Fantasia

History and Review written by Michael J. Ruhland

Year Released: 1940

Michael's Movie Grade:A

                            History

Walt Disney was fond of saying of his studio that it all started with a mouse. Well that is the way Fantasia started as well. Mickey Mouse at this time was losing popularity, partly due to the popularity of other Disney cartoon characters such as Donald (Who at this time was more popular than Mickey) and Goofy. It was decided to make an extravagant short with Mickey called The Sorcerer's Apprentice, that would be based off the classical music piece of the same name. To add to the prestige of the short famous classical music conductor Leopold Stokowski was hired. Animator Fred Moore was in charge of redesigning Mickey, making him fit in better with the more elaborate animation. This design was used for all the shorts that followed. The short however went quickly over budget. There was no way Disney could make the money back and keep it as a short. It was decided then to make a feature combining classic music and animation. This film then called The Concert Feature would feature a selection of short cartoons set to classical music.

Fantasia and Pinocchio were being made at the same time. However Walt had much more interest in working on Fantasia. He envisioned this as a completely new style of film-making, and even though Ben Sharpsteen was the supervising director for the film, there is no doubt that this was Walt's film (of course this is no insult to Sharpsteen who was very talented). However revolutionary Walt saw Fantasia as being, he did not want it to be too much of an art film. He wanted it too appeal to a wide audience not just intellectuals and classical music lovers. For instance even though Oskar Fischinger (a German film-maker who excelled in abstract animation) was hired to work on the movie, very little of his work appeared in the film because it was considered too experimental for the average movie-goer.

One of the things this film pioneered was stereo sound. It was released along with this film, under the name fantasiasound. This was done to make going to the film feel and sound like a concert.

After all the work done on this film though it was a box office failure. Many music fans felt it had insulted the classical music by altering it to fit the action, while many Disney fans considered it too artsy and different from what Disney is know for. This was a big disappointment to Walt who had planned to constantly release Fantasia, with some sections replaced with new ones while still keeping some of the old. This plan would not see the light of day until 1999's Fantasia 2000. Fantasia would gain a new popularity during the 1960's from much of the hippy culture, many of who enjoyed it for a much different reason than intended. However 1940, with the box office failures Pinocchio and Fantasia, had not been a good year financially for Disney.

Review

Since Fantasia is a collection of different segments, I am going to give a short review and grade to each part.

Toccata and Fugue in D Minor: Although it takes a while for the segment to truly get to be as abstract as the introduction tells you it will be when it does it is a treat. The images though may have a bit too much basis in reality at times, and it would have probably been better with the work of Oskar Fischinger. However the images fit the music quite well, which is very impressive considering how abstract the piece is. Grade: C

The Nutcracker Suite: Some of the best imagery in Fantasia comes from this segment. To think that this was accomplished in 1940 is extremely impressive, and it remains one of the most beautiful piece of animation. This segment tackles a very difficult task, such as trying to create a magical movie-going experience without the aid of plot, and it succeeds beautifully. Grade: A+ 

The Sorcerer's Apprentice:  The short that started Fantasia, is a near perfect Mickey Mouse cartoon. Fred Moore's design works absolutely perfect in this short. Mickey is at his most likable and relateable here. While many have accused Mickey of being a very bland character, this shows that he doesn't have to be if he is handled right. The effects animation here is among Disney's best. Grade: A+

Rite of Spring: Slow moving, but incredible segment. The animation is top notch. The segment like The Nutcracker Suite wants to create an experience rather than tell a story, and it does that masterfully. Grade: B+

Meet the Soundtrack: A fun little break, brings a very lighthearted touch to one of Disney's most serious films. While not ever hilarious this segment is quite charming, and succeeds very well on it's own terms. Grade: B

The Pastoral Symphony: Only segment of Fantasia that doesn't quite work. It has some good effects animation, but that seems at odds with the silly simplistic character designs. The animation style makes it seem like it is going to be a silly funny cartoon, but there is little humorous about it. This is also the only part of the film that the action does not match the music. There are good things in this segment but they all seem at odds with each other. Grade: D

Dance of the Hours: Another lighthearted addition to the film. Animator/caricaturist/director T. Hee really shines in this segment. These indelicate cartoon animals performing such a delicate ballet is just comedy gold. This is pure cartoon humor at it's best. Hilarious. Grade: A+

Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria: Questionably the most powerful segment of the film. Bill Tytla's animation of Chernaburg the demon is spectacular. The pure evil in this character can be downright terrifying at times, but it never loses it's spectacle. He is one of the best rendered villains in film history.  The music truly adds to what a powerful creature this character is. In fact this segment would be completely different with any other music. Of course no demon is a match for a light down from heaven, leading to a fantastic lead in from one part of this segment to the next, the Ave Maria part is one of the most profoundly moving moments ever seen in a Disney film. This section is just pure art at it's best. Grade A+

   

                                                            Film Credits

Supervising Director: Ben Sharpsteen

Sequence Directors: Norman Ferguson, James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, Ford Beebe Jr., Jim Handley, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield

Story Department: Joe Grant, Dick Huemer, Lee Blair, Elmer Plummer, Phil Dike, Sylvia Moberly-Holland, Norman Wright, Bianca Majolie, Graham Heid, Perce Pearce, Carl Fallberg, William Martin, Leo Thiele, Robert Sterner, John McLeish, Otto Englander, Webb Smith, Erdman Penner, Bill Peet, Joseph Sabo, Vernon Stallings, Campbell Grant, Arthur Heinemann, Phil Dike

Live-Action Cast:  Leopold Stokowski (Himself), Deems Taylor (Himself)

Voices: Walt Disney (Mickey Mouse), Julietta Novis (Singing voice for Ave Maria)

Producers: Walt Disney, Ben Sharpsteen

Cinematography:  James Wong Howe

Songs by: Johann Sebastian Bach (Toccata and Fugue in D Minor), Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (The Nutcracker Suite), Paul Dukas (The Sorcerer's Apprentice), Igor Stravinsky (Rite of Spring), Ludwig van Beethoven (Pastoral Symphony), Amilcare Ponchielli (Dance of the Hours), Modest Mussorgsky (A Night on Bald Mountain), Franz Schubert (Ave Maria)

Art Direction: Ken Anderson, Bruce Bushman, Arthur Byram, Tom Codrick, Robert Cormack, Harold Doughty, Yale Gracey, Hugh Hennesy, John Hubley, Dick Kelsey, Gordon Legg, Kay Nielsen, Lance Nolley, Ernie Nordli, Kendall O'Connor, Charles Payzant, Curt Perkins, Charles Philippi, Thor Putnam, Herbert Ryman, Zack Schwartz, Terrell Stapp, McLaren Stewart, Al Zinnen

Unit Manager: Walt Pfeiffer

Assistant Directors: Jack Bruner, Mike Holoboff, Larry Lansburgh, Bob Ogle, Erwin L. Verity

Sound Department: C.O. Slyfield, J.N.A. Hawkins, William E. Garity

Visual Effects Artists: Dan MacManus, Joshua Meador, Gail Papineau, Leonard Pickley, Miles E. Pike, John Reed, Edwin Aardal, Tom Barnes, Andy Engman, Frank Follmer, Abra Grupp, Dan MacManus, John McManus, Joshua Meador, Cornett Wood

Camera Operator: Max Morgan

Character Maquettes: Wah Chang

Musicians: Leopold Stokowski (Conducter),  James MacDonald (Percussion), Paul J. Smith (Violin)
,
Musical Director: Edward H. Plumb

Musical Adviser: Deems Taylor

Supervising Animators: Art Babbitt, Norm Ferguson, Ollie Johnston, Ward Kimball, Eric Larson, Fred Moore, Joshua Meador, Wolfgang Reitherman, Bill Tytla, Don Towsley

Background Artists: Dick Anthony, Nino Carbe, Claude Coats, Charles Conner, Merle Cox, Al Dempster, Roy Forkum, John Hench, Ray Huffine, Ed Levitt, Ray Lockrem, Brice Mack, Gerald Nevius, Art Riley, Stan Spohn, Joe Stahley, Ed Starr, Robert Storms, Ethel Kulsar

Character Designers: James Bodrero, Earl Hurd, Ethel Kulsar, Elmer Plummer, Martin Provensen, Duke Russell, Lorna S. Soderstrom, John Walbridge

Animators: Edwin Aardal, Art Babbitt, Preston Blair, Jack Bradbury, Paul Busch, Jack Campbell, Bob Carlson, Les Clark, Ugo D'Orsi, Phil Duncan, Art Elliott, John Elliotte, Hugh Fraser, Franklin Grundeen, Harry Hamsel, Bill Justice, Lynn Karp, Walt Kelly, Paul B. Kossoff, Hicks Lokey, John Lounsbery, Ed Love, Don Lusk, Dan MacManus, Murray McClellan, John McManus, James Moore, Milt Neil, Art Palmer, Don Patterson, Ray Patterson, George Rowley, William Shull, Grant Simmons, Robert Stokes, Howard Swift, David Swift, Riley Thomson, Don Tobin, Harvey Toombs, Bernard Wolf, Cornett Wood, Marvin Woodward, Cy Young, Jerome Brown, N. Brown, Brad Case, George De Beeson, Russ Dyson, Art Fitzpatrick, Joseph Gayek, M. James, Volus Jones, Jerry Madison, Fred  Madison, Art Moore, Paul Murray, Amby Paliwoda, John Reed, M. Rossi, Retta Scott, D. Stark, Sandy Strother, Frank Thomas,  Bob Wickersham, Jim Will, Vernon G. Witt

Assistant Animators: Lee J. Ames, Xavier Atencio, William T. Hurtz, Hank Ketcham, Bill Melendez, Kenneth Muse, Willis Pyle

Inbetweener: Jack Dunham

Live Action Model: Nigel De Brulier

Choreographer: Jules Engel

                                   Resources Used
Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in it's Golden Age by Michael Barrier

 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032455/?ref_=nv_sr_1


-Michael J. Ruhland

Pinocchio

History and review written by Michael J. Ruhland

Year Released: 1940

Michael's Movie Grade: A+


                                                                            History

After the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, it was an unlikely choice to follow it with Pinocchio, One of the reasons for this is that there is nothing automatically likable about the character of Pinocchio. In the book, he was a bit of a brat. Also that there is very little visually appealing about a living puppet. This caused much problems for how to design the character, because if he looked too much like a puppet, he would not be very relatable, and could even come off as creepy. While a living puppet could work as a villain easily, it is much harder to make one work as a protagonist. Much work was done to make him look likable enough without losing the feeling of being a puppet. After a few tries it was decided that Fred Moore should redesign the character, because of the likability the Dwarfs had under his influence. However even this was not working for Walt. It took six months before another animator, Milt Kahl, finally came up with a design that pleased everyone. Although some were supersized by how little it resembled a puppet, everyone admitted it was very likable so this design was used in the film.  After the design was taken care of there was still the matter of the puppet's personality. Walt would not let a Disney film have such an unlikable character as the lead. However simply stripping away the rough edges of the character away, made him bland and boring. They had to come up with a completely new personality for him. After much work he became more naive. This was made the new reason for all the trouble he got in. He however did keep a level of childlike mischief though (For instance he enjoyed himself on Pleasure Island at first). All this made Pinocchio himself much more relatable, likable, and much more of a Disney character.

Pinocchio was a film that was having serious story problems from the beginning. During a story meeting, that happened mid-production, Walt Disney simply said the film wasn't going to work the way it was being done. What was already done was scrapped and work on the film started all over. This much of a reworking of a film was not done on another Disney film until The Lion King and later The Emperor's New Groove. Much was of course, as mentioned before, done to change Pinocchio's personality. However another important change was to heighten the role of a character that played a bit part in the book. This character was an unnamed small cricket that tried to tell Pinocchio to do what was right, but Pinocchio killed him. The character's life was spared and he was christened Jiminy, and became one of the main characters of the film. The reason for Jiminy playing such an important role in this film, is much the same reason the dwarfs played such an important role in Snow White. He was there to not only help Pinocchio, but to help bring an emotional and comic touch to the story.

As I stated when writing about Snow White, animator Ward Kimball animated two whole scenes completely by himself for that film, both of which were cut. So partly to make up for that, Ward Kimball was promoted to a supervising animator for Pinocchio. His promotion lead him to become the supervising animator for the character of Jiminy Cricket. Kimball was especially gifted at comic scenes and characters, so he was perfect to add to Jiminy a lighthearted touch that would be essential to adding the Disney touch to the un-Disney source material.  

The protagonists were not the only characters to undergo complete changes. Another was Gideon. Gideon was the cat partner to con-man Honest John. Like Dopey it was originally planned for him to talk, but as production moved along it was decided he would be mute. Voice actor, Mel Blanc recorded entire vocal tracks for Gideon. Mel claimed that he felt supersized to see the film in theaters and all that was left of his vocal work was a single Hiccup.

After all this work when Pinocchio was finally released, it did not do very well at the box office, despite being a critical success (some critics even saying it was superior to Snow White). Part of this may be due to with war going on in Europe, much of the foreign market was cut off, lessening how much the film will make. Walt felt this was because the film was technically superior to, it lacked the heart of Snow White (at least in his opinion). However what ever the reason the film lost money. However over time with re-releases, and home video, audiences discovered what a classic film Pinocchio is, and it has more than made back the money it lost.

Extra facts:

• Geppetto's cat Figaro was Walt's favorite character, and appeared in many shorts, often as Minnie Mouse's pet.
• Dickie Jones, the voice of Pinocchio, was a prominent child actor at this time and appeared in many films, including Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and Sands of Iwo Jima.
• Christian Rub, the voice of Geppetto, was a Nazi sympathizer who drove much of the Disney staff crazy with his ravings about Adolf Hitler. He never worked on another Disney film. 
• First animated feature film to win Academy Awards (competitive award not the honorary one awarded to Snow White), won for best original music and best original song ("When You Wish Upon a Star").
• Animator Shamus Culhane left the studio before the film was released. Therefore he did not receive a credit in the finished film. He was very upset by this.    
• The character of lampwick was a visual caricature of animator Fred Moore       

                               

Review

Pinocchio may be one of the most visually impressive films of all time. Every scene brings visuals that are breathtaking to look at, and transport you into another world. Unlike other films in that category though (I'm looking at you, Avatar) Pinocchio also has an engaging story, and great characters. Also unlike other films of this kind the visuals never overshadow the story. The visuals as impressive as they are, are truly in service to the story, and the film-makers never forget that.

Like Snow White, here in Pinocchio every emotion is played upon, including horror, wonder, humor, sadness and joy. Each one is played upon effectively.  This is especially shown through the villains of the film. Honest John and Gideon are probably the funniest villains in any Disney movie, and they crack me up whenever they are onscreen. They bring great Marx Brothers-esque humor into every scene they are in. In fact in many ways, Gideon is almost like an evil Harpo Marx. His pantomime slapstick is on par with the best live-action pantomimists. Despite how evil the things he does are, he seems almost like a mischievous child more than an evil villain, giving him a very unique and memorable place in the history of Disney villains. Honest John is a great pompous conman who is not really as smart as he thinks he is. Unlike Gideon his humor is mostly conveyed mostly through dialog. Like Gideon though his humor is hilarious.  On the other hand, the coachman is downright terrifying. Perhaps no other Disney film gives such a sense of sheer horror than does Pinocchio. The coachman's speech about "collecting stupid little boys", the look on the coachman's face as the boys enter Pleasure Island, Lampwick's transformation (the music, pacing, animation, and direction in this scene is outstanding), and definitely the coachman testing out the "new" donkeys is as downright terrifying as anything in any horror film. This adds a level of suspense, and intensity that is absent from many family films, and this movie is all the better for it. 

The villains are not the only great characters in the film. The changes done to Pinocchio really do make him very likable and sympathetic. He feels like for lack of a better phrase, a real boy. His desire to be human is genuine and we root for his plight. He also has a believable side of childhood mischief. This works because he never tries to be mean, he is just a kid and doesn't know any better. Another thing that makes this film work so well is that Jiminy Cricket is not just a comedy relief, the way he easily could have been. He in fact grows over the course of the movie. He is late to be with Pinocchio on his first day as conscience, he leaves Pinocchio with Stromboli when he thinks he would be better off as an actor ("what does an actor need with a conscience anyway"), he nearly leaves Pinocchio to turn into a donkey on Pleasure Island, but at the end he goes with his buddy to save Geppetto from Monstro. He does not start off as a good conscience, but by the end he truly helps Pinocchio become a real boy. This change feels natural, and never comes off as forced.

Another thing I love about this film is that it is often times slower paced, and more atmospheric than many later Disney films. While I love the later Disney films a lot, I miss this slower feel. It almost makes the movie feel a lot more sophisticated, and magical.     

Overall this is another one of the great achievements in film history. While many have tried (including other Disney films) to make a film like this one none have succeeded. Pinocchio remains one of Disney's greatest achievements, and a rare one of a kind masterpiece of a film by any standards.

 Film Credits

Supervising directors: Hamilton Luske, Ben Sharpsteen

Sequence Directors: Norman Ferguson, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson, Jack Kinney, Bill Roberts

Original Story: Carlo Collodi

Story Adaption: Ted Sears, Otto Englander, Webb Smith, William Cottrell, Joseph Sabo, Erdman Penner, Aurelius Battaglia, Bill Peet

Voices: Dickie Jones (Pinocchio, Alexander), Cliff Edwards (Jiminy Cricket), Mel Blanc (Figaro, Donkeys, Gideon, Puppet Show Marionettes), Christian Rub (Geppetto),  Evelyn Venable (Blue Fairy), Charles Judels (Stromboli, The Coachman), Frankie Darro (Lampwick), Walter Catlett (Honest John), Clarence Nash (Roughhouse Statue, Donkeys), Patricia Page (Puppet Show Marionettes), Don Brodie (Carnival Announcer),  Marion Darlington (Birds)

Producer: Walt Disney

Songwriters: Leigh Harline (Music), Ned Washington (Lyrics)

Music: Leigh Harline, Paul J. Smith

Art Direction: Ken Anderson, Hugh Hennesy, John Hubley, Dick Kelsey, Kendall O'Connor, Charles Philippi, Thor Putnam, Terrell Stapp, McLaren Stewart, Al Zinnen, Bruce Bushman, Arthur Heinemann, Charles Payzant

Assistant Directors:  Ford Beebe Jr., Lou Debney, Jim Handley, Graham Heid, Mike Holoboff, Larry Lansburgh, Lloyd Richardson

Character Maquettes: Wah Chang

Conceptual Designs: Gustaf Tenggren

Atmosphere Sketches:  Don Christensen

(Special) Effects Animation: Edwin Aardal, Jerome Brown, Paul Busch, Ugo D'Orsi, James Escalante, Frank Follmer, Dan MacManus, Fred Madison, John McDermott, Ted Parmelee, Sandy Strother, Cornett Wood

Animation Directors: Art Babbitt, Ward Kimball, Eric Larson, Fred Moore , Wolfgang Reitherman, Bill Tytla, Frank Thomas

Character Design: Campbell Grant, Joe Grant, Albert Hurter, John P. Miller, John Walbridge, Charles Cristadoro, Teddy Kline, Helen McIntosh, Duke Russell, Shirley Sodaholm

Supervising Animators: Norman Ferguson,  Ward Kimball

Backgrounds: Claude Coats, Merle Cox, Ray Huffine, Ed Starr, Dick Anthony, Eric Hansen, Mique Nelson, Art Riley

Layout Artist: Bruce Bushman

Assistant Animators: William T. Hurtz, Hank Ketcham, Willis Pyle, Bill Melendez

Inbetween Artists: Blaine Gibson, Paul Murry, Kay Wright

Ink and Paint Department: June Patterson

Animators: Preston Blair, Jack Bradbury, Jack Campbell, Les Clark, John Elliotte, Hugh Fraser, Ollie Johnston, Lynn Karp, John Lounsbery, Don Lusk, Robert Martsch, John McManus, Joshua Meador,  Charles A. Nichols, Art Palmer, Don Patterson, George Rowley, Norman Tate, Don Tobin, Don Towsley, Bernard Wolf, Marvin Woodward, Mike Arens, Bill Berg, Dick Brown, Paul Busch, Lars Calonius, Bob Carlson, Brad Case, Walt Clinton, Sam Cobean, Shamus Culhane, George De Beeson, Phil Duncan,  Andy Engman, Art Fitzpatrick, Joseph Gayek, Franklin Grundeen, Harry Hamsel, Walt Kelly, Paul B. Kossoff, Murray McClellan, Bob McCrea, Richard McDermot, Art Moore, Milt Neil, Lester Novros, Ken O'Brien, Frank Oreb, Tom Oreb, Chic Otterstrom, John Reed, William Shull, Howard Smith, Robert Stokes, David Swift, Howard Swift, Harvey Toombs, Noel Tucker, Jim Will, Robert W. Youngquist

Musicians:Louis Kaufman, Frederick Stark, Charles Wolcott

Live-Action Models: Don Barclay, Walter Catlett, Marge Champion, Christian Rub, Val Stanton

-Michael J. Ruhland

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Review and History written by Michael J. Ruhland




























Year Released: 1937

Michael's Movie Grade: A+


                           
                                                             History
Perhaps no other Disney film had as much input from Walt Disney, himself, than Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In fact Walt originally planned to be the director of the film. To prepare for this Walt directed a short called The Golden Touch. This short was a flop and a big disappointment to Disney. For this reason Walt handed the director chair to David Hand.

A feature film was something the Disney studio had never done before. In fact most audiences were not used to seeing an animated feature film. Snow White may have been the ninth animated feature film, but it would be the first one American audiences would have heard of. The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926) was the only one of the previous animated features released in America (It was a foreign film from Germany, making Snow White the first American animated feature film), and that was to very little publicity. Due to this many film critics scoffed at the idea of an audience sitting thorough a feature length cartoon, and prematurely Dubbed the film "Disney's Folly" (a name critics would later use prematurely to describe Disneyland).

The idea to do Snow White as his first feature came to Walt through a 1916 silent film adaption (Staring Marguerite Clark, and directed by J. Searle Dawley). Michael Barrier wrote in his book The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney, "If nothing else he knew from that film that the Grimms' story could be expanded to feature length without strain" (102).

The studio was all set to prove these critics wrong. Production began in 1934, yet the film was not finished and released until 1937. Snow White was being worked towards well before production began. Many of the Silly Symphony cartoons were used as training ground to make sure the Disney Studio could make a feature. A cartoon like The Old Mill was a test for the special effects necessary for a feature, and also for a new Disney Studio invention called The Multiplane Camera. The Multiplane Camera was created by  Walt Disney and William Garity and was made to give a 3-D effect to animated films. Here is a video discussing The Multiplane Camera:

Walt Disney had hired Grim Natwick (Creator of Betty Boop), because of how well he could animate the female figure. Cartoons such as The Goddess of Spring and The Cookie Carnival were training grounds for Natwick so he could animate a character like Snow White.

This also wasn't Disney's first time to consider making a feature. Mary Pickford had approached Walt with the idea of doing a feature with her as a live action Alice in an animated Wonderland. Interestingly Walt started his film career making shorts, called the Alice Comedies, featuring Virginia Davis as a live action Alice in an animated Wonderland. I do not know if Mary Pickford had these films on her mind. Disney would obviously make a completely animated feature film version of Alice in Wonderland in 1951.   

Disney misunderstood how much money and time was needed for the film. According to Michael Barrier in his book  The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney, "He excepted to devote fifteen months to the production of Snow White-he was still thinking of having it ready for release at Christmas 1936, in other words-and to spend no more on it 'than we do on any four of our other pictures'"(114). Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs turned out to be one of the most expensive and time-consuming projects the Disney Studio would ever make.

Much time was spent on the Dwarfs. In the original Brother's Grimm story the Dwarfs had no names or individual personalities. The film-makers knew this had to be changed if the audience was going to grow to love these characters over the course of the movie.  The Dwarfs went though many different name changes, and personalty changes. Some unused Dwarf names included Jumpy, Deafy, Dizzey, Hickey, Wheezy, Baldy, Gabby, Nifty, Sniffy, Swift, Lazy, Puffy, Stuffy, Tubby, Shorty and Burpy. On top of this Dopey was originally planned to be a chatterbox, before he was re-worked into being a mute character.  The Dwarfs however came to life through the work of the work of supervising animators, Bill Tytla, and  Fred Moore. Bill Tytla was the supervising animator for Grumpy, and Fred Moore was the supervising animator for the rest of the Dwarfs. The Dwarfs would now move completely differently in ways that would perfectly reflect their personalities. Animator Shamus Culhane remembered that one of the hardest things he ever had to animate was the a scene where all the dwarfs are marching (During the "High-Ho" musical number), because of how different each of them moved(In fact back then it was extravagant to see that many animated characters on screen together and all of them moving).  

As the Dwarfs became more developed, the focus of the story shifted more towards them and less towards Snow White. As this happened the story became more comedic. Walt felt it was becoming to comedic as to take the suspense and excitement out of the movie. As the creation of the film went on it was discovered that the Dwarfs worked as not only funny, humorous characters, but they could also help emotionally tie us to the star of the movie, Snow White. Due to this the focus of the film was being brought back to Snow White. So two scenes were cut involving comedy with the Dwarfs. These included a scene in which the Dwarfs made a bed for Snow White, and a scene involving them eating soup. Both scenes were completely animated by Ward Kimball. Ward was a bit upset by this, but he understood it was done to make a better film. However partly to make up for this he was promoted to supervising animator on the next Disney feature film, Pinocchio.

The film-makers weren't happy though with how all the characters in the film ended up. They were never happy with the prince. He just looked to stilted and bland. Because of this, his part was lessened to just appearances at the beginning and the end of the film.

From the minute the idea for a feature-length Disney film was conceived Walt, and the rest of the studio, knew music was going to play a part in the film. However having never made a feature before no-one knew how big or not big a part it was going to play. Songwriters Frank Churchill and Larry Morey supposedly wrote 25 songs for the movie, and only 8 appeared in the final film. As it was decided to make Snow White a musical film, but not a film that is all music.

When released in 1937, Snow White was a sensation. It's box office performance, and it's praise from both audiences and critics proved that this film was anything but "Disney's Folly". Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was not only a huge success, but was also a huge influence on the world of cinema, as a whole. Some even doubt if The Wizard of OZ (1939) would have been made if Snow White had not been such a hit.


                                                               

                                                                 



                                                                    Review
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is not only one of the great achievements of animation, but also one of the great achievements of film-making in general. This film is a masterpiece by every sense of the word. It not only features great animation, but great film-making. Snow White's frightened run through the forest, features fantastic images, pacing, and expressionism. It resembles and is on par with the best of the films from The German Expressionist Movement, of the silent era, from directors such as F.W. Murnau, Fritz Lang, and Robert Wiene. The cutting, excitement, and the suspense, when the Dwarfs are racing to save Snow White before she eats the apple rivals the best of D.W. Griffith.

This film is also a perfect example of how to make a musical. Every song has a purpose, and contributes to telling the story. No song is wasted, and no song slows the film down.

The Dwarfs are some of the best and most likable characters, the Disney Studio ever made. They can be downright hilarious at some times, but they can also pull you into the emotional center of the story. You not only laugh at their antics but you also grow to care about and even love these characters. When they are happy so are you, when they are crying, just try to hold back those tears. Grumpy finally showing that he does care about Snow White is one of the most touching scenes in film history.

Every emotion is played with in this film (fear, laughter, sadness, joy, suspense, wonder), and everyone pays off exactly how the film-makers want them to. While this movie isn't without it's faults (piratically the animation of the prince), they are so hidden in greatness, that they don't even hurt the movie watching experience.

 Overall, this film is one of the true classics of film history, and an amazing way for the studio to begin it's long run of feature films, both animated and live-action. A must see.



 

                                                      Film Credits

Producer: Walt Disney

Supervising Director: David Hand

Sequence Directors: Wilfred Jackson, Perce Pearce, Larry Morey, Ben Sharpsteen, William Cottrell

Original Story: Brother's Grimm

Writers: Ted Sears, Richard Creedon, Earl Hurd, Webb Smith, Dick Rickard, Otto Englander, Merrill De Maris, Dorthy Ann Blank

Voices: Adriana Caselotti (Snow White), Billy Gilbert (Sneezey), Pinto Colvig (Sleepy, Grumpy), Lucille La Verne (Queen), Roy Atwell (Doc), Otis Harlan (Happy), Scotty Mattraw (Bashful), Harry Stockwell (Prince), Moroni Olsen (Magic Mirror), Eddie Collins (Dopey, Chipmunk Squirrel), Purv Pullen and Marion Darlington (Birds), Hall Johnson Choir (Chorus)

Songs: Larry Morey (Lyrics), Frank Churchill (Music)

Music: Frank Churchill, Paul Smith, Leigh Harline

Art Direction: Ken Anderson, Tom Codrick, Hugh Hennesy, Harold Miles, Kendall O' Connor, Charles Philippi, Hazel Sewell, Terrell Stapp, McLarren Stewartt, Gustaf Tenggren, John Hubley

Assistant Directors: Hal Adelquist, Ford Beebe Jr., Carl Fallberg, Mike Holoboff

Visual Effects:  William L. Arance, Bob Broughton, Jim Carbonetti, Heather Davis Baker , Andy Engman, Thomas Rosseter, Olivier Sarda, Thomas J. Smith, James Valentine

Camera: Max Morgan

Backgrounds: Samuel Armstrong, Claude Coats, Merle Cox, Phil Dike, Ray Lockrem, Mique Nelson, Maurice Noble

Character Designers: Joe Grant, Albert Hurter, Ferdinand Horvath

Supervising Animators: Norman Ferguson, Fred Moore, Bill Tytla, Hamilton Luske

Animators:  James Algar, Art Babbitt, Jack Campbell, Les Clark, Shamus Culhane, Ugo D'Orsi, Al Eugster, Bernard Garbutt, Ward Kimball, Eric Larson, Dick Lundy, Robert Martsch, Joshua Meador, Grim Natwick, Stan Quackenbush, Wolfgang Reitherman, Bill Roberts, George Rowley, Fred Spencer, Robert Stokes, Frank Thomas, Marvin Woodward, Cy Young, Paul Busch, Hugh Fraser, Campbell Grant, John McManus, Amby Paliwoda, Tony Rivera, Louie Schmitt, Sandy Strother, David Swift, Riley Thomson, Cornett Wood

Assistant Animators:  Marc Davis, Ollie Johnston, Bill Keil, John Lounsbery, Lester Novros, Clair Weeks

Inbetween Artist: Jack Dunham

Layout Artists: Lou Debney, Kendall O'Connor, Ferdinand Horvath

Ink and Paint Department: Jeanne Lee Keil, Rae McSpadden

Live Action Reference Models:  Marge Champion (Snow White), Eddie Collins (Dopey), Louis Hightower (Prince Charming)

Model Dress Designer: Virginia Lockwood

                                         
                                                                       Resources Used

 http://mrmouseandwalt.weebly.com/multiplane-camera.html

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029583/?ref_=nv_sr_2

Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in it's Golden Age by Michael Barrier

Animated Movie Guide by Jerry Beck

Talking Animals and Other People by Shamus Culhane

The Disney Films by Leonard Maltin

The Musical World of Disney by David Tietyen

The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney by Michael Barrier

-Michael J. Ruhland