Pamono Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Original Vintage Movie Poster, French, 1951> Posters

With a retelling of a German fairytale by the Brothers Grimm, Walt Disney introduced a sceptical America to his first full-length cel animated feature film in 1937. Hailed as a landmark work of art, ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ was a smash hit, paving the way for further Disney features including ‘Pinocchio’ (1940), ‘Dumbo’ (1941) and ‘Bambi’ (1942), and changing the course of movie history. Disney was awarded an honorary Oscar at the 11th Academy Awards for a significant screen innovation which has charmed millions and pioneered a great new entertainment field. Adjusted for inflation, ‘Snow White’ remains one of the top ten highest grossing films of all time.

The popularity of the film has led to its being re-released theatrically many times. Following the film’s first French release in 1938 it was shown almost continuously until American films were banned during the Nazi occupation in 1942. Post-liberation, ‘Blanche Neige et les sept nains’ graced French screens again in December 1944, although the release may have been limited to only one Parisian theatre, followed by a nationwide re-release in 1951. Bernard Lancy’s stunning design for the original 1938 release style B French Grande poster was reworked for the 1951 release French Grande, switching out one of the RKO logos for the word Technicolor. This charming French Moyenne also reworks Lancy’s original artwork with more saturated colours and a yellow ground. Although it is possible that this poster was issued to promote a 1940s screening, we believe that it dates to the 1951 French re-release, based on the apparent emergence of the printer I.C.P. Paris from 1950 onwards, and certainly no later than 1953 when RKO Radio Films ceased acting as Disney’s French distributor.