1975 "Character Portrait" Lobby Cards

In addition to the standard 1975 North American lobby cards, a second series was also produced. These eight character portraits were sold as a set to theater owners for just $1.00 but required a minimum order of ten sets for $10.00. They were promoted by Buena Vista Pictures (i.e. Disney) to be used as displays in the theater lobby and around town in store windows and at shopping centers. It was also suggested to cinema managers that they'd "make great prizes for your contests." They are indeed very colorful images. Each measures the standard 11" x 14".

This particular set sold in auction on November 13, 2011 for $155.35 (USD).

Lobby Cards via Heritage Auctions.

This lobby card set appeared on page eleven of the 1975 Snow White pressbook (along with the door panel posters seen in an earlier post).

Pressbook Page from personal collection.

1975 US Snow White Lobby Cards

These 11" x 14" lobby cards were sold to theater owners back in 1975 to promote the North American re-release of Snow White. The set included a title card and eight scene cards.

Title Card

The set arrived in this sealed envelope...

Envelope courtesy of the Michael Filippello Collection.

The lobby cards (and other promotional posters) appeared on the back cover of the 1975 Snow White pressbook...

Ben Rickert Snow White/Dwarfs Soap

This Seven Dwarfs Snap-Apart Soap collection probably dates from the 1970s. Manufactured by Ben Rickert, Inc., Wayne, New Jersey. Box measures 7.25" wide.

Dwarf Box pics courtesy of Rick Payne via dadric's attic. Used with permission.

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A separate Snow White Sculptured Soap figure was also produced. Measures about 5.5" high x 2" wide. The copyright stamp on back of box reads © WALT DISNEY PRODUCTIONS, but no date is given. The Mickey, Donald and Goofy artwork is identical to that on above dwarf soap box.

Inside was a flier instructing interested parties to send $1.00 and a self-addressed stamped envelope with 15¢ postage to Rickert to receive six vinyl Disney stickies. Assuming these vinyl stickies and envelop weigh an ounce or less, the 15¢ first class postage would date this promotion to the late seventies.

Snow White Sculptured Soap images via hamishpunim and Disneyana Vintage Collectibles 4U.

"Mirror Mirror" opens...um...probably on March 30th

When Relativity Media first began promoting their new movie Mirror Mirror, a film title had not yet been chosen. An early poster and ad simple referred to it as Untitled Snow White Project.

June 2011 Untitled Poster

2011 Magazine Promotion.

Then on November 5, 2011, it was announced that the picture would be named Mirror Mirror. Around the 19th of December, two official posters were revealed with a release date of March 16th, 2012.

Poster images copyright Relativity Media.

The film stars Lily Collins as Snow White and Julia Roberts as the Evil Queen, and it's being billed as a "high style romantic comedy." The story is familiar, of course, but the twist is that Snow and the Queen are both competing for the love of Prince Andrew Alcott played by Armie Hammer. And the dwarfs are bandits. The movie also features Nathan Lane as Brighton, the blundering servant to the Queen, plus Sean Bean, Mare Winningham, and Michael Lerner.

The trailer was released mid November, 2011 along with these promo images.

Also see the promotional pics from last October.

Relativity Media started this project back in June of 2010, and at that time, they weren't facing any known Snow White opposition. But things changed in September of that year when Universal Pictures announced their own version, Snow White and the Huntsman. Two feature films would now be in direct competition for the Snow White market (see Film Comparison Chart in earlier post).

In May of 2011, Universal attempted to trump Relativity by moving Huntsman up to a June 1, 2012 release date. Nine days later, Mirror Mirror leapfrogged back in front with a March 16th date. That's tomorrow. But apparently, that was too soon for them because once again, opening day was changed, this time backwards. Here's a new poster that came out March 1st listing an April 2nd release date...

But this is also incorrect. Word is the official release date has now been moved to the 30th of this month.

So whenever it may finally premiere--and no matter how well it fares at the box office--Mirror Mirror is certainly one of the many particulars adding to the 2012 celebratory year for Snow White.