One actress’ entire career was ruined after playing a Disney princess, and it was all because of one asinine company rule. Becoming associated with Disney often means that an actor receives massive recognition and fame. A rule that was in place for Disney’s earliest animation projects, though, made it so that actors did not get the chance to reap the rewards of their hard work, and their contributions to the projects that became beloved by millions were not acknowledged.
The first-ever Disney animated films were bound to an unconventional rule that did not allow voice actors to be credited for their work with the studio. This was done with the intention of preserving the magic, with Walt Disney allegedly wanting to only have the voice of a character associated with the animated version, rather than with a real person. This meant that the actors responsible for Disney’s early success and the century-long legacy the company has had were not able to be acknowledged or utilize their work experience to build their future careers.
Adriana Caselotti Did Not Get Any Work After Snow White
Because of this strange rule, the voice of Snow White-Adriana Caselotti- and the rest of the actors in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs did not get credit for their contributions. It was also reported that Caselotti was not allowed to share with anyone that the impressive voice behind Snow White was her own, which led to her struggling to find additional acting opportunities. There is further speculation that Caselotti was blacklisted by Disney after lending her voice to the character of Snow White.
This rumor has never been confirmed, other than a radio host named Jack Benny telling The Day that Caselotti was not allowed to be on his show because audiences would recognize her voice and associate it with a real person instead of just Snow White. Caselotti did not get any major acting opportunities, only having a small part in The Wizard of Oz and It’s a Wonderful Life, after Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, meaning her career was essentially ended by this one role. Disney only began acknowledging and celebrating her in the early 1970s, which was decades after the film’s release.
Adriana Caselotti Ended Up Suing Disney
Insult was further added to injury as Caselotti was only paid $970, despite three years of work on the project. That figure translates to $20,725.06 by today’s standards, which is clearly not fair compensation for her talents and time. According to Caselotti, she did not even know what she was getting herself into. She told The New York Times that Disney told her the film would only be a little longer than its normal 10-12 minute shorts, which was not the truth as it was an hour and 23 minutes. She also said that she was not invited to the premiere of the film, despite having the leading role in it.
In 1938, Caselotti and her co-star who voiced the Prince, Harry Stockwell, filed a lawsuit against Disney. They claimed that they were owed money for the Snow White soundtrack and asked for $200,000 and $100,000, respectively. Unfortunately, neither suit ended up being successful. Despite the heartbreaking loss of career opportunities, Caselotti does not seem to be on bad terms with the company and was made a Disney Legend in 1994, just three years before her death.
Sources: The Day The New York Times
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Disney’s iconic first feature-length animation tells the story of Snow White, a young princess whose beauty is coveted by an evil queen. After she orders that Snow White should be killed, the girl escapes to the forest, where she meets seven dwarfs who take her in. However, the queen knows that Snow White survives, and hatches a deadly plan involving a poisoned apple.
- Release Date
- December 21, 1937
- Director
- David Hand , Perce Pearce , William Cottrell , Larry Morey , Wilfred Jackson , Ben Sharpsteen
- Cast
- Adriana Caselotti , Roy Atwell , Pinto Colvig
- Rating
- G
- Runtime
- 83 Minutes
