MAGIC CAVE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 December 1938, Page 6

MAGIC CAVE

SNOW WHITE AND DWARFS. ATTRACTION AT W.F.C.A. A remarkable Cnristmas attraction for children—-and adults too, in fact — is the Magic Cave this year at the W.F.C.A. Built to tell the story of Walt Disney’s classic film, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” it has been constructed in a manner little short of marvellous. Mechanically operated figures play their parts, not merely as wooden automatons, but with actual character and expression, giving a life-like representation of the famous story.

The story is depicted in eight scenes, commencing with a representation of the characters, every one a true copy of Disney’s film drawings. Scene 2 shows Snow White entering the Dwarfs’ house, they,' to their surprise, finding her comfortably asleep in their bed. Then comes a night scene in the woods, when the Dwarfs are ousily cutting wood. Their surprise of the previous scene gives way to industrious concentration as they ply their axes and saws. The Witch is the centre of the fourth scene as she brews a dangerous potion and poisons apples which later she takes to the Dwarfs’ house.

Scene 5 is another woodland setting, with the Fairy Princess singing to the accompaniment of the Dwarfs’ orchestra. In scene 6 the Witch takes the poisoned apples to the Dwarfs’ house, and in scene 7 the drawbridge of a castle is lowered to show Prince Charming and the Fairy Princess asleep. When, after 100 years, they are awakened from their sleep, all rejoice, as shown in scene 8, when the Dwarfs hold a real celebration. It. is all a marvellous representation of the story, artistically beautiful and mechanically perfect. . . Across the end of the Cave is a Scenic Railway complete with three fast-moving electric trains busily carrying freight and passengers from station to station over mountains, rivers and plains, while modern roads like the autobahn of Hitler’s Germany carry motor-cars and other vehicles. The whole setting was built locally with permission of RKO Radio Pictures, the artistic and constructional work by Pat Displays. The Cave opens tomorrow at 3.30 p.m., when Father Christmas arrives at the store.