December 21
SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS DAY
Today is the day we say, “Hi Ho! Hi Ho! It’s off to work we go!” And, of course, we are whistling while we work.
In 1937, Walt Disney presented the first full-length, animated feature. It debuted on this day at the Carthay Circle Theatre in Hollywood, CA. The cost to produce Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was $1.5 million. Disney got his total investment back in the first year of the film’s showing. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is 83 minutes in length and is the work of 750 artists. Nearly one million drawings were made, of which 250,000 were used in the final print of the classic film.
The wicked queen’s voice was that of Lucille LaVerne and Adriana Caselotti spoke for Snow White; Margery Belcher Champion was the model for the cartoon star.
Disney won a special Oscar in 1938 (presented to him by Shirley Temple). The film is said to have been Disney’s finest moment and certainly the turning point of his career. Critics said that the adaptation of Grimm’s fairy tale would be Disney’s folly. Walt reportedly said, “Folly THIS!”
As a reward for reading all this stuff, we remind you that the seven dwarfs are: Doc, Grumpy, Sleepy, Happy, Bashful, Sneezy and Dopey.
Those Were the Days, the Today in History service from 440 International
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