When Walt Disney’s film ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ was released in America on December 21, 1937, hardly anyone thought that the foundation of a new century was being laid in the history of animation. At that time, cartoons were considered only short, humorous and limited to children’s entertainment.
Initially the veterans were dismissing it as foolishness
Not only was making a feature-length animated film risky, but many Hollywood luminaries were dismissive of it as “Disney’s folly”. But Disney had confidence in the power of its imagination and storytelling.
‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ was based on a German folktale, but its presentation took it far beyond a simple fairy tale. Emotional characters, music, use of color, and technical innovations made audiences realize for the first time that animation could be as sensitive and impactful as live-action cinema. The characters of the film’s heroine Snow White and the seven dwarfs were so lively that the audience became emotionally attached to them.
The film broke many records at the box office
The film got unprecedented success immediately after its release. It not only broke records at the box office, but also changed the thinking of critics. Animation is now accepted as a serious art medium, not just for children, but for audiences of all ages. This film later became the cornerstone of the Disney Studio empire and opened new doors for animated films around the world.
Today, when it comes to Pixar, DreamWorks and modern digital animation, its roots lie somewhere in that historic evening of December 21, 1937. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was not just a film, but it was the moment when animation made its permanent and respectable mark in global cinema.
