From the May 2000 Peg-Board
ART DAVIS, who went from being animation's first inbetweener to a distinguished career as an animator and director, died on May 9, 2000, a month shy of his ninety-fifth birthday.
Davis started at Fleischer in 1923 (where he met Winsor McCay), moving on to Mintz and then Warners, where he took over the Bob Clampett unit as a director in 1945. He was transferred to the Friz Freleng unit where among many other projects he directed the classic Bugs Bunny short "Bowery Bugs". After the close of "Termite Terrace" he worked for Hanna-Barbera and DePatie-Freleng where he was active into the early 'eighties.
Davis received the MPSC Golden Award in 1985, and ASIFA-Hollywood's Winsor McCay Award in 1994. Art's brother, the late Mannie Davis, was also an animator and director. Art's former assistant, Art Leonardi, reports that Art died humming a tune ... not a bad way for an animator to go.
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