Snow White is another classic Disney story that was based on a fairy tale. This time, the fairy tale Walt Disney used to base his story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs came from Snow White by the Brothers Grimm.
This was Walt Disney's first venture into Technicolor when making movies. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered on December 21, 1937 and was the most successful film in all of 1938.
The voice for Snow White was selected in a most unusual way. The casting director for the film had placed a phone call to a man well known as a vocal coach… Guido Caselotti. While the men were on the phone Mr. Caselotti's daughter Adriana got on the phone and began to sing and chatter in a child-like voice. Once Walt Disney heard this young woman speak Adriana Caselotti was immediately chosen as the voice actor for his Snow White character.
Snow White was a venture that neither Walt's brother Roy, nor his wife Lillian thought he should attempt. It took one and a half million dollars to produce Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In order to complete the project, widely known as 'Disney's Folly', Walt had to mortgage his home to get more financing. The first of the full-length Disney films Snow White was an amazing success.
After the December premier of Snow White the audience gave the film a standing ovation. The film was then released to the general public on February 4, 1938. Snow White earned Walt Disney an honorary Academy Award for film innovation.