Search - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on DVD

MPAA Rating: G Content Advisory: Child Classic, Scary Moments Movie Release: 1937 DVD Release: 10/09/2001 Format: DVD Edition: Dual Layered,Restored/Remastered Audio Tracks: English, French SwapaDVD Credits: 2 Number of Discs: 2 Run Time: 4 hrs 34 mins Studio: Walt Disney Video Members Wishing: 260 Genres: Fantasy, Children's/Family, Children's Fantasy, Animated Musical, Fairy Tales & Legends See Also: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs [Spanish], Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs [Blu-Ray/DVD], Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs [Blu-ray/DVD], Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs [Diamond Edition] [With Plush Toys] [DVD/Blu-Ray], Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs [Limited Edition] [With Book] [Blu-ray/DVD], Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs [With Book] [DVD/Blu-Ray]

It was called "Disney's Folly." Who on earth would want to sit still for 90 minutes to watch an animated cartoon? And why pick a well-worn Grimm's Fairy Tale that every schoolkid knows? But Walt Disney seemed to thrive on projects which a lesser man might have written off as "stupid" or "impossible". Investing three years, $1,500,000, and the combined talents of 570 artists into Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Disney produced a film that was not only acknowledged a classic from the outset, but also earned 8,500,000 depression-era dollars in gross rentals. Bypassing early temptations to transform the heroine Snow White into a plump Betty Boop type or a woebegone ZaSu Pitts lookalike, the Disney staffers wisely made radical differentiations between the "straight" and "funny" characters in the story. Thus, Snow White and Prince Charming moved and were drawn realistically, while the Seven Dwarfs were rendered in the rounded, caricatured manner of Disney's short-subject characters. In this way, the serious elements of the story could be propelled forward in a believable enough manner to grab the adult viewers, while the dwarfs provided enough comic and musical hijinks to keep the kids happy. It is a tribute to the genius of the Disney formula that the dramatic and comic elements were strong enough to please both demographic groups. Like any showman, Disney knew the value of genuine horror in maintaining audience interest: accordingly, the Wicked Queen, whose jealousy of Snow White's beauty motivates the story, is a thoroughly fearsome creature even before she transforms herself into an ancient crone. Best of all, Snow White clicks in the three areas in which Disney had always proven superiority over his rivals: Solid story values (any sequence that threatened to slow down the plotline was ruthlessly jettisoned, no matter how much time and money had been spent), vivid etched characterizations (it would have been easier to have all the Dwarfs walk, talk and act alike: thank heaven that Disney never opted for "easy"), and instantly memorable songs (Frank Churchill, Leigh Harline, Paul J. Smith and the entire studio music department was Oscar-nominated for such standards-to-be as "Whistle While You Work" and "Some Day My Prince Will Come"). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was for years the cornerstone achievement of the Walt Disney empire, so it comes as no surprise that Disney pulled out all the stops for their DVD release of this enduring classic. The film has been given a THX-approved transfer in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio, and along with a restored Dolby Digital Mono version of the soundtrack, there's a new Dolby Digital 5.1 audio mix (as well as a French soundtrack in Dolby Digital 5.1). The film features commentary from Roy E. Disney, (the son of Walt's brother and business partner), as well as comments about the film recorded by Walt Disney during his lifetime. There's also a short documentary on the making of the film, called "Still the Fairest of Them All," a new music video featuring Barbra Streisand performing " Some Day My Prince Will Come," and two interactive video games. There's also an entire second disc of bonus material, including original artwork, storyboards, and animation tests never before seen by the public, as well as: the original opening and closing credits from the film's initial RKO release; vintage trailers and publicity material; a look at how the film was restored for DVD release; footage from the film's world premier; and much, much more. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was the first full-length animated feature, and arguably the most influential; this meticulously assembled set leaves no question of the film's charm, as well as its lasting importance. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide