"The Timeless Premiere of 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' occurs in 1937: A Retrospective Lookback"
Yo, yo, let's kick it old school and reminisce on the 87th anniversary of the drop of Walt Disney's timeless classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Based on the Grimm Brothers' beloved fairy tale, it made its grand entrance at the Carthay Circle Theatre in LA on December 21, 1937, and hit US theaters on February 4, 1938. And for the history books, it was the very first full-length animated flick.
Despite skepticism from Hollywood that an animated feature wouldn't hold the crowd's interest, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs proved 'em wrong. It was a critical and financial hit, raking in $8 million at the box office during its initial run with a budget of just $1.5 million. It held the title of highest-grossing film until 1993, when Aladdin took the throne. And this Disney gem revolutionized filmmaking and laid the groundwork for the animation industry.
To pay homage to the animated masterpiece, here are 10 remarkable facts about it:
1) Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs scored a nomination for Best Musical Score at the 1938 Academy Awards, but lost to One Hundred Men and a Girl. The following year, Walt Disney received an honorary Oscar for the film, complete with a regular-sized and seven mini Oscar statuettes, presented by Shirley Temple.
2) One of the groundbreaking animation techniques pioneered by Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was the multiplane camera, which created the illusion of depth by moving multiple layers of artwork past the lens at varying speeds and distances. Disney tested this technique in the animated short The Old Mill.
3) Walt Disney initially intended to turn Snow White into a Silly Symphony short, but later reconsidered, believing the story had the potential for a full-length feature.
4) Snow White held the title of highest-grossing sound film until Gone with the Wind. The earnings from re-releases boosted its total box office gross to over $418 million when adjusted for inflation.
5) The names of the seven dwarfs were Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, and Dopey. Other potential names included Hickey, Gabby, Nifty, Sniffy, Lazy, Puffy, Stuffy, Shorty, Wheezy, Burpy, and Dizzy.
6) During filming, some critics called Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs "Disney's Folly."
7) Walt Disney wanted to reserve Snow White's voice as a unique one-time sound, and imposed a strict contract on the actress, Adriana Caselotti. She only had minor roles in The Wizard of Oz and It’s a Wonderful Life after voicing Snow White.
8) Lucille La Verne, who voiced the wicked Queen and her evil alter ego, differentiated the two roles by removing her dentures when voicing the Hag. After Snow White, she retired from acting and opened a nightclub.
9) In 1989, the United States Library of Congress recognized Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant," selecting it for preservation in the National Film Registry. In 2008, the American Film Institute named Snow White as the greatest American animated film of all time.
10) Disney's adaptation of the Snow White story has left a lasting cultural impact, leading to theme park attractions, video games, a Broadway musical, countless memorabilia, and an upcoming live-action film starring Rachel Zegler as Snow White.
So, here's to 87 years of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs!
Walt Disney's groundbreaking film, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," which celebrated its 87th anniversary, revolutionized the animation industry. The film, based on the Grimm Brothers' tale, starred the beloved characters Snow White and the seven dwarfs: Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, and Dopey.
