4 Celebrities Who Voiced Disney's Original 'Snow White' Film In 1937

"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" was the first-ever animated film to be released by the Disney channel. The film, which was released in 1937 and based on the book by the Brothers Grimm. It depicted the escape of a lonely young princess from her vain and jealous stepmother.

The film catapulted Disney into fame and has been attributed to be a massive part of the studio’s success to date. It has also earned them an approximated wealth equivalent of $1.2 billion.

However, when the film was first released, Disney refused to credit the voice actors behind the characters. This was reported because the executives at the studio thought that revealing the people behind the characters’ voices would ruin the magic of the film, so they skipped the voice credits.

So, for a long time, the people who voiced the characters never received official recognition for their work. Who are the people who voiced the characters behind this iconic animated film? Keep reading to find out.

The character of Snow White was the central focus of the 1937 "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." This significant character was voiced by the now-late Adriana Caselotti, who was just a teenager at the time the film was released.

The voice recording for her character took three years to be completed. She is reported to have earned $970 for her work on the film, which is the equivalent of $16000 in today's currency.

Although her voice is famous worldwide for its magical quality, Caselotti's experience with Disney was not so magical. The voice actress was forbidden from revealing to the public that she voiced the character. The role is also said to have ruined her career as a voice actress because after "Snowwhite," Caselotti only had two voice acting gigs (One line in "The Wizard of Oz" and "It's a Wonderful Life.'' After these, her voice was never heard in TV films again.

Many fans of the Disney film and Caselotti's work have purported that this was because of the blacklist by Disney. They believe that Disney blacklisted her so that the public would never discover that she was the voice behind Snow white's character. There is also the rumor that she was kept under contract to ensure she couldn't take other jobs.

The character of the Evil stepmother and Queen in the film laid the foundation for the many Disney villains that have come after her. This character was vain, jealous and evil, and sought to get rid of Snow White and establish herself as the fairest in the kingdom.

Lucille La Verne was the voice behind this character, and it was her final role before she died in 1945. La Verne was famous for her extensive Broadway career. She was an accomplished and very talented vocalist and stage actress, who worked on many films like "Way Down East," "Uncle Tom's Cabin," and "Seven Days."

She was also the voice behind the character of Noah's wife in "Father Noah's Ark, and the witch in "Babes in the Woods." Her fans have disputed La Verne's most popular onscreen work to be her work on Snow White or the character of Vengeance in "A Tale of Two Cities," released in 1935.

Stuart Buchanan was the voice behind the Huntsman, who the evil stepmother hired to kill Snow White. His failure to kill her was a focal point of the film, as it helped her escape and run into the seven dwarfs.

Before he voiced the role, Buchanan obtained a degree from the College of Wooster and taught drama and poetry at the University of Florida and West Virginia University. During his tenure as a lecturer, he also directed several small productions and was part of a tour in a production of “Mister Antonio.”

Buchana also worked as a casting director for Disney, and apart from his role as the huntsman, he was the voice of Goofy in “The Mickey Mouse Theater of the Air,” which aired in 1938.

He also had roles in cameo voice-overs as a flight attendant in “Super-Speed,” released in 1935 and “Saludos Amigos” which was released in 1942. He also worked at the Pasadena Playhouse, where he acted and directed several productions.

Although the character of the Prince in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” was not very prominent, his presence was still significant, especially at the end of the film with the kissing scene that revived Snow White.

Stockwell’s debut in the film industry was in the 1935 film “Here Comes the Band,” shortly before Disney used his voice for the Prince in Snow White. He also had a role in “Broadway Melody.”

He was also very popular on Broadway, where he performed as Curly, the lead character in the Broadway show “Oklahoma!” He played this character until 1948. His last role before his demise was in the film titled “The Werewolf of Washington,” released in 1973. He was also the father of famous actors Guy Stockwell and Dean Stockwell.