Original production drawing in red, blue, green, and graphite pencils of the Old Hag (The Witch) from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," 1937; Numbered 1413B lower right; On watermarked five peg hole paper and stamped with production numbers lower left; Size - Old Hag 5 x 7 1/2", Sheet: 10 x 12"; Unframed.
The famed animator Joe Grant created the initial sketches of the Witch, which had some basis in the early Witch drawings from Arthur Rackham's illustrations from "Hansel and Gretel." After Walt Disney approved the character design; Norman Ferguson was given the task of animating her. There were early concerns that the Witch would be viewed by the audience as more of a laughable and entertaining clown rather than an evil old hag; however, Norm's animation skill won out and the character seems even more menacing than her prior Queenly form. The Witch is the only character in "Snow White" to look directly into the camera and therefore address the audience. With her one tooth, expressive eyes, and boney hands; Ferguson had a lot of choices in which to invoke fear and to scare. Despite her slow movements and apparent frailness, we all know there is pure evil afoot!
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was to be the first full-length cel animated feature in motion picture history, and as such Walt Disney had to fight to get the film produced. Both his brother and business partner Roy Disney, as well as his wife Lillian attempted to talk him out of it. The Hollywood movie industry mockingly referred to the film, while is was in production, as "Disney's Folly." Disney ended up having to mortgage his house to help finance the film's production, which would eventually ran up to a total cost of $1,488,422.74; an absolutely massive sum for a feature film in 1937!
After the Evil Queen has transformed into the Old Hag, she magically creates the poisoned apple. "With one bite of the poisoned apple, the victim's (Snow White's) eyes will close forever in the sleeping death." She places the apple into a basket and goes to the Dwarf cottage; and looking through a window, finds Snow White making pies. This original production drawing is from the very beginning of this wonderful point in the film. This scene opens with the Hag's shadow appearing inside the cottage, covering Snow White. From the window sill , the Old Hag asks Snow White:
Old Hag: "All alone, my pet?"
Snow White: "Why yes, yes I am, but..."
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