While many generations today recognize the tale of Snow White as a Disney creation, it was actually a fairytale story published by Brother’s Grimm. The brothers published this German fairytale in their first edition of Grimm’s Fairy Tales under the title Sneewittchen in 1812 (“Snow White”). While Walt Disney Studios did not create the classic tale, it did create a film that has come to enrich the minds and hearts of both young and old.
The development of the film began in early 1934, and in June of that same year, Walt Disney announced the production of his first feature. Up until that point, Walt Disney Productions had been mostly creating animated short subjects in the Mickey Mouse and Silly Symphonies series. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was to be the first full-length cel animated feature in motion picture history. The revolutionary film meant that Mr. Disney had many obstacles to overcome. Both his brother and business partner Roy Disney and his wife Lillian attempted to talk him out of it. The Hollywood movie industry even referred to the film as "Disney's Folly" while it was in production. He had to mortgage his house to help finance the film's production, which eventually ran up a total cost of $1,488,422.74, an incredible amount for a film in 1937 (“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”). While Walt Disney did encounter his share of obstacles while producing this film, it was not in vain.
Walt Disney Studios released Snow White and the Seven Dwarf, its first full-length animated feature, at Hollywood’s Cathay Circle Theater on December 21, 1937(“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Creation of a Classic). It was released nationwide on February 4, 1938 (“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”). This film and the team at Wa...
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...om it are to describe form. I learned a hell of a lot from him!” (“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)
It is evident that what really created Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs were the countless hours talented animators put into honing their craft. But besides acquiring many talented animators, Walt Disney Studios also had many talented musicians who created a beautiful soundtrack to match the beautiful art of the film.
The film’s musical department was comprised of Frank Churchill, Larry Morey, Leigh Harline, and Paul J. Smith. Besides being nominated for an Oscar for Best Musical Score in 1938, the men were nominated for a Grammy for Best Recording for Children in 1977 (“Awards”).
While Walt Disney Studios did not create the classic fairytale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the studio did revamp the tale into a beloved film that has been enjoyed by generations.
Mr. Disney has made a few animated short films that have been very successful, but his first attempt at a full-length animated feature film was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The film was based on the fairy tale written by the Brothers Grimm. The movie was released on December 21, 1937 and earned $8 million during its initial release, making it the most successful movie of its time. They story is about Snow White, a princess, who is living with her stepmother who is mean and wicked. She is assumed to take over the kingdom ...
Tucker, Neely. "A Fairy Tale Beginning: Snow White, She's Not. Among Disney's Royal Ladies, Tiana Is a Notable First." WashingtonPost.com, 19 Apr. 2009. Web. 29 Nov. 2011.
Walt Disney needed to change his version and many of his other fairy tales and in doing so started a change in the way we see fairy tales. Ask someone today to define a fairy tale and they will tell you along the lines of a beautiful woman put threw hardships that in the end of the story gets the man and becomes a queen of her own castle.
Hand, D. (Supervising Director) and Disney, W. (Producer). (1937). Snow White and the seven dwarfs.
The colorful Grimm fairy tale was premiered by Walt Disney Studios - becoming fast known for pioneering sophisticated animation.
Walt wanted each of the dwarfs in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” to be a distinct individual. The solution was to create names for them that would reflect their personalities. (Miller NP) "Snow White," which took three years to make, was released in 1937. This was the beginning of what we all know today as Disney movies.
Snow white and the seven dwarfs is a classic fairy tale, however most people only know the Disney version of the story, but before Disney’s version there were many others. One of the first versions was written by the Grimm brothers.
Walt Disney Films are known to be as an incredible and outstanding fantasy stories producer. It created more than a hundred of films. Majority of what has been produced rely on fictional stories. The films that were released used animation to capture children’s interest and musically performed as well. Walt Disney produced fantasy stories like The Little Mermaid 1989; Sleeping Beauty 1959; Beauty and the Beast 1991; Cinderella 1950 and more. The tales most often than not were always about the life of a princess in search of her prince charming.
After World War II Disney came out with a few more feature animated movies such as: Cinderalla, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, and Sleeping Beauty. One thing that Snow White, Cinderalla, and Sleeping Beauty all have in common is that they are all stories about princesses who live happily ever after with their prince.
In the past the Disney’s version of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” has been recognized as being the original story of Snow White even though it was produced in 1937, a hundred and twenty-five years after the original. The Newest version of Snow White called “Mirror, Mirror” came along in 2012, exactly two hundred years after the Brothers Grimm’s version was published. This version brought comedy and color into the story. As a result, they changed a little more of the story to make it more appealing to an audience of today’s generations.
Walt Disney and the Grimm Brothers used their talents, and, with help, became some of the most famous children’s literature writers and business owners of all time. Many children have read Grimm Brothers’ fairy tales and watched Walt Disney’s films and cartoons. The creators have used their tales, films, and cartoons not only during their lives, but even now.
"It was not once upon a time, but in a certain time in history, before anyone knew what was happening, Walt Disney cast a spell on the fairy tale. He did not use a magic wand or demonic powers. On the contrary, Disney employed the most up-to-date technological means and used his own American "grit" and ingenuity to appropriate European fairy tales. His technical skills and ideological proclivities were so consummate that his signature obfuscated the names of Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, and Collodi. If children or adults think of the great classical fairy tales today, be it Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, or Cinderella, they will think Walt Disney. "
This legend is based on the Brothers Grimm parable which is one of their earliest works. In the Grimm story, the Queen is the princess’s real mother. When the queen finds out from the mirror that her daughter is more beautiful than herself, she becomes jealous and grows to hate her own daughter - who is “fairest of them all” (The Origins of Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty" 2) at only seven years old. The queen sends the huntsman to kill Snow White like in the original story, however she requests the lungs and liver of her daughter, not the heart. The huntsman lets her go mostly because he thinks the wild animals will kill her anyways. During her sojourn with the dwarfs, the queen knows she is there and makes three more attempts on her life. The dwarves manage to save her the first two times, but they conclude that she is deceased the third time, when she gets a piece poison apple caught in her throat. A prince comes along one day and falls in love with the unconscious beauty. He then proceeds to take the corpse everywhere he goes, referring to her body as “his dearest possession,” (The Origins of Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty" 3). The piece of apple is dislodged waking the princess, and she falls in love with the prince. At their wedding, the queen is forced to put on red-hot iron shoes and dance until she dies. Although this tale had a happy ending, it contains a few gory details that the Disney animation did not
Through use of literary devices such as repetition and symbolism, the Grimm Brothers are able to effectively reveal the moral of Little Snow-White to a young audience.
The Walt Disney Company commonly referred to as ‘Disney’ is as a result of a dream of a man named Walter. In an article by Mink in 2007, titled Walt Disney designed dreams; he says, “Walt was never afraid to dream. That song from Pinocchio, 'When You wish upon a Star,' is the perfect summary of Walt's approach to life: dream big dreams, even hopelessly impossible dreams, because they can come true. Sure, it takes work, focus and perseverance. However anything is possible.” His dreams became a reality in the year 1923 when he and Roy Disney, established the Disney Brothers studio and started to create animated films. Their creations hit the market and in 1937 one of their creation; 'snow white and the seven dwarfs' was listed among the a hundred greatest films in America. The list was produced by the American Film Institute.