In December 2016, Heritage Auctions listed this well-known b&w photograph from the 1939 Academy Awards. It features Shirley Temple presenting Walt Disney with the honorary Oscar for Snow White. The special award consisted of one full size statue and seven miniatures. (Learn more in an earlier post.)

The photograph belonged to the personal collection of Shirley Temple Black. Mounted to construction paper. Measures 11" x 14" (image area 8" x 9.5"). It is inscribed in black fountain pen ink by Walt Disney..."To Shirley Temple from Snow White, Dopey, and all the gang and me too - Walt Disney".




Also signed in pencil by the photographer, Hyman Fink.

A black & white photograph of Walt Disney was recently sold at auction. The photographer was Clarence Sinclair Bull. An inscription along the lower third is written from Walt to Guido Caselotti.


From the Heritage Auctions description:

Adriana Caselotti's father was Guido Caselotti, a music and vocal coach. It is said that Walt Disney had asked Mr Caselotti for a recommendation for a voice for Snow White and upon hearing this, his daughter, Adriana asked to audition for the role. This is a stunning Clarence Sinclair Bull photo of Walt Disney that is boldly inscribed in black ink as follows: "Best Wishes to Maestro Caselotti, the teacher of Adriana -- the voice of Snow White, Walt Disney."

Clarence Sinclair Bull, a noted Hollywood Glamour photographer of the 1930s and 40s, embossed the photo in the lower left. The significance of this signed photo and relationship between Walt Disney and Mr. Caselotti makes this one of the most important Walt Disney-signed pieces to come to market. From the Estate of Miss Adriana Caselotti.

Guido Caselotti was known for his vocal instruction. He is pictured on this technique record, The Bel Canto Method As Taught and Performed by Maestro Guido Caselotti. Custom Fidelity Records label. No. CF-1415.

This Walt Disney signed letter is dated April 29, 1952. The Snow White and Seven Dwarfs letterhead coincides with the re-release of the motion picture that year. Walt thanks author Alex F. Osborn for "taking time to say so many complimentary things about Snow White."




In the previous post, see a blank sheet of this Snow White stationery, as well as examples from other films.

In the 1950s, Donald Duck Bread was popular with kids. Each loaf was issued with a collectible end label featuring a different Disney character. A Snow White series was produced with 16 separate purple-edge labels.








In the 1974 book, Disneyana by Munsey (p.261), there is an early 1950s photo of Walt Disney with a loaf of Donald Duck Bread. He's next to several Snow White cardboard store displays. If you look close at the largest standee, Snow White is holding a give-away premium.



This freebie was a poster (12" x 12") picturing the Seven Dwarfs' cottage (in the background) and the forest opening (foreground). It included 16 blank spaces. According to the instructions on the back, kids were to have their moms touch the end label with a lukewarm iron to slide it off of the bread wrapper. Then the child could cut the figure out and glue it in the proper space on the picture.





Listed in Hake's Official Price Guide to Disney Collectibles (2nd edition, 2007, p.859).



Also see the previous Archive entry featuring the 1939 Guards of the Forest bread promotion.

A letter dated July 17, 1939 from Walt Disney to Count Volpi of the Biennale Institute of Venice, organizers of the Venice Film Festival. The year before, in August of 1938, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs had won the festival's Grand Art Trophy.

Walt thanks the Count for the bronze trophy and the support that Italians had shown for his film. He also shares his hope that the yet unreleased Pinocchio will also be well received. Little does he know how War World II wil soon alter the outlook for his second feature-length picture.



Special thanks to Nunziante Valoroso for sharing this one with us.

The August 13, 1938 issue of To-day magazine, published in the UK by George Newnes.



Article: "I Meet Walt Disney - Proud Father of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" by Fenn Sherie.





A Snow White ad for Armour's corned beef also appeared in this edition. See the recipe book in an earlier Archive entry.



Image scans courtesy of the Richard Holliss Collection.

The Evening Activities...

Walt's Field Day (June 4-5, 1938) was planned as a way for Disney to give back to his staff for all the hard work they'd put in on Snow White over the previous three and a half years. The daytime events included such activities as footraces, swimming, and baseball. Yet, when evening arrived, the itinerary and the mood changed. With plenty of food, drink, and music on hand, the dancing and romance got a little wild.

Photos via the BabbitBlog. The dinning room of the Lake Norconian Resort.




Walt, wife Lillian, and Snow White director Dave Hand. Walt and Lillian wouldn't arrive to the party until that evening for dinner.



Drinking started in the early afternoon. By 9:00 pm, dancing kicked in. Snow White live-action model--Marge Belcher--is seen here in the flowered dress.



And here she is guzzling from a water pitcher. Note the sporting event handsome cups on the table. They would be handed out to the winners later in the evening.



Since the Snow White movie was doing so well in theatres, many animators and artists were hoping when Walt addressed the group with his evening speech, that there would be an announcement of financial bonuses for everyone--something that was hinted at during the production of the film. However, no such statement was made that night. As the party wore on, reports of drunkenness, nudity and promiscuity increased; Walt was not pleased. You can learn all the juicy details from the Disney History Institute Podcast.




Also see the following articles:

• Disney History Institute Walt's Field Day
• BabbittBlog Snow White Wrap Party Part 1 and Part 2. 
• Jim Korkis' MousePlanent Interview with Bill Justice.
• A. Film. L.A. Walt's Field Day

The Daytime Activities...

It was seventy-eight years ago, on June 4-5, 1938, that the Disney Studio held its Snow White wrap party. Also known as Walt's Field Day, it was meant to be a reward to his staff (and their spouses) for their dedication to the film project. For three and a half years, they worked tirelessly, often under intense and stressful circumstances--putting in more hours than they were paid--just to see Walt's vision reach fruition. So by mid 1938, Snow White was raking in the bucks, and it was time to give back to his employees as a whole.

Ward and Betty Kimball having a grand old time at the wrap party.




The two-day event took place at the Lake Norconian Resort in Norco, California. Food and activity expenses were on the Disney Studio tab, though guests had to pay for their own alcohol and hotel rooms. Much has been written, blogged, and published about this weekend, though little of it coming directly from the Walt Disney Company itself.

Thanks to Hans Perk's A. Film L.A. site, we get a look at a Walt's Field Day program that lists the daytime activities--including badminton, ping pong, horseshoes, swimming, and more. (The cover art reveals a Mickey Mouse with pupils in his eyes, said to be the first time he was ever drawn this way. Artist: Ward Kimball.)

The program booklet measures 5.75" x 8.5". Textured stiff paper covers, eight glossy pages. Green text.








A couple of photos from the day via the BabbittBlog.





More information on the event and its participants is found in these pages, courtesy of Mike Van Eaton (via A. Film L.A.). It indicates the staff members who reserved rooms. Interestingly, the individual who took down the names made a number of spelling errors, e.g., Ollie Johnson, Chuck Otterstrom...





Engraved metal trophies were given out to the winners of nine of the events, including the Boating Race. This cup was won by Douglas "Bud" Rickert, a Disney background painter. It measures 6.25" tall and was up for auction at Hakes back in 2006.



The infamous nighttime activities at Walt's Filed Day will be covered in the next Archive entry.