse Tracks: The Story of Walt Disney Records. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1578068494. Retrieved October 7, 2017.
  39. "Mickey Mouse - Splashdance at Discogs". Retrieved October 7, 2017.

External links

Preceded byNone Voice of Donald Duck
1934–1985 		Succeeded byTony Anselmo
Awards for Clarence Nash
Disney Legends Awards (1990s)
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
  • Lucien Adés*
  • Angel Angelopoulos*
  • Antonio Bertini
  • Armand Bigle
  • Gaudenzio Capelli
  • Roberto de Leonardis*
  • Cyril Edgar*
  • Wally Feignoux*
  • Didier Fouret
  • Mario Gentilini*
  • Cyril James*
  • Horst Koblischek
  • Gunnar Mansson
  • Arnoldo Mondadori*
  • Armand Palivoda*
  • Poul Brahe Pedersen*
  • Joe Potter*
  • André Vanneste*
  • Paul Winkler*
1998
1999
* Awarded posthumously
Inkpot Award (1970s)
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
Winsor McCay Award (1980s)
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
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