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The first feature-length animated film in history,
"Snow
White" is a testimony to Walt's deep commitment to
taking whatever existed and making it better. When he
first proposed creating a cartoon that would run for
more than just a few minutes, critics and nay-sayers
abounded. "It'll blind the audience," said some. "Nobody
will watch a cartoon that's so long," said others. They
dubbed it Disney's Folly. But Walt persisted, risking
the financial future of his studio on the project. And
of course the success was complete. "Snow White"
premiered on December 21, 1937, and provided a financial
bonanza for the Disney organization. It was originally
budgeted for $250,000, wound up costing $1.75 million,
and brought in about $4.2 million in its first release.
Perhaps more important, it proved that animation could
be used not just to amuse but to provoke a far wider
range of emotions. Viewers witnessing the "death" scene
of Snow White -- shown above -- were moved to tears.
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