Snow White Cel Setup from "This Is Your Life Donald Duck"

The Disney anthology television series went by several different names over the years, starting with Disneyland in 1954. Later renditions included Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color (1961), The Wonderful World of Disney (1969), and other variations.

From 1958 to 1961, it was called Walt Disney Presents. In a 1960 episode (no. 148), they did a takeoff of the popular This is Your Life show which surprised a guest with a retrospective of their life. Usually by the end, friends, family and others were brought out on stage.

Disney's version was called This is Your Life, Donald Duck. Jiminy Cricket was the host. They aired several Donald shorts interspersed with new animation of him which connected these "life stories" together. At the conclusion of the program, numerous characters came out "on stage" including Snow White and all seven of the dwarfs. Snow was gently and gracefully led by her bluebird friends.

In December 2015, Heritage Auctions made available a two-layer cel setup of this original production art. Hand-painted. Matted to 16" x 12".

Screen capture from show.

1987 NBC TV Special Press Photo

A press photo promoting the May 22, 1987 Snow White Golden Anniversary television special on NBC. It features an image of a Disneyland Snow White cast member with Dopey. Measures 7" x 9".

The reverse side includes the press information with airdate, synopsis, and episode title.

Images via remembermarilyn.

December 13th 'Making of Snow White' TV Special

On December 13, 2015, ABC television will be airing an all-new documentary special entitled, Behind the Magic: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. (8:00 pm ET/PT.)


Read the official press release from ABC:

An All-New Special and Unprecedented Look at Walt Disney’s Journey to Create the Historic First Full-Length Animated Feature Film, Airing Sunday, December 13 at 8 pm on ABC

Narrated by Ginnifer Goodwin (Actress, ABC’s “Once Upon a Time,” Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Zootopia”) and Featuring John Lasseter (Chief Creative Officer, Walt Disney & Pixar Animation Studios), Disney Legend/Songwriter Richard Sherman (Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book), and Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck (Directors, Frozen)

In 1934, the up-and-coming filmmaker Walt Disney decided to take a big creative, financial and personal risk: he put his small animation studio – until now dedicated to turning out comedy shorts – to work adapting a fairy tale into a full-color, full-length animated feature film. No one ever made a full-color feature length cartoon before, and it seemed far-fetched. Who would want to watch a cartoon for 90 minutes? Most people, including the two most important in Walt’s life, his wife and brother, believed it would be his undoing. And they were almost right. From the seemingly insurmountable creative challenges, to an expanding budget and looming deadlines, to an exhausted and all-consumed Walt Disney, the production of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” became a harrowing journey, one that almost destroyed the man who conceived it. “Behind the Magic: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” airs Sunday, December 13, (8:00 pm ET) on the ABC Television Network.

“Behind the Magic: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” explores the moment where folklore met filmmaking. With dynamic visuals including clips from the 1937 movie, film and audio recordings, and snapshots from Disney’s own personal archive, the special creatively showcases how the team at Disney stayed true to the message of the original story while tackling the creative and technical challenges of putting this humble fairy tale on the silver screen, creating history.

The special also features live action moments based on the original tale, shot with dramatic special effects treatments, as well as some cut scenes and characters from the animated film, uniquely transporting viewers to the making of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The hour also explores how Walt Disney was possessed with making the film – leveraging everything, including his relationships and reputation, as well as mortgaging his home, smack dab in the middle of the Great Depression.

“Behind the Magic: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” is narrated by Ginnifer Goodwin (Actress, ABC’s “Once Upon A Time,” Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Zootopia”) and features extensive interviews with John Lasseter (Chief Creative Officer, Walt Disney & Pixar Animation Studios), Frozen directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, Byron Howard (Director, the upcoming Zootopia and Tangled), Alan Menken, Richard Sherman, and Disney supervising animators Eric Goldberg and Mark Henn, as well as some of the original talent from the 1937 film, and historians/experts from the Walt Disney Animation Research Library, Walt Disney Archives, and beyond.

An XCON Production for Lincoln Square Productions, “Behind the Magic:Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” is executive produced by Christine Connor. Jeremiah Crowell is the director.

--ABC— (12/01/2015)

UPDATE (late December): Not sure how long this will be available, but currently, you can watch the entire program on Hulu: http://www.hulu.com/watch/883135

Walt Disney - The American Experience PBS Series

Trailer for Walt Disney on The American Experience. Television program to air on public television September 14 & 15, 2015. Includes extensive coverage on the making of Snow White.

Meet Walt Disney from The American Experience.

Video trailers posted online by PBS.

"The 7D" Series Trailer

The Disney XD animated children's series The 7D was first announced way back in 2011. Show synopsis: Set prior to their meeting of Snow White, the Seven Dwarfs live in the storybook world of Jollywood. The 7D work together to maintain order in the kingdom, while antagonists Grim and Hildy Gloom, a novice warlock and witch couple, haplessly plot to dethrone the Queen.

Jay Leno and Whoopi Goldberg have joined the voice cast in the recurring roles of Crystal Ball (Leno) and Magic Mirror (Goldberg). Other cast members include Kelly Osbourne as the comically evil villain Hildy Gloom, Jess Harnell (“Sofia the First, Doc McStuffins”), Leigh-Allyn Baker (“Good Luck Charlie”), and Maurice LaMarche (“Pinky and the Brain”).

Premiere date is July 7, 2014. Here's the recently released trailer...

Video posted by The Wrap.

The 7D...

The Queen of Jollywood...

Grim and Hildy Gloom...

Screen captures copyright Disney via The Wrap.

25 Years Ago - Rob Lowe and Snow White at the Oscars

It was at the 1989 Academy Awards ceremony that Snow White, along with Rob Lowe, put on what is considered by many to be one of the worst opening musical numbers in the history of the show. Walt Disney was surely turning over in his cryogenic grave on that inauspicious night. It was so bad that, 25 years later, it's still difficult to watch.

The quality of the performance is not entirely the fault of Eileen Bowman (the aspiring actress who played Snow White) or Rob Lowe--though the attempts by Bowman to simulate Adriana Caselotti's original operatic voice were far from melodic. It also didn't help that Lowe doesn't have a singing voice. The blame for the number should (and did) go on the show's producer Allan Carr. It was way too long and way too corny.

It all begins with Variety columnist Army Archerd telling Snow White how to find the stage. "Follow the Hollywood stars." He's referring to actual dancers in star-shaped costumes--not a good sign of things to come.

Snow makes her way through the audience, all the while singing a parody of I Only Have Eyes For You.

It's followed up on stage with Merv Griffin singing his 1950s hit I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts. Then for no apparent reason, he introduces a host of screen stars from years past before bringing Rob Lowe on stage as Snow White's date. This leads to a seemingly never-ending duet between Bowman and Lowe, a parody of Proud Mary.

It's sometimes difficult to find a video of the entire opening number online. There are those in Hollywood who'd probably like this to go away forever. Yet at least for the moment, we have this one below...

Video posted by D. Goodman. More at Not Without My Handbag.

The next day, Disney filed a lawsuit against the Academy for the unauthorized use of their copyrighted version of Snow White. Seventeen of Hollywood's elite signed an open letter criticizing the telecast as an embarrassment. And producer Alan Carr would never work in television or motion pictures again.

So whatever happened to poor Eileen Bowman? Last year, The Hollywood Reporter caught up with her for an exclusive interview. She tells her experience of it all for the first time. It's a great article. Read the February 2013 piece its entirety below...

[CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE]

2013 article text and images copyright The Hollywood Reporter.

1962 French TV Guide

In 1962, only one television network existed in France, the state-operated RTF--Radio-Télédiffusion-Française--yet there were many different TV Guides to choose from. This one is Télé Magazine No. 374 from the week of December 23-29. Featured on the cover is an image of Snow White peering through the dwarfs' cottage window.

The magazine would have been sold throughout France and along the border in other French-speaking countries where the RTF signal could be picked up. Price: 1 NF (French New Franc), 15 FB (Belgian Franc), 1,30 FS (Swiss Franc).

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was re-released to French theatres on December 12, 1962. In celebration of its return, several television "specials" were scheduled to air. The small box on page 2 explains what these are, though not in much detail. It only states that some shows are for adults, others for kids and that Snow White should be interesting for both.

This 1962 reissue of the film was extra special because it included a totally redubbed French soundtrack. Disney employed Lucie Dolène to be the new voice of Snow White. In addition, she also recorded her own versions of the songs to a 45 with Caravelli and His Magic Violins. (Visit the earlier post to hear a short excerpt from the record.)









The first Snow White TV event would include Lucie Dolène. On Sunday the 23rd at 2.30 pm (14:30), during the Télé dimanche show, Lucie would sing her Snow White songs with Caravelli and his violins.

On page 42, there is an ad for the other Caravelli Snow White record, sans Lucie Dolène. (See previous Archive entry.)

On Thursday (Jeudi), December 27th at 12:30 pm, the La Séquence du Jeune Spectateur (Young Spectator Sequence) show ran short excerpts from Snow White along with clips from the Romy Schneider movie, Un Petit coin de paradis. No more details were given other than an announcement for the return of Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains to Parisian screens.

On page 48 is an ad for the adaptation of the Snow White comic strip which was first published in newspapers in America. This French version would appear weekly in “Le Journal de Mickey” (Mickey’s Newspaper).

Page 55: French TV personality and Snow White enthusiast, Pierre Tchernia, appeared at 8:30 pm for 15 minutes after the evening news. He hosted a Blanche-Neige special where he shared why this was his favorite film.

Info and image scans generously supplied by Greg Philip of A Lost Film.

1962 was a big year for Snow White in France; there were probably plenty more sneak peeks at the film on various TV shows.

2010 Disneyland Halloween TV Spot

In the Disneyland "Halloween Time" TV commercial from 2010, see the Evil Queen transform into the Witch at the end.

 Video posted by HHNbro

Thanks to TokyoMagic of Meet the World for providing video link.

Ben's Last Ride Continues to Make News

Ron Miles is the father of Ben, the last person to ever ride Snow White's Scary Adventures at Walt Disney World. Because it was such a special moment, the news of the event has spread online including a write-up on Boing Boing. And just this past weekend, Ron was interviewed via Face Time on Sacramento Good Day television...

Video and screen captures copyright Sacramento Good Day.

SNL - The Real Housewives of Disney

If you haven't yet seen this Saturday Night Live sketch, check it out. A spoof on the Bravo Real Housewives franchise, host Lindsay Lohan plays Rapunzel in The Real Housewives of Disney. Joining her are Vanessa Bayer as Snow White, Kristen Wiig playing Cinderella, Nasim Pedrad as Jasmine, and Abby Elliott is Belle. Original airdate: March 3, 2012.

Also see the SNL Backstage clip with deleted scenes from the making of the sketch...

Videos and stills copyright NBC.

Snow White TV Special (50th Anniversary - 1987)

We wrap up our month-long look at the Snow White 50th Anniversary with a television show.

Screen captures via DTVzone.

This 45 minute NBC special, Disney's Golden Anniversary of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, originally aired on May 22, 1987. It was then shown later on their weekly series The Magical World of Disney. A Michael Eisner introduction was added to the rerun, and from his comments, it's clear the re-airing occurred around Christmastime.

Michael Eisner intro

Hosted by Dick van Dyke, the show included live-action and animated segments telling the history of the film and revealing for the first time the deleted "soup-eating" and "bed-building" scenes.

Dick van Dyke

The special guest-stars included Jane Curtin as the Evil Queen and Sherman Hensley as the Magic Mirror. The storyline that runs throughout the other historical and musical segments of the program has the Queen placing a spell on Grumpy in an attempt to get him to persuade the other Dwarfs to retire. Much of the show was shot on location at night throughout Disneyland with a couple of singing and dancing numbers by Dick Van Dyke and the Seven Dwarfs.

Jane Curtin

Sherman Hensley

Dwarfs exit "mine shaft" at Big Thunder Mountain

Fantasyland song and dance

Partway through the show, things slowed a little with a weaker musical number by a few television stars of the day. Yet, Dick van Dyke picked things up, and Linda Ronstadt, singing at Snow White's Grotto, finished it off in style with Some Day My Prince Will Come .

Linda Ronstadt at Snow White's Grotto

The program was online in six parts, but because of copyright infringements, it was taken down from youtube. So instead, here's a short medley excerpt from the show...

Videos posted by WhereMagicLives95.

You might think a Snow White television program from 1987 might not hold up too well in today's video game, action adventure society. Yet, in fact, it does. Dick van Dyke is timeless, and following his lead, the program is informative and entertaining...even 24 years after its original airing.