Snow White Behind the Magic

Earlier this month ABC aired a special to promote the new Blu-ray release of Snow White.  If you didn't get to watch it it is on ABC news.

I watched the special and found myself slightly disappointed for a few reasons.  First, I thought that the special was great for people who don't know anything about the making of the film as it gave an overview of that time for the studios.  That being said, I felt that the film maker should have used more of the fantastic production art and left out the live action film sequences that really didn't match to the story.  Having been made by ABC it seems that they could have used more photographs and images from the archives as well.  Another cause of disappointment for me was the interviews.  I was hoping to hear more from those who were there by using the archival footage or talking more to those who were around the studio in those days.  My overall impression of the special was it was a way to get Once Upon a Time fans to purchase the Blu-ray.  For those who were looking for a less dramatized version of the making of the film, I would recommend reading The Fairest One of All by J.B. Kauffman or one of the other books on my top Snow White book list.

10 Books Every Snow White Fan Needs

I was recently inspired by an episode of WDW Radio and got to thinking about which books every Snow White fan should have.  So here it goes, my top 10 list of Snow White books...

First up is the 1987 book written by Richard Holliss and Brian Sibley: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs & the Making of the Classic Film.  This book was republished in 1994 for the re-release of the VHS tape.  This book has three sections: the first is a history of the behind the making of the film, the second is a retelling of the story where the illustrations are all production art, the final section discusses the film's impact.  This is one of the most complete books about Snow White history.  Below are pictures of the three versions I own:

This version came in a VHS box set

Second, every Snow White fan needs to have a 1937 version of the story.  The book below is a 1987 reprint of a 1937 edition.  Why a older version of the storybook?  The oldest story books include scenes that didn't make it into the final version.  This particular book includes Snow White's mother and the dwarfs building a bed.

Most children have a few Little Golden books around - and there are no shortage of Snow White versions.  Below is my favorite: The Little Big Book.

This next book is all about the beautiful concept art by Gustaf Tenggren: Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  This was published in 2009.

Fifth on the list is Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs An Art in Its Making featuring the collection of Stephen H. Ison is a fabulous book featuring some amazing art.  This book was published in 1994 to go with an exhibit in Indianapolis Museum of Art.

Sixth is the Walt Disney's Sketch Book of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  The version I have is a 1993 reprint.  The book is filled with detailed character sketches for all of the main characters.

Next is Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Art and Creation of Walt Disney's Classic Animated Film.  This book was released when the Walt Disney Family Museum had their Snow White exhibit.  It is a fantastic collection of production art.

Ninth on the list is a linen book.  These Whitmore publishing books are so detailed and the extra large size makes them a great statement piece in the collection.  Below are a few of my favorites.

The last and final book on the top ten list is The Fairest One of All: The Making of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  This is the most complete history of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  I've been reading through this impressive book and there are a lot of stories I haven't heard before.

The Rise and Fall of Deafy

Before the final seven dwarfs were cast, there were many others that didn't make the cut.  One such fellow is Deafy.  According to J. B. Kauffman in his book The Fairest One of All, Deafy was the unused dwarf list that came the closest to making it.  Each dwarf has their own gag (Sneezy's monster sneezes and Doc's ability to mix words up) and Deafy, was naturally, hard of hearing.  At one point they artists discussed having Deafy carry a horn, but that idea was ultimately rejected by Walt.  It might have been fun to see Deafy in the scene where the dwarfs are inspecting the cottage after the apparent break-in.  The dwarfs' search would have been constantly interrupted by having to explain everything to Deafy several times.  Deafy was still on outlines all the way through 1935 but, in the end, Deafy was replaced by Sneezy.  There have been a few explanations of why he was dropped: the constant explaining would slow down the plot or the final dwarf line-up did not include any physical afflictions.

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).