The first-ever animated American feature film
In the current age of technology and cinema, we don’t have to think twice about the presence of animation in our movies. The medium has come so far that it seems second nature to witness scenes that have been hand-drawn or computer-animated, with some movies exclusively using animation to tell their stories.
After cinema came to be in the late 1800s, the first animated cartoon is believed to have been made in 1908. Fantasmagorie, directed by Émile Cohl, was a simple hand-drawn animation that came in just under two minutes, yet its existence would lead to a significant progression in the development of cinema.
Animation dramatically developed over the course of the 1910s, with rotoscoping emerging in 1917, which allowed animators to trace over live-action images. By the 1920s, animation was on its way to becoming even more advanced after sound cinema emerged at the latter end of the decade.
Walt Disney Studios played a vital part in transforming animation from short cartoons to full-blown narrative pictures. After finding success with the invention of Mickey Mouse, Disney began working on larger projects that relied on more expansive ideas, such as sound, colour, musical numbers and a strong narrative.
As a result, the first fully hand-drawn animated American feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, was released to the world in 1937. Based on the German fairytale popularised by the Brothers Grimm, the movie is one of the most iconic stories ever told. From the poisoned apple to the singing dwarfs, most children will be hugely familiar with the tale, mainly thanks to Disney’s adaptation.
While the story had been adapted several times before as live-action shorts – and there was even a short Betty Boop animation called Snow-White made in 1933 – Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs brought the story to new audiences with its feature-length run time and beautiful, vivid animation. Classic tracks from the movie remain Disney staples, such as ‘Heigh-Ho’, with the movie also making history by becoming the first American movie to be released with an accompanying soundtrack album for purchase.
The development of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was not easy, with many people, including members of Disney’s family, suggesting that making a full-length feature was too ambitious. Yet, he persevered regardless, knowing that he had a magnificent idea on his hands which would change the course of history.
Unsurprisingly, the movie took quite a few years to complete, and many different writers and animators came together to create the finished project. It is incredible to think about how much work went into every frame; to achieve an hour and a half’s worth of footage, two million different paintings were reportedly created by hand.
The result was a major success, and within three years, Disney had released its second feature, Pinnochio. Now, Disney remains an unstoppable force, still continuing to lead the animation world with a wide range of titles loved by children and adults alike.
