American actress and singer (1916?1997)
Adriana Caselotti
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Caselotti in 1937
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Born
| Adriana Elena Loretta Caselotti
(
1916-05-06
)
May 6, 1916
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Died
| January 19, 1997
(1997-01-19)
(aged 80)
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Occupations
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Years active
| 1932?1997
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Notable work
| Original voice of
Snow White
in
Walt Disney
's
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
(1937)
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Spouses
|
Robert James Chard
(
m.
1945, divorced)
Norval Weir Mitchell
(
m.
1952; died 1972)
Joseph Dana Costigan
(
m.
1972; died 1982)
Florian St. Pierre
(
m.
1989, divorced)
|
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Relatives
| Louise Caselotti
(older sister)
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Awards
| Disney Legend
(1994)
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Adriana Elena Loretta Caselotti
(May 6, 1916 ? January 19, 1997) was an American actress and singer. Caselotti was the voice of the
title character
of the first
Walt Disney animated feature
,
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
(1937), for which she was named a
Disney Legend
in 1994, making her the first female voice-over artist to achieve this.
Early life
[
edit
]
Adriana Caselotti was born in
Bridgeport, Connecticut
, to an Italian-American family.
[1]
Her father, Guido Luigi Emanuele Caselotti, was an immigrant from
Udine
, and worked as a music teacher and vocal coach, and served as the organist for the
Holy Rosary Church
; and her mother, Maria Josephine
nee
Orefice
Caselotti from
Casavatore
, was a singer in the
Royal Opera Theatre of Rome
. Her older sister,
Louise
, sang opera and gave voice lessons?
Maria Callas
being a student of hers. When Caselotti was seven years old, her family left
Connecticut
for Italy, while her mother toured with an opera company. Caselotti was educated and
boarded
at the San Getulio
convent
, near
Rome
. When her family returned to New York three years later, Caselotti re-learned
English
and studied singing with her father.
[2]
In 1934, Caselotti attended
Hollywood High School
where she sang in the senior class Girls' Glee Club and had a leading role in the school's annual musical,
The Belle of New York
.
[3]
Career
[
edit
]
In 1935, after her brief stint as a chorus girl and session singer at
MGM
,
Walt Disney
hired Caselotti as the voice of the heroine,
Snow White
.
[4]
She was paid a total of $970 for working on the film (equivalent to $20,559 in 2023).
[2]
She was not credited for the role, and had trouble finding new opportunities later in life.
Jack Benny
specifically mentioned that he had asked Walt Disney for permission to use her on his radio show and was told, "I'm sorry, but that voice can't be used anywhere. I don't want to spoil the illusion of Snow White."
[5]
Caselotti had two more jobs in the film business. The first was an uncredited role in MGM's
The Wizard of Oz
(1939); she provided the voice of
Juliet
during the Tin Man's song, "If I Only Had a Heart", speaking the line, "Wherefore art thou Romeo?"
[6]
In 1946, she had an uncredited role in
Frank Capra
's
It's a Wonderful Life
, singing in Martini's bar as
James Stewart
is praying.
[7]
Adriana Caselotti appeared in several promotional spots for
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
, and signed memorabilia during promotional events. On November 22, 1972 (
Thanksgiving Day
), she guest-starred on an episode of
The Julie Andrews Hour
saluting the music of Walt Disney, singing "I'm Wishing" and "
Some Day My Prince Will Come
" with
Julie Andrews
.
[8]
She also made a guest appearance on the syndicated
The Mike Douglas Show
. Caselotti later wrote a how-to book,
Do You Like to Sing?
.
[4]
Later in life, she sold autographs and sang opera, including performing in
Rigoletto
. In the early 1990s, when the Snow White Grotto at
Disneyland
was refurbished, Caselotti, at the age of 75, re-recorded "I'm Wishing" for the Snow White Wishing Well exhibit. In 1994, she was named a
Disney Legend
.
[4]
Personal life
[
edit
]
Caselotti was married four times. Her first husband was Robert James Chard, a local theater ticket broker
[9]
whom she married in 1945. The marriage ended in divorce. She later met actor Norval Weir Mitchell, whom she married in 1952. He retired after marrying her and died in 1972. The same year, she was married to a podiatrist, Joseph Dana Costigan, who died in 1982.
[10]
Caselotti married her last husband, Joseph Laureat Florian St. Pierre, a retired postal employee, in 1989 and they later divorced.
[6]
Death
[
edit
]
Caselotti died of cancer at her Los Angeles home on January 19, 1997.
[2]
Filmography
[
edit
]
Television
[
edit
]
Television shows
[
edit
]
Animation
[
edit
]
Film
[
edit
]
Radio
[
edit
]
Year
|
Title
|
Role
|
Notes
|
1951
|
Lux Radio Theatre
|
Snow White / Herself
|
Lux Radio Theatre Intermission
|
Awards and recognition
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Adriana Caselotti Birth Certificate, Passport, and Bank | Lot #97030 | Heritage Auctions"
.
Heritage Auctions
. Retrieved
18 April
2018
.
- ^
a
b
c
"Adriana Caselotti, 80, Voice of
Snow White
"
;
New York Times;" Obituary article; 01/21/1997; retrieved October 8, 2017
- ^
Poinsettia Yearbook
(29 ed.). Hollywood: Hollywood High School. 1934. pp. 79, 81.
- ^
a
b
c
d
"Adriana Caselotti"
.
D23
. Disney.
Archived
from the original on 2015-09-08
. Retrieved
January 26,
2017
.
- ^
Thomas, Bob (July 3, 1993).
"Singer Still Hopes to Cash in as Voice of Snow White"
.
The Day
. New London CT. Associated Press
. Retrieved
January 5,
2013
.
- ^
a
b
Sibley, Brian (February 10, 1997).
"Obituary: Adriana Caselotti"
.
The Independent
. London.
Archived
from the original on 2011-07-14
. Retrieved
October 8,
2017
.
- ^
"On a Wing and a Prayer"
.
Los Angeles Times
. November 24, 2022.
- ^
"The Heartbreaking Story of the Woman Who Played Disney's Snow White"
.
Yahoo News
. December 29, 2022.
- ^
"The Bradford Era"
;
Newspapers.com
; On-line Newspaper archives; article; Thursday, July 18, 1946; Bradford, Pennsylvania; p. 5; retrieved April 2021
- ^
"Snow White's House on the Market for $995,000"
.
Orange Country Register
. January 17, 2023.
- ^
"Modern Inventions Donald Duck Animation Drawing (Walt Disney, 1937)"
.
Heritage Auctions
. November 18, 2023.
- ^
Cartoon Voices of the Golden Age, Vol. 2
External links
[
edit
]
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1990
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1991
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1992
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1993
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1994
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1995
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1996
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1997
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- Lucien Ades*
- Angel Angelopoulos*
- Antonio Bertini
- Armand Bigle
- Gaudenzio Capelli
- Roberto de Leonardis
*
- Cyril Edgar*
- Wally Feignoux*
- Didier Fouret
- Mario Gentilini*
- Cyril James*
- Horst Koblischek
- Gunnar Mansson
- Arnoldo Mondadori
*
- Armand Palivoda*
- Poul Brahe Pedersen*
- Joe Potter
*
- Andre Vanneste*
- Paul Winkler
*
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1998
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1999
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Released
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Upcoming
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Cancelled
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Associated
productions
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Related topics
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History
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Methods and
technologies
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Documentaries
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Miscellaneous
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International
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National
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Artists
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