Clarence Perry

Clarence Perry (born June 4, 1942 in Tabernas, Almería, Spain) is an American actor, sound designer, sound editor and foley artist, known for his sound design on whip cracks and fishing rods. He currently works at Sunrise Sound Services.

Early life
Perry was born on June 4, 1942 in Tabernas, Almería, Spain. He was the son of radio actress Samantha Perry and former drill instructor Jackson Perry.

When he was 10, Perry and his family moved to Sacramento, California to look for their new apartment. Describing that stage of his early life, Perry said it was an abrupt change of environment, and he spent much of his time thereafter indoors, watching television or making figurines. While the family lived in Sacramento, his parents began a tradition of the family watching a film together each night, and he wasn't allowed to go to bed until the film had finished. They were fond of American cinema, westerns, and horror, and did not limit the type of films he was allowed to see.

By Perry's teenage years, the family had moved to Los Angeles. When he was 13 years old, his father died. Perry has discussed the impact of his father's death in interviews, and the subsequent financial hardship faced by his family.

Perry was a Boy Scout, achieving the second-highest rank of Life Scout. He worked at Napowan Adventure Base Scout Camp as a counselor for the Reptile Study merit badge.

A graduate of University of Southern California, Perry went to the cinemas to see on June 12, 1981. The next day, Perry went to Detroit, Michigan, where he was employed by Sunrise Sound Services as Sound Designer/Editor and Foley Artist.

Perry and Abel recording
On March 10, 1984, Perry, under extreme secrecy, visited Los Angeles, officially to congratulate on his 47th birthday. Abel did not wish to greet Perry at his headquarters, as it would have appeared like a state visit. Therefore, the meeting occurred in Los Angeles. At Los Angeles International Airport, Perry was greeted and accompanied by President Ronald Reagan and fellow Sunrise Sound Services employees to a train in Union Station, where a birthday meal and negotiations took place.

After the official greetings and speeches had taken place, Perry and Abel, accompained by presidents of Sunrise Sound Services Hideyoshi Kinoshita, Yuko Kinoshita and Kazumi Yoshida, entered the train for cigars, drinks and lunch.

In this train, a large and visible microphone had been set up by a Hong Kong sound recordist, Tsui Bou Sing, who would go on to step down as said job and go back to his native Hong Kong to found Golden Harvest Animation to become a voice actor, character designer and animation director three months later. The microphone recorded the first 11 minutes of Perry's private conversation with Abel. On the tape, Perry discusses about the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the Great Depression, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the last years of World War II.

Tsui had been assigned to record Perry's official speech and birthday message to Abel. Perry was unaware that the microphone was still recording after the official speeches, but Tsui continued to record the now-private conversation.