Sure, Disney movies are all about sunshine, lollipops, and magic. And yes, the films brought joy and happy memories to most of us. But that doesn’t mean that behind the scenes, the films are all smooth sailing.
From racial controversies to bombing at the box office, the making of Disney films have seen their fair share of issues. Here are a few facts about Disney’s most famous films.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Was Expected to Bomb
Now we know that the movie was a massive success, but at the time of its release in 1937, no one thought it would ever succeed. Disney was forced to take out multiple loans to finance the production. Walt Disney even mortgaged his own house for it.
Believing that it the movie would ruin him financially, people referred to Snow White as “Disney’s Folly.” Even Disney’s wife, Lillian, thought the movie was going to be a failure. It just so happens that Snow White became the first movie to ever release a soundtrack.
Dumbo Almost Made it to Time
TIME magazine had big plans for Dumbo, honoring it as “Mammal of the Year.” But then Pearl Harbor happened. Obviously, it opted for a more serious cover. Still, the magazine called the animated elephant “Mammal of the Year” in an inside column.
On another note, Dumbo is Disney’s shortest feature. At 64 minutes long, it’s the company’s shortest feature-length movie. Walt Disney was advised to extend it, but he resisted it. He said, “You can stretch a story just so far, and after that, it won’t hold together.”
