May 2, 1938 – The New York Times Publishes Editorial on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
“Figments of Disney’s imagination have already sold more than $2,000,000 worth of toys since the first of the year.”
On May 2, 1938, the New York Times published a special editorial on Walt Disney and the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, titled “Prosperity Out of Fantasy.” This editorial piece looked to Disney’s brand of “industrialized fantasy” to save the United States economy, as the country was still in the throes of the Great Depression. However, while the success of Snow White wasn’t the driving force in saving the economy, the editorial was notable in seeing the effects of Disney’s full-length feature film, which became the model for building a profitable and long-lasting film franchise.
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