ARTIST’S PERFECT GIRL

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20730, 14 February 1939, Page 5

ARTIST’S PERFECT GIRL

WALT DISNEY’S SNOW WHITE What is an artist's conception of the perfect girl? Walt Disney's answer to that is Grimm’s fairy-tale heroine, Snow White, as he has depicted her in his full-length cartoon, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” It is interesting to note how Disney arrived at this portrayal of “the perfect girl,” which is what he wanted Snow White to be. As to her physical appearance, he had to be guided by Grimm's description: “Hair black as ebony, skin white as snow\ lips red as the rose.” Otherwise, however, lie gave her the qualities which most appealed to the men in the studio. Her personality, facial expression and other human attributes were left to the ingenuity and discretion of the artists. Disney himself, however, made one important decision. Thousands of sketches were drawn of the suggested physical appearance of the heroine, but he finally assigned the task of characterising her to those animating artists of his who preferred drawing pretty girls to drawing the other characters. That is how SnowWhite was created and set in an 80minute cartoon of exceeding charm and of a technical mastery unsurpassed in this type of film. Brilliant Inspiration Many of the new characters that will now take a permanent place In the Walt Disney mansion are the result of brilliant inspiration. Such are the Seven Dwarfs,’each endowed with an individual character, and each lovable in a diflierent way. Dopey will probably be best remembered for his dreamy antics, but Grumpy is none the less diverting because he is grumpy and “agin wimmin.” In the creation of his animals Disney’s touch is as sure as ever. The deer, the squirrels, the rabbits, the tortoise and the birds give the story some of its most fascinating passages. The tortoise indeed, if he had a name, would immediately take his place beside Walt Disney's famous characters. The two vultures, following the movements of the Queen who turned Witch, are drawn with that sinister yet poetic touch which has always characterised Disney’s best work. The colour work of the film demonstrates the great technical mastery achieved by the Walt Disney studios. The scenes are coloured with exquisite subtlety and beauty.