This sequence was used by the film’s teams as a kind of “pilot” to test ideas, gags, designs, colors, and so on. In fact, it’s the first meeting between the title’s characters. Each dwarf introduces himself and becomes identifiable.
Snow White is almost entirely animated by Hamilton Luske, and all the dwarfs by Fred Moore.
As might be expected for a test scene, several moments were cut. After apparently getting along with the others (“Hurray! She’s staying!”), Grumpy raises a discordant voice again and comes to blows with Doc! The Princess then displays a character trait at complete odds with her attitude throughout the film: she pretends to leave the room, simpering, almost contemptuously, “Don’t let ME break up your happy home.” Only the smell of burning interrupts her, and we cut to the shot of the boiling pot.
There’s no need to explain why this scene (scenes 36 to 46), animated mainly by Grim Natwick and Fred Moore, wasn’t kept, but it makes us realize just how carefully Snow White’s character had to be treated, lest the fragile equilibrium of which she was composed be shattered, even if it meant attracting easy criticism.
Production information
Sequence number: 5A
Date of final draft: November 16, 1937
Directors: Perce Pearce
Assistant director: Mike Holoboff & Hal Adelquist
Animators of Snow White: Grim Natwick, Hamilton Luske, Tony Rivera & Jack Campbell
Animator of the dwarfs: Frank Thomas & Fred Moore
Frank Thomas assistant animator: Art Elliott
Hamilton Luske assistant animator: Bill Weaver
Fred Moore assistant animators: Frank Thomas & Ollie Johnston
Grim Natwick assistant animators: Jack Campbell, Tony Rivera & Marc Davis
Effects animator (Quilt): Cy Young
Effects animator (Soup pot): Paul Satterfield
Cast
Snow White: Adriana Caselotti
Doc: Roy Atwell
Grumpy and Sleepy: Pinto Colvig
Happy: Otis Harlan
Bashful: Scotty Mattraw
Sneezy: Billy Gilbert
Additional dwarfs voices: Jim MacDonald, Clarence Nash, Hal Rees & Lem Wright
Scenes
Here is the sequence broken up into scenes with the corresponding animators.