Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered on December 21, 1937, in a sold-out theater in Los Angeles. Actually, the advanced demand for the tickets was so high that buyers were limited to four tickets per person, and a crowd of 30,000 people gathered outside the theater in celebration of the viewing! The movie was the first of its kind: a full-length animated film. Walt Disney had to take out quite a hefty loan to complete the project, and he faced many naysayers who believed the film would fail. Finally, however, Disney got his vindication! Not only was opening night for the movie a success, but the film also grossed over 8 million dollars- an enormous sum for the year 1937!

Fun Facts

• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is based on the 1812 German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. The story premiered on December 21, 1937, becoming the first full-length animated feature film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics Series.
• David Hand was the supervising director during the production.
• The tale of Snow White premiered at the Carthay Circle Theatre in Los Angeles, California.
• Walt Disney used 1.5 million to make the film, most of which he borrowed, putting his future on the line. Thankfully, the film achieved amazing success!
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs received critical acclaim from numerous critics, including Charlie Chaplin, who said the film surpassed expectations.
• Disney won an honorary Academy Award for his work on Snow White’s famous ballad Some Day My Prince Will Come.
• Disney also received a unique Oscar for the Snow White film- His Oscars came with seven mini Oscars mirroring the seven dwarves!