Over 80 years ago, Walt Disney created a cinematic masterpiece that changed the world of animation forever. “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” the first-ever full-length animated feature, made its debut, captivating audiences worldwide.

Did You Know?

When Walt Disney was making Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 50 possible names were made for the dwarfs. They included Jumpy, Baldy, Sniffy and Burpy.

Over 80 years ago, people saw for the very first time a full-length feature film that was animated. The title of the film was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In 2008, it was named the greatest animated film of all time.

It all sounds fantastic, but during the four long years it took to make, its creator and producer, Walt Disney, must have stayed awake in bed all night worrying about his decision.

Until 1934, Walt Disney had made only short animations. Many of them were about a mouse called Mickey. When Walt began talking about his ideas to make a full-length animated film, his brother and business partner, Roy Disney, tried to talk him out of it. So did many others.

As nearly every child around the world knows, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs tells the story of a lonely princess who lives with her stepmother, a wicked queen. The wicked queen orders her huntsman to take the princess into the forest and kill her, but he does not have the heart to do it. Snow White ends up living with seven dwarfs called Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy and Dopey.

At the beginning of the project, Walt Disney said production would cost US$250,000. That was ten times higher than a normal short animation film made by his company. In the end, the film cost US$1,488,422 – an incredible amount at the time. It cost so much, Walt Disney had to mortgage his home.

We know today that Walt Disney’s gamble paid off. The movie was a huge success. It was released in cinemas around the world many times until its video release during the 1990s. It is estimated that over its 80-year life, the film made over US$184 billion dollars at the box office.

Within two years of his success, Walt Disney had gone on to make other full-length animated movies including Fantasia and Pinocchio. They also became household names. Disney used the profits from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to build a US$4.5 million studio in Burbank, California, where the Disney studios can still be found today.

Question:

Walt Disney walking about the making of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

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