The Snow Queen is a 1956 American animated musical fantasy adventure film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by Buena Vista Distribution. Based on the 1844 fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen, it was directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and Hamilton Luske, and features the voices of Sherry Jackson, Kevin Corcoran, Eleanor Audley, TBD, TBD and TBD.
The film tells the story of a 5-year-old little girl named Gerda and her 8-year-old older brother Kay, who hear the legend of the mysterious Snow Queen. Offended by Kay's bragging about her, the Snow Queen puts a spell over his heart and then lures him to her snowy palace. Gerda tries to find the palace and save her brother, but is waylaid at one place after another. As she continues to search for Kay, the Snow Queen uses her magic to keep Gerda from save Kay before the first winter storm.
The film began development in 1940 as part of a biopic about Hans Christian Andersen with animated sequences based on the author's stories. After a series of production delays, Walt Disney decided to cancel the project and instead turn The Snow Queen into a full-length feature fiilm. TBD
The film was initially released on June 17, 1956, to mixed reviews from critics but was a box office success. However, the critical reception for the film has been generally positive in modern times. The film became even more successful through merchandising, prints, comics, video games and subsequent home video releases in the 1990s and even today. The film has since been regarded as one of Disney's greatest animated classics, notably one of the biggest cult classics in the animation medium, as well as the best film adaptation of Andersen's story, and its home media releases have become very sought after.
A direct-to-video sequel, The Return of the Snow Queen, was released on November 6, 2001, a direct-to-video prequel focusing on Ricky the Crow, Ricky: The Story of a Crow was released on September 12, 2006, and a live-action/CGI hybrid remake premiered on November 4, 2022 on Disney+. In 2008, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Plot[]
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Cast[]
- Sherry Jackson as Gerda
- Kevin Corcoran as Kay
- Eleanor Audley as The Snow Queen
- TBD as Ricky the Crow
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Production[]
Development[]
In March 1940, Walt Disney suggested a co-production with film producer Samuel Goldwyn, where his studio would shoot the live-action sequences of Hans Christian Andersen's life and Disney's studio would animate Andersen's fairy tales. The animated sequences would be based on some of Andersen's best-known works, such as "The Little Mermaid", "The Little Match Girl", and "The Snow Queen". After the United States entered World War II, Disney shifted focus to wartime propaganda, halting progress on the Disney–Goldwyn project and shelving "The Snow Queen" project in 1942.
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Casting[]
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Animation[]
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Music[]
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Release[]
Original theatrical run[]
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Re-releases[]
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Home media[]
The Snow Queen was first released on North American VHS cassette and Laserdisc in 1991 as part of the Walt Disney Classics video series and in the United Kingdom in 1994. At the end of its initial home video release, it was reported to have sold more than three million copies, becoming the best-selling videocassette at the time. A THX 40th anniversary limited edition of the film was released on May 21, 1996, as part of the Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection. The Snow Queen was released on DVD on November 23, 1999 as a part of the Walt Disney Limited Issues series for a limited 60-day time period before going into moratorium.
On June 7, 2005, Disney released the film on DVD with a digitally remastered transfer. This release was the eighth installment of the Walt Disney Platinum Editions series. The Platinum Edition was also released on VHS.
On June 7, 2011, a 3-disc Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy Combo Diamond Edition was released. The Diamond Edition release also included a 2-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo and a 6-disc box set that included the first film alongside both its sequel and prequel. A 1-disc DVD edition was released on July 12, 2011.
The Snow Queen was once again released to home media as part of the Walt Disney Signature Collection first released on Digital HD on February 25, 2020, and on Blu-ray, Ultra HD Blu-ray and DVD on March 10, 2020.
Reception[]
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Other media[]
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Legacy[]
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Transcripts[]
Main[]
To see the main transcript of the film, click here.
Trailers[]
To see the transcript for the trailers of the film, click here.