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Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs & the Making of the Classic Film
Retells the Disney version of the tale of the beautiful princess and her adventures with the seven dwarfs she finds living in the forest. Also describes the making of the film.
88 pages, Hardcover
First published August 15, 1987
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 14, 2014
It was nice to finally read a book devoted to this animated masterpiece, The One that Started It All. I have read Disney books before, but none of them were strictly about what was formerly known as "Disney's folly."
Unfortunately, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Snow White herself are often depreciated in many ways by the modern public. Even if not explicitly belittled, they are certainly shoved from the today's mind in favor of, say, Frozen and Queen Elsa.
This book gives you a new appreciation for the movie, the faithful staff, and all of the hard work put into it. The first section of the book discusses before and during the making of the film. This part was very interesting, as it did not just focus on the animation, but the whole Disney process, that being animation, staff meetings, story-development, characters, voice acting, etc. In fact, much of it was about the story development: How the story of Snow White came to be what it is today. I think many of the abandoned ideas were genius, and I was sorry that they had had to go.
The middle section takes up where the first leaves off: The premiere night of Snow White. This part is a summary, with pictures and quotations, of the movie as it stands.
The last section of the book is all about the cultural phenomenon the film became. It spawned educational shorts, merchandise of all kinds, a special Academy Award, and the beginning of a serious appreciation for the art of animation. This part of the book allows the reader see into the immense popularity of Snow White, and Walt Disney, worldwide.
I loved all of the funny and sweet little stories all throughout the book. From Shirley Temple's adorably sincere Oscar presentation to the 53-year-old man's touching letter, from "Stick to shorts!" to Adriana Caselotti and Harry Stockwell sneaking into the movie premiere, these stories provided such an invaluable look at the film's development and the sensation it caused.
My favorite story was what is known as "Stick to shorts!", found on pages 34 and 35. In addition, I thoroughly enjoyed anytime Adriana Caselotti was quoted. I wish she had been quoted more than she had because it seems that she genuinely loved her experiences with the film and had plenty of stories to tell. Everything she said made me certain that she was the living, breathing Snow White.
I highly recommend this book for any Disney fan, as it will give them an even deeper appreciation for Disney's first marvel. I also recommend it for any who denigrates Snow White for any reason. It will serve well as a nice dose (or better yet, slap) of reality.
Unfortunately, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Snow White herself are often depreciated in many ways by the modern public. Even if not explicitly belittled, they are certainly shoved from the today's mind in favor of, say, Frozen and Queen Elsa.
This book gives you a new appreciation for the movie, the faithful staff, and all of the hard work put into it. The first section of the book discusses before and during the making of the film. This part was very interesting, as it did not just focus on the animation, but the whole Disney process, that being animation, staff meetings, story-development, characters, voice acting, etc. In fact, much of it was about the story development: How the story of Snow White came to be what it is today. I think many of the abandoned ideas were genius, and I was sorry that they had had to go.
The middle section takes up where the first leaves off: The premiere night of Snow White. This part is a summary, with pictures and quotations, of the movie as it stands.
The last section of the book is all about the cultural phenomenon the film became. It spawned educational shorts, merchandise of all kinds, a special Academy Award, and the beginning of a serious appreciation for the art of animation. This part of the book allows the reader see into the immense popularity of Snow White, and Walt Disney, worldwide.
I loved all of the funny and sweet little stories all throughout the book. From Shirley Temple's adorably sincere Oscar presentation to the 53-year-old man's touching letter, from "Stick to shorts!" to Adriana Caselotti and Harry Stockwell sneaking into the movie premiere, these stories provided such an invaluable look at the film's development and the sensation it caused.
My favorite story was what is known as "Stick to shorts!", found on pages 34 and 35. In addition, I thoroughly enjoyed anytime Adriana Caselotti was quoted. I wish she had been quoted more than she had because it seems that she genuinely loved her experiences with the film and had plenty of stories to tell. Everything she said made me certain that she was the living, breathing Snow White.
I highly recommend this book for any Disney fan, as it will give them an even deeper appreciation for Disney's first marvel. I also recommend it for any who denigrates Snow White for any reason. It will serve well as a nice dose (or better yet, slap) of reality.
August 30, 2017
This book appeared at the fiftieth anniversary of the classic movie, and is a nice introduction to the making of and the film's aftermath (merchandise, comics, etc.). In between, the authors even retell the movie with film stills and preliminary sketches, and is striking how simple the film's story is. There are short films with more difficult plots.
Anyhow, this book no doubt was a welcome addition in the 1980s, when books on animation still were pretty scarce. But for people who have read one of the biographies of Walt Disney there's little new info here, and more curious readers should divert to the later and much more elaborate 'The Fairest One of All: The Making of Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'.
Anyhow, this book no doubt was a welcome addition in the 1980s, when books on animation still were pretty scarce. But for people who have read one of the biographies of Walt Disney there's little new info here, and more curious readers should divert to the later and much more elaborate 'The Fairest One of All: The Making of Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'.
June 28, 2020
🍎
An interesting look at a classic and groundbreaking film. We had this one on VHS when I was little so it's one of the Disney films I have seen the most (the other two being Aladdin and Pocahontas) and I've always loved it.
This is an informative little book, with lots of fascinating illustrations including concept art, scrapped scenes (such as a bed-building sequence) and details on the reception of the film.
Clearly animated films have come along in leaps and bounds in the decades since this movie's release, but it all began here, with the first full length animated feature film. Before it was released it was known as "Disney's folly" - - upon release it was an immediate success and continues to be popular today, which is certainly a very impressive legacy.
An interesting look at a classic and groundbreaking film. We had this one on VHS when I was little so it's one of the Disney films I have seen the most (the other two being Aladdin and Pocahontas) and I've always loved it.
This is an informative little book, with lots of fascinating illustrations including concept art, scrapped scenes (such as a bed-building sequence) and details on the reception of the film.
Clearly animated films have come along in leaps and bounds in the decades since this movie's release, but it all began here, with the first full length animated feature film. Before it was released it was known as "Disney's folly" - - upon release it was an immediate success and continues to be popular today, which is certainly a very impressive legacy.
March 4, 2014
I love this book. I read it and re-read it, which might seem silly to do with a book that is only about the making of a film. But it is about more than that; it captures the era, the spirit of the animators, their zeal and creativity, and inspires the magical craft of storytelling.
April 20, 2016
Beautiful artwork and concept drawings.
June 7, 2024
While a newer edition of the book is available, I read the 50th anniversary edition which was very informative. It provides a really good history on the making of Disney's first animated feature-length film!
January 19, 2017
Sadly this book only covers the artistic decisions regarding the book. I picked it up hoping it would tell more about the technical stuff as well as the art--it doesn't even mention the groundbreaking cameras designed and used for Snow White. Even for a kids' book this doesn't have quite enough depth I think....but a kid who doesn't know anything about it might still enjoy it...though I hope I can find some kids' books on this subject with a little more meat to them for my library!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews