Today marks the eighty-fifth anniversary of a landmark in animation, the premiere of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Based on the German fairy tale, the movie follows the beautiful Snow White as she tries to escape her evil stepmother, the Queen, who wishes to be the fairest of them all as she encounters a gorgeous prince and seven helpful dwarfs.
Made by Walt Disney Animation Studios, this was the very first cel animated feature film ever made. Disney himself announced the film hoping to expand his studio beyond shorts to add new revenue. However, most had their doubts with industry insiders calling it "Disney's folly" while even his wife and brother tried to talk him out of it. Disney used his entire staff to develop the story, even offering five dollars for each successful gag. The achieve the look of the film Disney wanted, the studio had to develop the multiplane camera, which became the industry standard until development of computer animation. The look of the film was inspired by romantic epics as well as German expressionist films like Nosferatu and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
It was a hit with fans and critics. During its initial release, it was the highest grossing sound film ever made and, adjusted for inflation, remains in the top ten for the North American box office. It was nominated for one Academy Award and Walt Disney was given an honorary Oscar for the film. It still is counted among the greatest films ever made and had a significant impact on not only all of Disney's following animated features but their theme parks as well. It happens to be the first film to have a soundtrack album released in conjunction with the film. Numerous high profile filmmakers of the time called it the best film ever made and it inspired countless artists to get into animation. Disney was able to use the significant profits from the film to begin The Walt Disney Company.