Monday, May 31, 2010

Artifact Update - Piece From Snow White Ride

About 3 weeks ago, I was given a tip from Richard over at ghoula.org (ghoula is short for Ghost Hunters of Urban Los Angeles) that there was going to be a Snow White "artifact" on display for one night only at the May installment of their monthly meetings. It was said to be an object from the original 1955 Disneyland Snow White Ride before the renovation of 1983.

May 13th, the night of the gathering, came and went. Being two thousand miles away at the time, I figured that was the end of it, and I'd never really learn anything more about this mystery item.

But then a week later, I received a comment on my blog that simply said, Can I send you a picture of the artifact? My response was of course a big "YES".

Now here, thanks to Richard, is the story (and picture) of the artifact from the original Disneyland Snow White Ride:
As you can see, it is a piece of the exterior mural at the entrance to the old Snow White dark ride. It is the only surviving piece of that mural (if what this collector says is true).

[CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE]

According to the collector, the back story is...

When the new Fantasyland was being built in 1983, the plans called for the demolition of the wall (with the mural) to make room for the larger loading area. One of the workers on that construction site wanted to save the piece of the mural with Snow White and give it to his wife as a gift (like she is the "fairest in the land"). However, he was too late. When he went to get it, that section of the wall with Snow White had already been destroyed. The only portion of the wall left was the section with the Witch over the cauldron. Quickly, he used an exacto knife and cut out this piece, struggling to remove the canvas that had been glued to the wall (hence the creases in the painting). The wall was leveled, and all the bits of the mural were thrown away with the rubble. Unfortunately, when he presented the Witch to his wife, she was not amused and didn't appreciate what the painting possibly said about her. So the worker got rid of it, where it fell into the hands of this collector.

The collector who owns it wishes to remain anonymous, and one night with no promotion about it was unfortunately the deal. Now, it is back in the vault, and those who came to the event have their pictures.

Thanks again to Richard for sharing this bit of interesting Snow White history.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Magic Mirror Menu

Magic Mirror menu from 2009 Blu-ray release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Freeze frame example...

Screen Capture

Friday, May 28, 2010

Linden 'Snow White' Puzzle Clocks

Snow White:

Fifteen foam pieces, including stand. They come together to form a quartz clock. This "puzzle clock" by Linden is one of the more unique Snow White puzzles and/or clocks to be produced. Measures approximately 10" x 6" x 2" when assembled. Runs on one AA battery. Made in Taiwan. Dates from 1993.




Original box.



___

Grumpy:

Eight-piece puzzle clock.



___

Happy:


Thursday, May 27, 2010

1965 Le Petit Prince (Pascal Krug) Record

Pascal Krug was a child singer known as Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince). In 1965, he released a 45 rpm disc on the Riviera label. No. 231.019 M. This record has only a slight connection to Snow White. The sleeve cover does show a photo of Pascal with his arms around statues of Bashful and Dopey. However, there isn't much else.

The fourth song, Ces gens-là ("These People"), includes a lyric where he sings,"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a story I like, that I've read countless times, and that I've seen at the movies." He goes on to sing about Pinocchio and Cinderella and how he bemoans the fact that he's never seen "ces gens-là" walking by him in the street. That's it.



Sixties French pop singer, Franck Alamo, almost gets more billing on the record cover than Pascal. The two sing a duet together on the third track.



Images and info courtesy of Greg Philip at A Lost Film.

1963 Isabelle Aubret "Blanche Neige" Record

Long before we had reality television and global talent shows streaming into our homes, there was the Eurovision Song Contest. It's a European competition that has been running annually since 1956. Isabelle Aubret from France was the winner in 1962.

In 1963, she was featured on this Snow White album. Isabelle sings four of the songs. The others are mainly instrumentals with occasional male background singers. She has a smooth and mellow jazz-like singing style, quite distinctive from the other Snow White covers you usually hear. Vinyl 10" disc, 331⁄3 rpm. Fontana record label. No. 826.579 QY.


Images and info courtesy of the Greg Philip Collection.


The record was also issued on the Philips label. No. P 76.235 R.




These songs were re-released on several other records too. In another post , we see a 45 rpm disc that also dates from 1963. It features the four Isabelle songs without the additional instrumental tracks.

1962 Les Touistitis "Blanche Neige" Record

Les Touistitis was a French children's singing group (two girls and a boy). They produced several 45 rpm records on which they mainly did covers of other songs. They had a real "modern" early sixties sound which adds some flavor to the two Snow White tunes they recorded, Heigh-Ho and Whistle While You Work. Two non-Disney songs are found on the flip side. Released on the Ducretet Thompson record label. No. 450 v 456. Made in France.



Images via discogs.com


Another release. No. 500 v 536.

Special thanks to the Greg Philip Collection for the additional image and information.


The kids are pictured on the cover of another of their records. Adorable!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

1957 Yvon Alain Orchestra "Blanche Neige" Record

A 1957 Snow White 45 rpm disc featuring music performed by Yvon Alain and his orchestra. Decca record label. Catalog no. 450.675. Includes six mostly instrumental numbers with male background vocals on a couple of the tunes. Made in France.




Images courtesy of the Greg Philip Collection.

1954 Paulette Rollin Children's Record

1954 French 3313 rpm record entitled, Paulette Rollin Chante pour les Enfants (Sings for the Children). Paulette was the singing voice for Cinderella in the French dub of the 1950 Disney animated feature. The record includes a total of 12 songs from a variety of Disney films, with four from Snow White, plus a couple of non-Disney tunes too. These are some truly beautiful covers. Released on the Mercury label. No. 7010.

Image scans courtesy of the Greg Philip Collection.

Track list:

  • 01 C'est ça l'amour (So This is Love)
  • 02 Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo
  • 03 Les rêves d'amour (A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes)
  • 04 Pays du merveilleux (Alice in Wonderland)
  • 05 Un matin de mai fleuri (All in the Golden Afternoon)
  • 06 Jimbo L'éléphant (Jimbo the Elephant)
  • 07 Qui craint le grand méchant loup (Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf)
  • 08 Heigh Ho
  • 09 Un jour mon Prince viendra (Someday My Prince Will Come)
  • 10 Sifflez en travaillant (Whistle While You Work)
  • 11 Un chant (One Song)
  • 12 Le p'tit renne au nez rouge (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer)




  • The same record was issued on the Barclay label. No. 7010. Blue and pink color design instead of green and red.



    In 1958, the four Snow White songs were issued on their own 45 rpm disc. See it in another post.

    Monday, May 24, 2010

    Snow White Cast Members in the Park

    Soft focus Disneyland Snow White. Image courtesy of matterhorn via Stuff from The Park blog. Used with permission.


    Disneyland Snow White from 1999. Image courtesy of starberryshyne. Used with permission.


    Snow White from MGM Studios parade.

    Sunday, May 23, 2010

    Hollywood Stories - Stephen Schochet on Lucille La Verne

    In the short video below, hollywoodstories.com storyteller Stephen Schochet shares the well-known anecdote involving Lucille La Verne and her recording session for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The actress who voiced both the Evil Queen and the Witch achieved that distinctive sound for the more ragtag of the two characters through some very original improvisation.

    Lucille La Verne  pose struck for animator Joe Grant during the dialog recording session.




    Schochet is author and narrator of numerous Hollywood tales including the audiobook Fascinating Walt Disney. In the bonus video below, learn anecdotal information about Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and Sid Grauman as well as Mary Pickford and how she was inadvertently responsible for the creation of the handprints in cement at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre Forecourt.

















    Bonus video.

    Saturday, May 22, 2010

    Brian Sibley - From Snow White and Pooh to Hobbits and Poppins!

    Well-known British author, Brian Sibley, is one prolific writer! In fact, you need to be one fast reader (or listener) if you hope to keep up with all the material he has published. From his books to radio broadcasts, the subject matter he covers is some of the most fascinating and entertaining on the planet.
    .














    I know of Brian's work first and foremost from his co-authored book (with Richard Holliss), Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and the Making of the Classic Film. The text examines in detail just how Walt Disney and his team of animators created this landmark film. Published in 1987, this title was an excellent compliment to the movie's 50th anniversary. Re-issued in 1994, it accompanied the first ever home video release of Snow White. Beautifully illustrated with images of original concept art, background sketches, cel art, and vintage posters, it's a great read and a must for any animation enthusiast, classic Disney fan, or up-and-coming Snow White votary. I've read it several times cover to cover.



    Cover © 1987 Simon and Schuster. Scan courtesy of Greg Philip of A Lost Film.


    Cover © 1994 Hyperion


    Cover © 1994 Disney Editions


    Books: In addition to writing about Snow White, his books include (to name a few) The Disney Studio Story, Mickey Mouse: His Life and Times, The Lord of the Rings: The Making of the Movie Trilogy, and Mary Poppins: Anything Can Happen if You Let It.

    Radio: His career in radio began with a 1974 broadcast to mark the 50th anniversary of the publication of A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh. He's written both documentaries and dramatizations including programs on Sherlock Holmes, Dracula, Alice in Wonderland and The Lord of the Rings (below).  He's also created broadcasts on such writers as Ambrose Bierce, Roald Dahl, and Ray Bradbury (again, to name just a few). 

    Video: Brian has appeared on numerous bonus DVD extras including those for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, The Jungle Book, Mary Poppins, and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Also see below the voice over in the trailer for The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story.


    Video posted on youtube by brianonthebox (aka Brian Sibley)


    Finally, here's a plug for Mr. Sibley's new blog, Decidedly Disney. One of the first posts happens to be on Snow White sugar cookies. Decidedly delicious!

    Brian Sibley's Snow White Sugar Cookies

    Sugar Snow and the Seven. Image © Brian Sibley 2010


    Read about Brian's 10+ year-old Snow White cookies on his Decidedly Disney blog.

    Friday, May 21, 2010

    Disney Store "Mine Train" Pin Set, 2001

    In the Fall of 2001, the Disney Store celebrated Walt's 100th birthday with the exclusive 100 Years of Dreams pin series. The collection naturally consisted of 100 pins and featured classic characters from the Disney canon of animated and live-action films.

    Up to eight new pins were introduced each Saturday from September 22nd to December 15th. Packaged on cards with the 100 Years graphic, most cost $5 a piece. The backside of each pin was decorated with Walt Disney's signatures and stamped with the individual series number plus the usual copyright markings, "© Disney 2001 Made in China".

    The first Snow White in the group was pin #10, released on September 29th. It spotlighted the 1937 one-sheet movie poster.

    PIN BACKING CARD

    SNOW WHITE POSTER PIN #10; RELEASED SEPTEMBER 29, 2001
    All images from the Filmic Light Collection (except pin card: copyright Dispins).

    _____________


    On October 9th, just days after the film was released on Platinum DVD, Snow White herself was introduced in the first of the Dwarfs' Mine Train set. This collection of eight pins featured the princess followed by all seven of the dwarfs in interlocking mine cars.

    INTERLOCKING MINE CARS

    A new dwarf would be released each week for the next seven Saturdays, and I was there in the store for everyone of them. While Dopey is the first dwarf to follow Snow White in the train lineup, Grumpy was actually the next pin to be issued.


    The Pins...

    SNOW WHITE PIN #16; RELEASED OCTOBER 6, 2001

    DOPEY PIN #31; RELEASED OCTOBER 20, 2001

    GRUMPY PIN #24; RELEASED OCTOBER 13, 2001

    HAPPY PIN #39; RELEASED OCTOBER 27, 2001

    SLEEPY PIN #46; RELEASED NOVEMBER 3, 2001

    DOC PIN #53; RELEASED NOVEMBER 10, 2001

    SNEEZY PIN #61; RELEASED NOVEMBER 17, 2001

    BASHFUL PIN #69; RELEASED NOVEMBER 24, 2001

    _____________


    Pin Backs...

    SNOW WHITE

    DOPEY AND GRUMPY

    HAPPY AND SLEEPY

    DOC

    SNEEZY AND BASHFUL