Walt Disney Photo & Inscription to Adriana Caselotti's Father

A black & white photograph of Walt Disney was recently sold at auction. The photographer was Clarence Sinclair Bull. An inscription along the lower third is written from Walt to Guido Caselotti.

Images via Heritage Auctions.

From the Heritage Auctions description:

Adriana Caselotti's father was Guido Caselotti, a music and vocal coach. It is said that Walt Disney had asked Mr Caselotti for a recommendation for a voice for Snow White and upon hearing this, his daughter, Adriana asked to audition for the role. This is a stunning Clarence Sinclair Bull photo of Walt Disney that is boldly inscribed in black ink as follows: "Best Wishes to Maestro Caselotti, the teacher of Adriana -- the voice of Snow White, Walt Disney."

Clarence Sinclair Bull, a noted Hollywood Glamour photographer of the 1930s and 40s, embossed the photo in the lower left. The significance of this signed photo and relationship between Walt Disney and Mr. Caselotti makes this one of the most important Walt Disney-signed pieces to come to market. From the Estate of Miss Adriana Caselotti.

Guido Caselotti was known for his vocal instruction. He is pictured on this technique record, The Bel Canto Method As Taught and Performed by Maestro Guido Caselotti. Custom Fidelity Records label. No. CF-1415.

From the Adriana Caselotti Estate.

1952 Snow White Stationery with Walt Disney Signature

This Walt Disney signed letter is dated April 29, 1952. The Snow White and Seven Dwarfs letterhead coincides with the re-release of the motion picture that year. Walt thanks author Alex F. Osborn for "taking time to say so many complimentary things about Snow White."

Images via Heritage Auctions.

In the previous post, see a blank sheet of this Snow White stationery, as well as examples from other films.

Adriana Caselotti - 1983 Public Appearance Tour Itinerary

Snow White was re-released to North American theatres in 1983. To promote the event, Disney hired Adriana Caselotti to headline a major public appearance tour to 13 cities. She would also be a guest on several national television shows. Numerous ephemera items from this trip were recently listed at Heritage Auctions.

The promotional tour ran from June 20 to July 13, 1983. City stops included in this order: Boston, Montreal, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Kansas City, San Francisco, Seattle, New York, and Los Angeles.

Itinerary of city stops on the tour.

The Philadelphia itinerary for June 27, 1983 (the date was bumped a day from what's listed above).

Signed television contracts for the Merv Griffin Show and The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, plus the dressing room name plate from the latter.

Images via Heritage Auctions.

The auction included 32 pages of travel plans and an insider look at how the Disney marketing division gets the word out.

David Hand Ephemera

David Hand (1900-1986) was the Supervising Director on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Walt Disney was always the one in charge of the motion picture, but David was next in command. Organized and to the point, he got people to do what was needed, especially during the controlled chaos that was the Disney Studio during that final year of production on the film. He was 37 years of age when Snow White premiered.

In this excerpt from John Canemaker's book, Walt Disney's Nine Old Men and the Art of Animation (Disney Editions 2001, p.21), we get a little insight into Hand's directorial style. Animator Les Clark is introduced to David's temper.

David worked for the Disney Studio from 1930-1944. In July of 2014, Heritage Auctions listed this group of ephemera that once belonged to him. It included three hand-signed identification cards from: 1931-32 (also signed by Roy Disney), 1934, and 1942 (photo ID).

The auction also featured an inter-office company memo dated May 3, 1938. It was a notification of David's "Snow White Adjustment Compensation" for all his long hours of work on the project. His bonus totaled $5000. Not bad at all for 1938!

Images via Heritage Auctions.

Read the excellent 1973 interview with David by Michael Barrier at his website: MichaelBarrier.com

Adriana Caselotti Ephemera

Miscellaneous ephemera from the voice of Snow White, Adriana Caselotti:

• Children's dinner menu with photo of Adriana. Blank back. Dimensions: 5.5" x 9" (open). Origin unknown, though possibly created for one of her many public appearances with groups of kids.

• 1938 Hotel Victoria payment voucher.

• 1952 passport. It is signed Adriana Mitchell. Her second husband at the time was Norval Mitchell.

• 1980s signature and hand-drawn Snow White face on 8x10 stiff paperboard.

• Adriana placed a promotional ad for herself in a 1987 edition of the weekly entertainment trade Variety.
  

Autographed Postcards - Marge Champion

In an earlier post, we saw an autographed postcard from Marge (Belcher) Champion, the live-action model for Snow White. Here's a couple more.

Images courtesy of Greg Philip of A Lost Film.

Autographed Photos Brochure - Adriana Caselotti

Selling signed photographs was an important source of income in her later years for Adriana Caselotti, the original voice of Snow White. In an earlier Archive entry, we saw a variety of autographed pieces, similar to this 8x10 below.

On August 26, 1994, Adriana penned a letter announcing a series of nine different signed black & white glossy 8x10 photos that she was offering for sale. The letter was photocopied--along with a homemade brochure featuring images of all nine items--then sent out to interested fans,

In a handwritten note on the back of this brochure, Adriana explains to a fan why it wouldn't be fair to offer him a free autograph when everyone else has to pay a fee.

Special thanks to Greg Philip of A Lost Film for sharing these images from his collection.

Autograph - Rachel Pignot (French Snow White)

Rachel Pignot played the singing voice of Snow White in the French redub for the 2001 DVD of Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains. This autograph and inscription of hers date from 2015. Part of the Greg Philip Collection.

Autograph - Michel Mella (French Bashful)

Actor Michel Mella voiced the role of Bashful in the French redub of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs for the 2001 DVD home video release. Here is his autograph from 2013. Inscription reads, "Sugar is gone, Thank you Friend Greg, Michel Mella. From the collection of Greg Philip.

Walt Disney Letter to Venice Biennale

A letter dated July 17, 1939 from Walt Disney to Count Volpi of the Biennale Institute of Venice, organizers of the Venice Film Festival. The year before, in August of 1938, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs had won the festival's Grand Art Trophy.

Walt thanks the Count for the bronze trophy and the support that Italians had shown for his film. He also shares his hope that the yet unreleased Pinocchio will also be well received. Little does he know how War World II wil soon alter the outlook for his second feature-length picture.

Image via the Biennale site.

Special thanks to Nunziante Valoroso for sharing this one with us.

Harry Stockwell Autograph

From the Michael Filippello Collection comes a couple of autographs by Harry Stockwell--the voice of the Prince in Snow White. The first is on a newspaper clipping that was probably signed in person when he was performing in Oklahoma, circa 1944, at the St. James Theatre in NYC.

The other is a page from an autograph book.

Here's an Oklahoma publicity photo with Harry.

Lucille La Verne Autograph

From the collection of Michael Filippello comes this autograph of one of the greats--Lucille La Verne--the voice of both the Evil Queen and the Old Hag in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

A pretty cool signature!

Lucie Dolène Autograph

Lucie Dolène played the voice of Snow White in the 1962 French redub of Disney's Blanche Neige et les Sept Nains. Last year, researcher Greg Philip had the good fortune to meet her.

Lucie was kind enough to autograph this 8x10 which shows an image of her today and also from the 1962 recording studio in Paris where she voiced the role.

In another photo, Lucie is seen onstage with the Snow White characters, probably at the Euro Disney Resort. The image comes from a TV and video magazine which dates from 1994, the year that the movie was first issued to home video on VHS and LaserDisc.

Images and info courtesy of the Greg Philip Collection via A Lost Film.

1993 Re-release Promotional Letters

This cover letter accompanied the Promotional Guide (next post) that was sent out to theatre operators for the 1993 US theatrical re-release of Snow White.

A follow-up letter would have arrived as the release date of July 2nd drew nearer.

An apple cut-out for the theatre activities came with the letter..

Images courtesy of the Michael Filippello Collection.

1938 Snow White Press Release

Here we have a 1938 Snow White press release from S. Barret McCormick, Director of Advertising & Publicity at RKO Radio Pictures in New York. It may have been used independently or possibly as a promotional letter to accompany a press kit.

There is no date on any of the three pages, but from the wording, it appears that it may have been written after the December 21, 1937 premiere but before the 1938 general release.

Images courtesy of the Michael Filippello Collection.

Promotional Materials from RKO Executive Jean Mounier

These images of Snow White ephemera come from the personal belongings of Jean Mounier. Mounier was the Advertising Director of RKO in France during the 1938 publicity campaign for Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains. He oversaw the promotion of the film not only in Paris but throughout Europe as well.

Learn more about Mounier at Cinéma Jean Mounier, a site overseen by his daughter Jacqueline Dana.



























Promotional booklet/manuals...

This page from the promotional manual displays Dwarf masks. Made from decorated pasteboard or cardboard, these were meant for lining the hall of the movie theater. They could also be worn by "sandwich men" behind the counter...

An announcement for the release of the RKO advertising manual, Bravo Mounier!...

A correspondence written on Snow White letterhead...

Images courtesy of Jacqueline Dana / Jean Mounier Collection. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Special thanks to Greg Philip at A Lost Film for additional info.

Also see the movie program from the Paris premiere of Snow White at the Marignan Theatre.