Original Walt Disney Production Cel on Courvoisier Background from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Released in 1937, Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was the first full-length cel animated feature film. Production for the film, which was based off of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, began in 1934.

Disney certainly took a gamble with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; many critics, including his wife, warned him that adult audiences would not want to watch a cartoon-fantasy film. Animation was widely dismissed as children’s entertainment. Disney originally budgeted for the film between $150,000 and $250,000 – a cost almost ten times that of his short films featuring Mickey Mouse of the time. The final cost, however, reached upwards of $1.5 million – causing Disney to mortgage his house, and earning the film the nickname “Disney’s Folly” amongst critics. 

At the debut on December 21, 1937, however, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs received a standing ovation. When the film was released to the public in February 1938, it quickly grossed $8 million – a record for the time. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs became the model for Disney’s signature princess film format, which was used in films like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and The Little Mermaid.

This rare production cel - which features Snow White, the Prince, and all seven dwarfs- is an amazing piece of animation history. The cels were trimmed and applied to a Courvoisier background by Disney Studios; Snow White measures 8” tall on the hose, and the dwarfs measure 5” tall.  This is a beautiful piece, and would make an excellent addition to any animation collection. 21” x 18” framed. SOLD