Who played the voice of Snow White in Walt Disney's Snow White?
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Originally, Disney could not find what they thought was a suitable voice for Snow White. Around 150 girls auditioned for the role of Snow White, including well-known actresses such as Deanna Durbin, whose voice seemed too old to Disney. One assistant to Disney called music teacher Guido Caselotti, complaining that Hollywood had no singing girls. Caselotti wanted to offer to send their best to listen to the students, but it turned out that his 20-year-old daughter Adriana overheard a conversation on another phone in the house, and she began to sing in a young girl's voice. Her father was confused and told his daughter to get away from the phone, but the casting director liked her voice and invited her to audition. After Walt Disney heard her, he immediately gave her the role. The studio signed a multi-page contract with Adriana Caselotti: she was forbidden to sing in a movie or on the radio before or after the movie premiered because Walt Disney did not want the voice of Snow White to be heard anywhere else. Instead, she received $970 (now worth approximately $).
Snow White (Disney character)
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Snow White is the first and original Disney Princess. A main character in Walt Disney Animation Studios' 1st animated feature film "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937), Snow White is a beautiful young princess, described by her evil stepmother's Magic Mirror as having 'hair as black as ebony, lips as red as the rose, skin as white as snow' and also dubbed by the Mirror as the 'Fairest Of Them All'. She is forced to seek refuge in the home of the seven dwarfs where she hides from her evil stepmother, Queen Grimhilde, who got angered by the fact that Snow White's beauty was greater than hers. She asked the Huntsman to kill the princess; however, as an act of pity, he ends up setting her free and telling her the Evil Queen's plan. Snow White is often described as a kind, optimistic, tidy and happy person who sees the good in everyone. Originally voiced by Adriana Caselotti and animated by Marc Davis and Les Clark, she and her movie are based on the heroine and story of the German fairy tale "Snow White" (1812) by the Brothers Grimm. She has also been voiced by Mary Kay Bergman, Carolyn Gardener, Katherine Von Till, and most recently Pamela Ribon. A crisp, blood red apple has become her trademark with years of exposure.
Disney Princess
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There was a minor controversy when Snow White (Disney character) was presenting an award for Best Animated Short Subject. She was voiced by Mary Kay Bergman, Adriana Caselotti, the original voice of Snow White was not aware of this. She was reportedly offended that Disney didn't ask her to voice Snow White during the ceremony.
65th Academy Awards
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Adriana Caselotti (May 6, 1916 – January 18, 1997) was an American actress, voice actress and singer. Caselotti was the voice of the title character of the first Walt Disney animated feature "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", for which she was named as a Disney Legend in 1994, making her the first female voice actor so named.
Adriana Caselotti
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Animators' initial sketches for Snow White's character, some of which bore a resemblance to Betty Boop, did not meet Walt Disney's expectations, as they were too cartoonish. Hamilton Luske, whom Disney had selected as the supervising animator for Snow White's character, was tasked with the challenge of making Snow White more believably human and realistic than any of the Disney studio's previous animated characters. This was a challenge Luske and co-animator Les Clark had previously been asked to explore while developing the character of Persephone for the "Silly Symphonies" animated short "The Goddess of Spring". Of that project, Les Clark later remarked, "I'm sure Walt was thinking ahead to "Snow White"." Though the Persephone character ended up appearing somewhat lifeless and devoid of personality, that experiment in imitating realistic human movement and anatomy was continued and its lessons were applied in the development of Snow White's animation techniques. Snow White and the Queen were refined by Grim Natwick and Norm Ferguson, who would often override Walt Disney's instructions.
Snow White (Disney character)
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Disney also launched a search for actresses who had played Snow White at Disneyland, Disney World and its overseas parks for a planned reunion. However, the company could not locate or identify Disneyland's first Snow White from its opening day, since Killingsworth had been employed by ABC, rather than the Walt Disney Company, for the television special. Killingsworth remained unaware of Disney's planned 1987 Snow White reunion until she was told by a friend about the planned event. She contacted the company and attended the event. Killingsworth was one of approximately 50 former Snow Whites who attended the reunion. She told the "Associated Press" at the time, "I didn't realize Disney was looking for me...If I had, I would have called somebody and said, 'Here I am. Here's Snow White'." Bob Roth, Disney's spokesperson at the time, confirmed that "I'm really quite certain this is the right person." The company gave her a jewelry box to mark the 50th anniversary.
JoAnn Dean Killingsworth
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Critical reception towards the character of Snow White has been polarized. "TV Guide "described Snow White as iconic, unique and incomparable, writing, "never again would Walt's heroine have such a fantasy singing voice, and for that reason, she's the favorite heroine of many animation auteurs." Calling Snow White a "fairy-tale princess," Otis Ferguson of "The New Republic "simply described the character as "just what you would have her." "Variety"'s John C. Flinn deemed Snow White "the embodiment of girlish sweetness and kindness, exemplified in her love for the birds and the small animals of the woods that are her friends and, as it subsequently develops, her rescuers."
Snow White (Disney character)
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As in the film, the Queen character is featured in 1979 "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" musical version, played by Anne Francine. In the Disney on Ice reenactment of the movie in 1986-1987, and then in 1994–1997 and again in 2000–2001, she was voiced by Louise Chamis and played by various skaters beginning with Melanie Scott in 1986-1987, and including Elena Koteneva, who was substituted by Davina Lee-Gooding in 1995. Francine also played her in the 1980 stage play and television program "Snow White Live" and Chamis voiced her in Disneyland's "Snow White – An Enchanting Musical" in 2004 and 2006. The Evil Queen was further featured in Disney Live's "Three Classic Fairy Tales" in the section based on the film.
Evil Queen (Disney)
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During the 1930s, Durbin continued to pursue singing projects. In 1936, she auditioned to provide the vocals for Snow White in Disney's animated film "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", but was rejected by Walt Disney, who said the 15-year-old Durbin's voice was "too old" for the part.
Deanna Durbin
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One version of Snow White is the 1937 American animated film "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" by Walt Disney. Disney's variation of Snow White gave the dwarfs names and included a singing Snow White. The Disney film also is the only version in which Snow White and her prince meet before she bites the apple; in fact, it is this meeting that sets the plot in motion. Instead of her lungs and liver, as written in the original, the huntsman is asked by the queen to bring back Snow White’s heart. While the heart is mentioned, it is never shown in the box. Snow White is much more mature (about 14). And she is discovered by the dwarfs after "cleaning" the house, not vandalizing it. Furthermore, in the Disney movie the evil queen tries only once to kill Snow White (by a poisoned apple) and fails (this was likely to save time). She then dies by falling down a cliff and being crushed by a boulder, after the dwarfs had chased her through the forest. In the original, the queen is forced to dance to death.
Snow White
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Snow White's Scary Adventures is a popular theme park ride at Disneyland (an opening day attraction dating from 1955), Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris. Fantasyland at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom underwent an expansion from 2012 to 2014. The Snow White's Scary Adventures ride was replaced with Princess Fairytale Hall, where Snow White and other princesses are located for a meet and greet. Included in the 2013 expansion of Fantasyland is the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train roller coaster. Snow White, her Prince, the Queen, and the Seven Dwarfs are also featured in parades and character appearances throughout the parks. Disneyland's Fantasyland Theater hosted "Snow White: An Enchanting Musical" from 2004 to 2006.Unknown Mary Jo Salerno played Snow White in the Disney-produced "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (also known as "Snow White Live!") at the Radio City Music Hall. Music and lyrics for four new songs were created by Jay Blackton and Joe Cook, respectively; titles included "Welcome to the Kingdom of Once Upon a Time" and "Will I Ever See Her Again?". It ran from October 18 to November 18, 1979, and January 11 to March 9, 1980, a total of 106 performances.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)