Toon Talk: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Special Edition DVD
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THE DWARF'S COTTAGE:
Wonders of an era gone by, truly wonderful.
The Premiere:
Los Angeles Premiere: The vintage newsreel touting "Filmland Thrills to Snow
White!" It is December 21, 1937 at the Carthay Circle theater in Los Angeles
where "all of Hollywood brass turned out for a cartoon", according to Walt.
Radio Broadcast from the Premiere: This audio only feature is quite a find: it takes you right back to the era when movies were "pictures" and everything was "swell". Worth listening to alone for the moment when Walt, nervous about finally unleashing his film to the public, actually forgets some of the dwarfs' names.
Trailers:
Theatrical trailers for each release, from the original to the present. Also can be seen
in the complete Disney Through the Decades program, or here individually. Of
interest to see how many different ways they came up with to describe the dwarfs.
Publicity:
Scrapbook: A gallery of press information, production photos, merchandise and
posters.
A Tip Through Walt Disney Studios: Never shown to the public, this short was produced to be viewed by the RKO exhibitors prior to the film's release. It's intention was to show them how animation is done and what they could expect from the first feature-length animated film. Re-edited into How Disney Cartoons Are Made, a one-reeler released in theaters and also available here.
Vintage Audio (all audio only):
Radio Broadcasts:
Includes two episodes of the Lux Radio Theater, both hosted by film legend Cecil B.
DeMille. The first, in 1936, has Walt joined by Mickey Mouse and a trouble-making Donald
Duck. In the second, broadcast on the eve of the film's premiere in 1937, Walt mentions
three little films that they are currently working on: Pinocchio, Fantasia and Bambi.
In Mickey Mouse Theater of the Air, Mickey and the whole gang get together to celebrate "Snow White Day", January 9, 1938. Another real treat, even though most of the voices sound nothing like the characters that we have all grown to love. Listen for Walt's dance with Snow White.
Radio Commercials:
Three 1958 spots, featuring Hans Conried (a.k.a. Captain Hook) and four 1967 spots.
Songs:
A previously unreleased recording session of "The Silly Song" (complete with a lot
of yodeling) is joined by the deleted song it replaced, "You're Never To Old To
Be Young" (available on the film's soundtrack).
• • •
In closing, I would like to quote Mr. Disney again, here on the perennial appeal of Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs. His words then still have resonance to us today:
Over at our place, we're sure of just one thing: everybody in the world was once a child. So in planning a new picture, we don't think of grown-ups, we don't think of children. But just that fine, clean, unspoiled spot down deep in every one of us that maybe the world has made us forget, and maybe our pictures could help recall.
Toon Talk Rating: A
Toon Talk Trivia:
Jimmy Macdonald, who did the sound effects for Snow White, went on to take over as the voice of Mickey after Walt.
Barbra Streisand sang a medley of Disney songs on her Barbra Streisand - The Concert album, including "Once Upon a Dream" from Sleeping Beauty, "When You Wish Upon a Star" from Pinocchio and "Someday My Prince Will Come".
The next Platinum Edition release on Disney DVD will be the modern classic Beauty & the Beast, due next October.
--Kirby C. Holt
Discuss It
Related Links
- Purchase the DVD from Amazon.com
- Official site from Disney.com
- Snow
White and the Seven Dwarfs on IMDB
Includes full cast and other film details
-- Kirby C. Holt
Took Talk: Disney Film & Video Reviews by Kirby C. Holt is posted whenever there's something new to review.
The opinions expressed by our Kirby C. Holt, and all of our columnists, do not necessarily represent the feelings of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the future plans of the Walt Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as such.
-- Posted October 16, 2001