Original production animation drawing of the Evil Queen from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," 1937, Walt Disney Studios; Graphite & red pencils on paper; Size - Evil Queen: 7 1/4 x 5", Image 8 1/2 x 11", Frame 20 1/2 x 23"; With a hand painted 1/1 matching limited edition cel on lithographic BK; Size - Evil Queen: 8 3/4 x 6 1/2", Image 9 1/2 x 11 1/2", Frame 19 1/2 x 21 1/2"; Both framed with a black & gold frame, 3 linen mats, a gold fillet, & plexiglass.
"Alas for her! Reveal her name." Evil Queen to The Magic Mirror
Development on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs began in early 1934, and by June Walt Disney announced to The New York Times the production of his first feature, to be released under Walt Disney Productions. Before Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Disney studio had been primarily involved in the production of animated short subjects in the Mickey Mouse and Silly Symphonies series. However, Disney hoped to expand his studio's prestige and revenues by moving into features, and he estimated that Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs could be produced for a budget of $250,000 (this was ten times the budget of an average Silly Symphony).
Original production animation drawing of the Evil Queen.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was to be the first full-length cel animated feature in motion picture history, and as such Walt Disney had to fight to get the film produced. Both his brother and business partner Roy Disney, as well as his wife Lillian attempted to talk him out of it. The Hollywood movie industry mockingly referred to the film, while is was in production, as "Disney's Folly." Disney ended up having to mortgage his house to help finance the film's production, which would eventually ran up to a total cost of $1,488,422.74; an absolutely massive sum for a feature film in 1937!
Framed original production animation drawing of the Evil Queen.
After a long and difficult four years, on January 13, 1938, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs made its New York premiere at Radio City Music Hall. The film ran for five weeks in a row, the first motion picture to do so, and it could have played longer if not for prior commitments of the venue. It was to be the theatres' most successful engagement in all of the 1930s. The film was loved by everyone and Disney, along with his animation team, had managed to make an animated film that the audience would believe! The crowd would be sad and cry when Snow White bit the apple and was placed in a glass casket; and they would laugh, smile, and be happy during the song and dance numbers with the Dwarfs. However, Disney was criticized by some for making a very scary film for children.
When the movie was played at Radio City Music Hall on its first release, the theater managers had to replace the music played when Snow White runs into the Dark Forest; because they were nervous that the kids would be too frightened upon hearing it. Snow White's run into the Forest had another result; young children were still so scared by the sequence, that they wet their pants. As a result, the velvet upholstery of each and every seat held by a child, had to be replaced prior to every showing of the film.
The Walt Disney film's version of the Evil Queen changing into an Old Hag is very different compared to the original story. In the Disney version, the Queen uses her dark magic powers to actually transform herself into an old woman instead of just taking on a disguise; as in the Brothers Grimm story. Animation provided a transformation scene that is truly spectacular and the Disney team even made the event greater by utilizing the multi-plane camera; to make the room itself appeared to spin. This sequence along with the flight of Snow White through the Dark Forest; caused the British Board of Film Censors (now, the British Board of Film Classification) to give the film an A-certificate (children had to be accompanied by an adult) upon its original release. This resulted in a nationwide controversy as to whether the Forest and the Witch were too frightening for younger audiences. Nevertheless, most local authorities simply overrode the censor's decision and gave the film a U-certificate (Suitable for children).
Walt Disney's response to the idea that the film was too frightening for children was, "I do not make films primarily for children. I make them for the child in all of us, whether we be six or sixty." This may have been his statement, but he never made another film with such a scary villain. Every film after Snow White had the main villain accompanied by a comedic sidekick; such as Maleficent and her Goons, Cruella de Vil with Horace and Jasper, or Medusa with Snoops.
Limited Edition 1/1 hand painted cel of the Evil Queen.
The Walt Disney film's version of the Evil Queen changing into an Old Hag is very different compared to the original story. In the Disney version, the Queen uses her dark magic powers to actually transform herself into an old woman instead of just taking on a disguise; as in the Brothers Grimm story. Animation provided a transformation scene that is truly spectacular and the Disney team even made the event greater by utilizing the multi-plane camera; to make the room itself appeared to spin. This sequence along with the flight of Snow White through the Dark Forest; caused the British Board of Film Censors (now, the British Board of Film Classification) to give the film an A-certificate (children had to be accompanied by an adult) upon its original release. This resulted in a nationwide controversy as to whether the Forest and the Witch were too frightening for younger audiences. Nevertheless, most local authorities simply overrode the censor's decision and gave the film a U-certificate (Suitable for children).
Walt Disney's response to the idea that the film was too frightening for children was, "I do not make films primarily for children. I make them for the child in all of us, whether we be six or sixty." This may have been his statement, but he never made another film with such a scary villain. Every film after Snow White had the main villain accompanied by a comedic sidekick; such as Maleficent and her Goons, Cruella de Vil with Horace and Jasper, or Medusa with Snoops.
Close up of the Walt Disney Animation Studios seal.
The Evil Queen, one of the greatest Walt Disney animated villains of all time, was animated by the famous Disney animator Art Babbitt. Babbitt was already an accomplished animator prior to working on "Snow White." He was known for creating the character of Goofy and for his work on "The Country Cousin," which won an Academy Award for the Disney Studio in 1936. The villain for Snow White was the Evil Queen; which Walt Disney and Joe Grant (Walt Disney character designer and story artist) had conceived as a blend of Lady Macbeth and the Big Bad Wolf, as well as traits inspired by actresses Joan Crawford and Gale Sondergaard. Refinement of the Queen was done by animators Grim Natwick and Norm Ferguson; however the actual animation of the Queen fell to Babbitt.
Rotoscoping, a technique used in animation whereby live actors are used to portray the characters and then animators trace over the footage frame by frame; was not used as much on the Queen as it was for the character of Snow White. Babbitt preferred to avoid rotoscoping and instead draw the character free hand. It has been stated that you could wallpaper a room with just drawings that Babbitt made just of her mouth and eyes; because all of the Queen's emotions came through her face. The Evil Queen, wonderfully voiced by veteran stage actress Lucille La Verne; holds a place in history as being the first character to ever speak in a full length animated film.
This an extremely rare original production animation drawing of the Evil Queen. The drawing is from the very opening sequence of the film, when the Queen consults her Magic Mirror about "Who is the fairest one of all?" The Mirror responds that there is someone more fair than you. The drawing is used in the next scene when the Evil Queen asks the Mirror "Alas for her! Reveal her name."
Many years ago it was possible to request and pay for the artists at the Walt Disney Animation Studios to paint a limited edition 1/1 (meaning an edition of just one) for an original production drawing. This is one of the very few drawings that a matching hand painted limited edition cel was created. A rare and beautiful pair of framed animation artworks!
Rotoscoping, a technique used in animation whereby live actors are used to portray the characters and then animators trace over the footage frame by frame; was not used as much on the Queen as it was for the character of Snow White. Babbitt preferred to avoid rotoscoping and instead draw the character free hand. It has been stated that you could wallpaper a room with just drawings that Babbitt made just of her mouth and eyes; because all of the Queen's emotions came through her face. The Evil Queen, wonderfully voiced by veteran stage actress Lucille La Verne; holds a place in history as being the first character to ever speak in a full length animated film.
Framed limited Edition 1/1 hand painted cel of the Evil Queen.
This an extremely rare original production animation drawing of the Evil Queen. The drawing is from the very opening sequence of the film, when the Queen consults her Magic Mirror about "Who is the fairest one of all?" The Mirror responds that there is someone more fair than you. The drawing is used in the next scene when the Evil Queen asks the Mirror "Alas for her! Reveal her name."
Many years ago it was possible to request and pay for the artists at the Walt Disney Animation Studios to paint a limited edition 1/1 (meaning an edition of just one) for an original production drawing. This is one of the very few drawings that a matching hand painted limited edition cel was created. A rare and beautiful pair of framed animation artworks!
To view the scene which this drawing was used to create, click on the short video below:
#SnowWhite #Doc #Bashful #Dopey #Happy #Sneezy #Sleepy #Grumpy #Disney #WaltDisney #PintoColvig #VladimirTytla #BillTytla #MarcDavis #GrimNatwick #animation #FrankChurchill #HamiltonLuske #AdrianaCaselotti #animationdrawing #productiondrawing #animationart #untitledartgallery #cel #CourvoisierGalleries #CourvoisierGallery #Courvoisier #Witch #EvilQueen #OldHag #Huntsman #animationcel #sevendwarfs #dwarfs #ArtBabbit #OllieJohnston #FrankThomas #ShamusCulhane #FredMoore #LucilleLaVerne #KeySetup #productionbackground #RadioCityMusicHall #limitededition #limitededitioncel
No comments:
Post a Comment