Once Upon A Disney #1: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

I know what you've been thinking ....

Or more likely, you've forgotten that this blog ever existed. Well, by the power of Mickey Mouse, I'm back in business, and the first film we'll retread together actually is (nearly) 84 years old. So this was totally intentional.

My new mission – should you choose to accept it – is to revisit every single one of Walt Disney Studios' Animated Classics, according to the official canon. It's a series I'm tentatively calling Once Upon a Disney. We'll parade down Main Street USA together, revisiting Disney's highs and lows, award-winning songs, hammy villains, anthropomorphic horses, and much more. There are currently 57 movies along the way, and I fully expect that list to grow as I take – let's face it – the rest of my life to complete this challenge.

So without further ado, we'll take it back to where it all began, with ...

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) 

'Snow White, hun, you're flat. I was clearly tweeting a high A.'

Having avoided watching it for years (it does have a tendency to haunt one's dreams) I was actually pretty shocked by how close to perfect Disney's first feature film is. From the moment the elaborate fairytale book opens up to kick start the story of Snow White, you know what you're in for – a good old fashioned, enchanting fairytale with a proper goodie, baddie and lots of magic.

If ever there was a blueprint for the quintessential Disney movie, this is IT, chief. Terrifying stepmother trying to kill the heroine? Check. Singing woodland creatures? Check. Slightly arrogant main character who trespasses into someone's home? Check. Combatting depression with cleaning and singing? Double. Check.

Name me a more iconic tome. I'll wait. 

Casting his 'questionable' political views aside, Walt Disney's dream with his animated movies, and with Disneyland, was to take audiences back to a nostalgic place. A place that conjures the innocence and simplicity of a child's bedtime story. Snow White fits right into this mission statement, with its hidden woodland glades, nursery rhyme style songs, and the youngest Disney Princess to grace the silver screen. Yup, she's supposed to be 14. I checked.

What I imagine made Snow White a game-changer for Disney – apart from being the first feature-length animated film evs – was a couple of things: the meticulous detail and quality of the animation, and the artfully balanced story, oscillating between humour, darkness, and romance.

The first 20 -30 minutes zips through the exposition surprisingly quickly (mirror mirror on the wall, bring me Snow White's heart, oh hello handsome Prince etc). The real meat of the movie begins when Snow White flees her imminent death and stumbles upon some friendly deer and squirrels who guide her to a (seemingly) abandoned cottage. Enter seven little dudes.

'Is that a squirrel doing our dishes?' 

The middle act of the movie is the piéce de resistance – it's essentially a series of detailed comedy skits centred around the seven dwarfs, showcasing the immense talent of Disney's world-class animators. Each of the seven – Doc, Grumpy, Sneezy, Sleepy, Bashful, Happy, and Dopey – have distinct personalities, not only in how they talk and move on screen, but in the way they interact with each other. Snow White immediately takes on the motherly role to correct their slovenly bachelor ways (very Seven Brides) and by the time they're yodelling together in the living room, we forget Snow White's hiding from a murderous witch altogether.

But not for long. The Evil Queen is probably one of the top three scariest villains in the entire Disney canon, and no doubt invaded kids' nightmares for years to come. Terrifying enough in 'beautiful' form, it's when she creates the – now iconic – poisoned apple and transforms herself into an old hag that she really comes into her own. The Evil Queen's cackle would send shivers down anyone's spine, and she sets a precedent for all wicked stepmothers to come.

'It was on special offer at Aldi, I've got 19 more in the car.'

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs manages to encapsulate the hauntingly beautiful quality of a pre-WW2 golden age musical, as well as miraculously standing the test of time. 82 years later and she's still the fairest of them all.

Villain rating: 4/5

Best Song: Whistle While You Work

Disney Detail: On two occasions in the movie, the dwarfs exclaim 'Jiminy Cricket!' Who, of course, is Pinocchio's conscience guide in Disney's very next film.

Why it's a Classic: It's the original and possibly the best, setting up a perfect formula for Disney's signature, heart-capturing storytelling.