Production information
Record production number: 70110
Release date: 1941
Produced by La voz de su amo
Composed by Frank Churchill, Leigh Harline, Larry Morey, and Paul J. Smith
Back to Spanish Records
A rare soundtrack
Work on the Spanish version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs began in the summer of 1937 as the film was still in production, dialogs and songs were recorded from October so that, when RCA Victor Records signed a deal with Walt Disney to make records out of the film soundtrack on December 7, both the English and Spanish versions could be included in the contract. Besides the version English, this is the only foreign version that was available on disc at the time of the original release.
It is incredible to see that the discrepancies regarding the actual title found in the film are found here again in that record set. The title on the cover reads “Blanca Nieves y los siete enanitos” like it does on the original film main title, but inside the booklet, the title is “Blanca Nieves y los siete enanos”, like it is on the original prop book of the film. It gets more complicated on the discs themselves, which all read “Blanca Nieve y los siete enanos” which, to my knowledge, was not used anywhere else.
The set was printed by Farré, a French printer, as written inside the pages, next to what is likely a reference number 70170. That would indicate that the set was made for the Spanish market, which raises the question of the date of release of this set. As already mentioned, the soundtrack was ready for a February 1938 release of the film in Spanish in America, but although it is not unheard of that tie-in products would see the light of day before the actual release of the film, this specific set may have not been released in Spain before the film’s release there, which occurred in October 1941, because the civil war going on from 1936 to 1939 did not allow a release before that.
The records
Each of the 4 shellac disc has a reference number. Just like on the American discs, three of them contain 6 songs from the soundtrack and no artists are credited. Snow White here is speaks with the voice of Thelma Hubbard and sings with the help of Diana Castillo. These extracts were chosen to mirror the American discs of the film’s soundtrack. There is an additional disc with two songs reorchestrated by Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians.
The songs are broken down as follows:
Record GY 249
- Una alegre cancion [With a Smile and a Song] (OA.919319) (3:32)
- Cavar, cavar y Hai-Ho [Dig-A-Dig-Dig and Heigh Ho] (OA.919321) (2:42)
Record GY 250
- Le pido y Un canto [I’m Wishing and One Song] (OA.919318) (3:27)
- Silbando al trabajar [Whistle While You Work] (OA.919320) (3:23)
Record GY 251
- Ja, Ja, Ja [Dwarfs Yodel Song] (OA.919322) (2:42)
- Me dice el corazón [Someday my Prince Will Come] (OA.919323) (2:07)
Record GY 392 (Guy Lombardo)
- Una alegre cancion [With a Smile and a Song] (OA.017719) (2:55)
- Silbando al trabajar [Whistle While You Work] (OA.017720) (2:37)
Text of the booklet
The plot of this extraordinary film was adapted from the most popular and charming of the Grimm brothers’ fairy tales.
Walt Disney has perfectly realized this precious tale and created a sweet Snow White who, because of the hatred of her stepmother, the queen, is humiliated by her and forced to devote herself to the most difficult jobs, as the queen is jealous of her beauty and always consults the magic mirror which tells her that the most beautiful lady in the kingdom is not her, but that Snow White is always Snow White, even if her beauty is covered in rags.
One day, while fetching water from the enchanted well, which contains everything she needs, the little princess sings a song whose phrases are repeated by the well’s echo, asking for a handsome young man to come and fetch her. The Prince then appears and expresses his love for Snow White in a passionate song (GY 250 disc “I’m Wishing and One Song”).
The haughty stepmother decides to make her rival disappear and orders one of her hunters to take the unfortunate Snow White into the forest and kill her, as well as handing over the little princess’s heart as proof that the order has been carried out. But the terrible huntsman doesn’t have the courage to commit such a horrible crime, and lets her escape.
The little princess goes into the forest where all the trees and undergrowth seem to her to be terrible monsters, and she feels an extraordinary fear. The birds and other animals living in the forest take pity on her, who has fallen asleep, exhausted and frightened. When she wakes up, she talks to the birds and all the other animals around her and sings them a song (disc GY 249 “With a Smile and a Song”), after which they lead her to the pretty little house where the Seven Dwarfs live in extraordinary disorder.
Snow White decides to clean it up, and asks all the little animals to help her so that the cottage can be tidied up quickly. As they work, they sing and whistle in rhythm with their movements (disc GY 250 “Whistle as You Work”).
The seven dwarfs work at extracting precious diamonds, singing happily (GY 249 “Dig Dig and Heigh Ho”). At the end of the day, they return quietly to their cottage, singing the song that is played in the last part of this disc.
Snow White immediately befriends the Dwarfs, happily preparing their meals and baking delicious cakes.
They live happily ever after, and can be seen showing off their talents by dancing and singing a boisterous yodel for Snow White (disc GY 251 “Dwarfs Silly Song”).
Snow White willingly shares the dance with them and, at the end of the dance, the dwarfs ask her to tell them a story. She tells them the story of the prince of her dreams (disc GY 251 “Some Day My Prince Will Come”).
Time passes, until the Evil Queen, consulting her magic mirror, realizes that Snow White is still alive, and that the heart given to her by the Huntsman was not her heart.
The heart the huntsman gave her was not Snow White’s, but that of a boar. Enraged, and with the help of her sinister magic books, she manages to transform herself into a hideous witch and prepare a poisoned apple, so that when Snow White bites into it, she will fall asleep indefinitely.
She goes into the forest and, taking advantage of the Dwarfs’ absence, poses as a fruit seller and manages to get the innocent little princess to taste the apple, which immediately turns out to be as good as dead.
When the Dwarfs, hastily alerted by the little forest animals, arrive at their cottage, they see Snow White’s lifeless body with deep sadness. They furiously pursue the stepmother, who falls to her death as punishment for her wickedness.
Since the Dwarfs love the little princess so much, instead of burying her, they keep her in a crystal urn to venerate her eternally.
But one fine day, the handsome Prince arrives and, on seeing Snow White, gives her a loving kiss that breaks the enchantment, freeing the Little Princess from the evil spell. She bids farewell to the Dwarfs, and on the Prince’s ardent dare, he takes her with him to his kingdom, where they will live and reign happily ever after.
