January 20, 1936 – Adriana Caselotti Records First Tracks for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
“Adriana happened to pick up an extension and, while listening to her father’s conversation, chimed in, ‘Listen to me – wouldn’t my voice do?’ Indeed it did, and, over the next year, her voice was tested, songs were recorded, and the Disney animators studied her gestures for inspiration.”
On January 20, 1936, 18-year-old Adriana Caselotti recorded her first tracks as the title character in what would become the animated feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Caselotti was chosen out of over 150 girls that auditioned for the part, as Walt Disney believed she sounded like a fourteen-year-old girl, which is exactly what he needed. Caselotti was paid $20 a day to play Snow White, earning $970 for her time overall, equivalent to almost $17,000 today.