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Snow White made the first soundtrack album
Before it, nothing from a movie could go home with the audience except merchandise like dolls and costumes. There was no home video, no streaming, and no television. The soundtrack was the only way to take the movie itself home, and the songs were catchy enough to make it a huge hit.
Kay Kamen's consumer products organization sent a reported 2,183 separate Snow White products into markets around the world. The New York Times wrote that sales of Snow White products might be America's path out of the Depression.
Some of the film's choices were made with this machinery in mind. Giving each of the seven dwarves a distinct personality softened the darkness of the fairy tale, and it also gave Disney seven characters to sell separately. Dopey and Grumpy still walk around Disneyland today.
Why is a record collection called an album?
Early records were thin 78 rpm discs that held only a few minutes each. Collections of several discs came in bound sleeves that resembled a photo album. The name stuck even after long-playing records replaced them. Snow White's songs came in that format.
How did the dwarfs get their names?
The Brothers Grimm tale leaves the seven dwarfs unnamed. Disney's story team considered dozens of names, including Jumpy, Deafy, Dizzy, Hickey, and Wheezy. They settled on Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, and Dopey. Each name suggested a personality that an animator could build on.
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