Walt Disney Holiday

The Walt Disney Family Museum is showing a special film this month: "Christmas with Walt Disney." Would love to be close enough to stop by and see (DVD anyone?). To see more or get tickets see the website.

Snow White Live Documentary

Snow White Live full documentary has been posted on YouTube. It is fun to watch and learn about this forgotten gem. Disney has found success with Broadway shows. This Live show proceeded them all. Snow White played at Radio City Music Hall in New York in 1979. In 1980 a pay-TV special aired and then was release on video. It aired on The Disney Channel in 1987.

J.B. Kaufman on Snow White

Ran across this interview with J.B. Kaufman. Part 1 focuses on the Blu-ray and part 2 discusses advancements made during the film's creation. Some of the questions seem a little silly to this fan, but interesting none the less. J.B. Kaufman has written several books about Disney history including the new South of the Border with Disney. I got to see him talk at the D23 expo this September. Here is an article from Animation World Network by J.B. Kaufman about the music in the Silly Symphonies (he wrote a book about this topic too).

Snow White and the Seven Topiary

Topiary have been a specialty of the Disney Horticulturists for years. The Disney Theme Park Blog has posted a blog about the Children's Miracle Network Classic at Walt Disney World this weekend. The Palm and Magnolia golf courses have various topiary featuring many favorite characters: pictures on the Blog show Snow and all the Dwarfs.

Veteran's Day

Today is Veteran's Day and what better day to discuss Disney's military efforts by creating insignia for American and Allied units. Disney created over 1,200 insignias during World War Two. Donald was the most requested character but many other characters and new designs were used including all seven dwarfs. In fact there was an entire "Snow White" Squadron.
Here are some recommendations for reading: Disney Dons Dogtags: The Best of Disney Military Insignia from World War II by Walton Rawls (Abbeville, 1992), National Air Force Museum Website, and the Toons at War Blog.

Disney Inn

The Golf Resort in Disney World was renamed and redecorated and remodeled in 1986 with a Snow White theme and give the new name the Disney Inn. Sleepy was part of the logo as seen in the photo of the stationary.
According to The Disney way by Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson, the change was made because wives who were making the reservation for the family trip saw the word golf and avoided that hotel. Thus, the hotel was not getting the capacity the other were recieving.
.In 1994 it changed again to a military hotel (Shades of Green) and has since been torn down.

Snow White and the Seven Gangsters

On April 24, 1938 Jack Benny did his version: Snow White and the Seven Gangsters. You can listen to the radio show at the following podcast. It was so popular they redid it again on January 8, 1939 - listen here. The programs are funny and play with the songs made popular by Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. For example: "Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho, it's off to rob a bank we go." Enjoy!

Lasseter and Snow White

Pixar has posted their Halloween 2009 pictures on Facebook. One features John Lasseter talking to Snow White - hmmm... wonder what that conversation was about...

Walt Disney Classics Collection

With 2009 coming rapidly to an end, it was time for me to finally get this years membership piece for the Walt Disney Classics Collection. This year the membership piece is Dopey. You can sign up here. Snow White was the membership piece in 2002. If you are looking for information on the Walt Disney Classics Collection pieces of the past check out this website. There are two other member pieces this year. The Snow White ornament and the Evil Queen and Raven.

One of My Favorite Stories

During the production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs some ink and paint girls thought that Snow White was too pale against her hair. They determined that she would look better with gray highlights and rouge. When Walt Disney questioned if the girls were qualified to make these changes someone replied that they had already had lots of practice applying make up every day. Bravo ladies, Bravo.