Information
Sequence number: 1B
Date of document: February 14, 1935
Topics covered: Opening scene of the Queen talking with the mirror, song “Beautiful Queen”, Queen’s name Grimhilde
This four-page script presents the full continuity and dialogue of the first mirror scene as it stood in mid-February 1935. At this point, the film was supposed to open with a song called “Beautiful Queen” sung by the people in the Queen’s castle as sequence 1A. It was later deleted and the finished film opened with sequence 1B, showing the conversation between the Queen and her magic mirror. The Queen is named Grimhilde here (which ryhmes with “killed”) and the mirror reveals that she manages to remain fairest of all by killing her rivals. However her life is linked to that of the mirror, and should she break it, she would also die, like she does in the 2025 remake. There are references to the popular radio show “Chandu the Magician”, famous for its exotic, mystical sound effects, including chiming gongs and ethereal music—used to signal magical events or transitions, and character actor Russ Powell, who apparently impressed the writer for a specific “pop” although he played mostly uncredited parts.
First mirror scene
As the queen enters the room, she closes door and locks it, and the music cuts down. Queen then walks down long room. Music of “Beautiful Queen” fades and ominous music begins to build up, first in counterpoint, then drowning out “Beautiful Queen” altogether.
The room is long, narrow, with mirror floors. The walls are draped in black and dull gold, or dark purple. At the end of the room are three white marble steps, like steps to an altar, and above the steps is the mirror niche. The mirror itself hangs behind long velvet curtains. In two skull-like braziers on either side of the mirror altar burns incense. The light gleams through the skull’s eye sockets. Wisps of smoke curl upward in a thin, waving stream. The torchers which light the altar are designed as snakes. The flames leap from their open jaws, with some greenish and blueish flames mixed with the orange, giving it the peculiar and beautiful colors of driftwood powder thrown on an open fire.
The queen pulls on a silken cord. The curtains part, revealing the mirror, with the queen’s face reflected in it momentarily. However, there is a mysterious chiming sound, somewhat like the one used in Chan Du. The mirror begins to get cloudy, the queen’s face is obscured, and the clouds, at first quite transparent, become opaque, finally forming the mirror’s face. It is an impish, mischievous face – – wide, grinning mouth, rather large nose, and with crow’s-feet laugh-wrinkles around his eyes. As the face appears, the mirror shakes his head like the Boogey Men, ending in a series of Russ Powell pops, with the last one directed insolently right at the queen. Her expression never changes, however. She is used to it.
And more than that, she has business to attend to. So she asks her first question:
QUEEN: MIRROR, MIRROR, ON THE WALL,
WHO IS THE FAIREST ONE OF ALL?
The mirror’s eyes twinkle mischievously, as he replies:
MIRROR: LAST NIGHT I TOLD YOU LADY CLYDE.
BUT THEN SHE DINED WITH YOU…. AND DIED!
He pretends to be very sorrowful, but one eyebrow is raised slightly, and he looks at her accusingly.
SOME MUSHROOM POISONING WAS BLAMED…..
BUT….. AREN’T YOU JUST A BIT ASHAMED?
QUEEN (angrily): HOLD YOUR TONGUE, AND ANSWER MY QUESTION!
WHO IS THE FAIREST ONE OF ALL?
The mirror replies dramatically, slowly, flatteringly. Then his voice changes suddenly, and as he finishes he looks at her accusingly, obviously taunting her.
MIRROR: YOU, MY QUEEN, ARE FAR AHEAD!
YOU HAVE NO RIVALS….. THEY ALL ARE DEAD!
Again he makes the Russ Powell popping sound with his lips. The queen is angry. She reaches for a candlestick and raises it as if to strike him.
QUEEN: IMP OF SATAN! YOU’LL TEASE ME ONCE TOO OFTEN!
He stops her with a warning: “ANH! ANH! ANH! ANH!” She holds candlestick in air, and as he goes on to speak she lowers it slowly, fearfully. As mirror speaks, his eyes harden. He is deadly serious for the moment, and the Queen knows it. His words are carefully chosen, and spoken deliberately.
MIRROR: ONLY AS LONG AS I’M IN PLACE
MAY YOU RETAIN THAT BEAUTIFUL FACE.
ONCE I’M BROKEN YOU LOSE YOUR POWER.
YOU’LL BE TRANSFORMED WITHIN AN HOUR
INTO THE UGLY, MIS-SHAPEN, GREASY HAG YOU ARE! (His voice softens, making the threat even more powerful): SO…. TAKE IT EASY!
The queen is flustered.
QUEEN: YES! I KNOW! I UNDERSTAND!
BUT… I’M STILL THE FAIREST IN THE LAND?
MIRROR: YOU STAND ALONE, MY QUEEN GRIMHILDE.
THOSE AS FAIR HAVE ALL BEEN KILLED – –
POISONED OR STRANGLED IN THE NIGHT…….
QUEEN (interrupting): YES, YES! BUT HOW ABOUT SNOW WHITE?
MIRROR (interested): AH! SHE BEARS WATCHING, I WOULD SAY.
SHE GETS MORE BEAUTIFUL EVERY DAY!
QUEEN (furiously): I’LL WORK HER TO A BAG OF BONES!
I’LL PILE IT ON UNTIL SHE GROANS
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
FOR MERCY – TILL HER BODY ACHES,
HER BACK IS BENT AND HER SPIRIT BREAKS!
MIRROR: AH, YES, MY QUEEN! BUT WHAT WOULD YOU DO
SHOULD SNOW WHITE BECOME AS FAIR AS YOU?
The queen takes the one white rose out of a vase of flowers and crushes it in her hand as she speaks.
QUEEN: ON THE DAY SHE BECOMES AS FAIR AS I,
LIKE ALL THE REST, SNOW WHITE WILL DIE!
She opens her hand and the rose petals fall to the floor, and we fade out.
