Who Are the Celebrity Voices Behind Disney’s ‘Snow White’?
Disney’s Snow White is a tale as old as time. The story of a young princess who has to flee because of her stepmother‘s jealousy of her youthful looks isn’t an easy one to forget. The book by the Brothers Grimm tells the story of a beautiful princess who finds a home with seven dwarfs who take her in, and as she falls for the Evil Queen’s tricks, her Prince Charming wakes her with true love’s kiss. But who are the voices behind the Disney film? Meet the real people who voiced the Disney princess and other characters.
Snow White was voiced by Adriana Caselotti
Adriana Caselotti was the distinctive voice of Snow White in the 1937 film. Although Caselotti was named a Disney Legend in 1994, she didn’t have such a magical time working with the Mouse. Caselotti became the princess’s voice when she was a teenager and reportedly earned a measly $970 for her voice on the film. Because of her unique voice, she was forbidden from telling people that she was Snow White.
While others might view the chance to play a Disney princess as a dream come true, the role ruined Caselotti’s career. It was reported that Disney blacklisted the actor as it feared that people would recognize her voice as Snow White and ruin the magic. She had one line in The Wizard of Oz and in It’s A Wonderful Life, but that was as good as it got.
The Evil Queen was voiced by a Broadway star
The Evil Queen laid the foundation for other famous Disney villains to follow suit. Lucille La Verne voiced Snow White’s evil stepmother. La Verne had done most of her work on Broadway, appearing in hits like Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Way Down East, and Seven Days. Her performance as the Evil Queen and the old hag was her final role before her death in 1945.
Who voiced the prince in ‘Snow White’?
Who doesn’t want to be resurrected by a true love’s kiss? Harry Stockwell voiced the Prince, who was enchanted after hearing Snow White singing and fell so hard that he brought her back to life with a single kiss in the forest. Although the Prince didn’t have much of a role in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, his presence was felt in the finale with the kissing scene. Stockwell mainly worked on Broadway and his major acting credits being in Here Comes The Band and Broadway Melody.
The seven dwarfs were voiced by different people
The seven dwarfs were a major plotline in the story as they helped Snow White overcome the trauma of escaping death. Before voicing Doc, Roy Atwell appeared in several Broadway productions, including The Mimic World, The Firefly, and Oh My Dear! Pinto Colvig lent his voice to Disney for several of the company’s animated characters, including Goofy, Practical Pig of Three Little Pigs, and Grumpy and Sleepy in Snow White.
Otis Harlan voiced Happy in the film and was widely believed to be the voice of Mr. Mole in Bambi, although the facts have been made clear about who the actual voice of Mr. Mole (Perce Pearce) was in the 1942 film. Scotty Mattraw had several uncredited roles in films, including his role as Bashful in Snow White. He appeared in The Grapes of Wrath, Under Your Spell, and The Merry Frinks, all of which went uncredited.
Jimmy MacDonald worked for Disney as a foley artist, giving the company some of its most iconic sound effects. He worked on Winnie The Pooh and the Honey Tree, Peter Pan, Mickey’s Trailer, and Sleeping Beauty and gave Dopey in Snow White his famous hiccups and sobbing sounds.
Magic Mirror
Morin Olsen, who voiced the Magic Mirror, had an extensive career with projects such as The Three Musketeers, It’s A Wonderful Life, Notorious and Marie Antoinette.
The Huntsman
Stuart Buchanan voiced the huntsman who tried (and failed) to kill Snow White. Buchanan worked for Disney, serving as its casting director. He was also the voice of Goofy in The Mickey Mouse Theater of the Air.
