It was made way back in 1937, but Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs remains one of Disney’s best ever animated movies (and it was actually its first – dubbed ‘Disney’s folly’ in Hollywood at the time by people who thought it wouldn’t be a success).
It is, of course, based on the Grimm Brothers story of the beautiful young girl Snow White. When a wicked queen asks her enchanted mirror who is the fairest of them all (and expects the answer to be herself) she discovers it is instead the ruby-lipped, raven-haired Snow White, so she commands a woodsman to take the young girl into the woods and kill her. He can’t do it, and instead Snow White flees into the forest where she happens upon a cottage where seven dwarfs live, and they take her in.
So far, so jolly. Kids (and, let’s face it, grown-ups) just love the dwarfs – Sleepy, Dopey, Sneezy, Happy, Grumpy, Bashful and Doc – and the timeless songs like ‘Some Day My Prince Will Come’, ‘Whistle While You Work’ and ‘Heigh Ho’ will have you singing along. But there is some scariness – many adults remember this as the first film that had them hiding behind the sofa – most notably when Snow White flees into the forest and the branches of the trees become menacingly alive, and in the scene when the wicked queen transforms herself into an ugly old crone so she can deliver the poisoned apple to our heroine.
If you have small children who may be frightened, don’t let them watch those bits alone… and leave the lights on for yourself, too!
Is Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs suitable for kids? Here are our parents’ notes...
As mentioned above, the scene in which Snow White runs through the forest and the trees seem to come alive is dark and scary.
The wicked queen is frightening throughout, and especially in the scene when she transforms into an old hag.
If you like this, why not try: Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Beauty And The Beast, The Princess And The Frog, Tangled,