Adriana Caselotti was cast in the 1937 film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs after interrupting a phone conversation her father – a voice coach – was having on the phone with a talent scout. The scout was casting the upcoming film and noted that a previous candidate had sounded like a 30-year-old, so was let go; Caselotti picked up the extension and recommended herself. Only 18 at the time, Disney thought she sounded like a 14-year-old, which is what he wanted, and he offered her the part. She worked on the film for a nominal fee for three years while the film was in production.[1]
Composition
Meanwhile, Frank Churchill was chosen as the film's composer, who was instructed by Walt Disney to write something "quaint" in order to "appeal more than the hot stuff". The song sees Caselotti perform with "piercing top notes" and "mushy vibrato". The chord structure that underpins the melody has an atypical quality, that led it to become popular within jazz circles.[1] The song is typically played in the key of B-flat major.
Context
This song first appears 57:40 into the movie, when Princess Snow White sings a bedtime song about how the prince she met at the castle will someday return for her. Later in the film, Snow White sings a reprise while making a pie and a more formal version with a chorus is heard when the prince and Snow White leave for his castle at the film's end.
Release
Aftermath
After the film's release, the song became popular outside the context of the narrative as a jazz standard. The first performance was within the Theresienstadt concentration camp in 1943, played by a band known as the Ghetto Swingers. After World War II, it was performed by jazz musicians such as Dave Brubeck, who included it on his 1957 album Dave Digs Disney. Another popular recording came from Miles Davis in 1961, who named his album after the song.[1]
Critical reception
The Financial Times wrote that the song "spelt out the tantalising promise of love and nurture".[1]
