Disney Animated Features (Part 4)

1. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) The first, and still the best. Where to begin. Snow White was the first animated feature, produced the first soundtrack album for a film, helped finance the Disney Studios that exist today, and made Walt Disney a Hollywood legend. Pure fantasy had never been so successfully recreated for the screen, a fact that MGM duly noted when it was time to film The Wizard of Oz. The film can be categorized in almost every genre: family film, fantasy, musical, comedy, drama, horror, romance, and action/adventure. The animators were constantly experimenting with how to draw the human form. Most successful was the villainous Queen/Witch. The artistry is unparalleled....forestry, animals, water (each drop of rain hitting the ground realistically.) There are so many elements in this film that are genius, that it is difficult to cite them all. The animation of Snow White at the well, her reflection in the water as ripples stream past, the flight through the haunted forest, the stunning climax with its Griffith-style editing adding to the suspense. But most successful of all was the character of Dopey, the most famous comedic foil since Stan Laurel. Snow White was and is pure cinema magic. A reminder of the pre-home video days when a trip to the theatre was an event. The result- A glorious Technicolored tribute to the talent of a dedicated group of dreamers.