Rating: - Still a Disney masterpiece...
My mother kept an old clipping for years describing SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS when it opened at the huge and prestigious Radio City Music Hall in New York City and received a rave review from newspaper columnist Westbrook Pegler.

He usually wrote about politics but on this occasion he took time to devote an entire review to Disney's new film. He called it a "masterpiece" and said that when the projectionist slipped those reels of film on the projector, the audience at the Music Hall witnessed one of the greatest motion pictures ever made.

Coming from him, that was high praise indeed. And seeing the film now, restored for its video bow, we can appreciate his words. There are faults, to be sure, but basically it has to be admired for the innovative techniques it used in the art of animation. There are memorable sequences thanks to daring use of the multiplane camera: Snow White's flight through the woods, the Queen and her Magic Mirror, the Queen in the thunderous transformation scene as the camera seems to whirl around her, the Dwarfs in the mine and their march over the bridge as they sing "Heigh-Ho", the dwarfs chasing the witch in the thunderstorm. Even the rippling effects of the water in the wishing well scene.

And, of course, there are the genuinely comic moments that made even the great Charlie Chaplin applaud in admiration. Dopey's antics are always a delight, as are Doc's and Grumpy's. All of the dwarfs are given inventive and funny things to do. The animation for the heroine herself is so gracefully done, particularly in the "Yodel Song" sequence where she dances with the dwarfs, that it's almost like watching a real "Snow White" go through the paces. That scene remains one of the most charming moments from the entire film with the dwarfs all displaying their own distinctive traits.

The music is a standout: Someday My Prince Will Come, Heigh-Ho, I'm Wishing, The Yodel Song, etc. The young in heart will always love this classic. The art work is so rich in detail that the cottage scenes take on a life of their own, as do the images of the Wicked Queen at her castle.

It belongs in the top tier of Disney's crown jewels, along with Pinocchio, Bambi, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella.

Summing up: an inspired work of art on every level that will remain a timeless classic.

Note: This review is based on the VHS and theatrical version of the film.