SNOW WHITE AND THE THREE STOOGES
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release date: 1961
Format: Cinemascope Widescreen
[CLICK IMAGES FOR SHARPER/LARGER VIEW] 20th Century Fox 1961 release. 14 x 36 insert.
From guest contributor Kurt Raymond--the focus of this article is on how this particular film has added to the greater Snow White legacy, not how or why it failed as a Three Stooges vehicle.
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Scene Collage
The story? Princess Snow White escapes from the Wicked Queen and seeks refuge with none other than the Seven Dw---er....ahhh..........the Three Stooges.
HUH?
Larry, Curly Joe and Moe encounter the Queen on her broomstick
The 1961 film,
Snow White and the Three Stooges, is a technicolor fairy tale, laden with special effects, fire, smoke, Witches, hourglasses and fireballs. No, it's not "The Wizard Of Oz", but there are many similarities, as the screenplay was written by none other than Noel Langley, who also penned the screenplay for that 'other fairy tale' featuring 'little people' in 1939. The famous trio, The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and newbie-to-the-group Joe DeRita as Curly Joe), only appear in about half the scenes of the film, and have they been toned down a notch! The film's emphasis is on the Snow White character, played by then popular Olympic skater Carol Heiss. SW3S was initially written as a vehicle for Heiss' skating talents in a straight-forward telling of the fairy tale...
The Queen looks on as the King dies, anxious to take over his country
Guy Rolfe as Count Oga, Patricia Medina as the Wicked Queen
...but when the Stooges suddenly became popular again late in their careers, it was decided that this production would be the perfect vehicle for a brand new generation to experience their slapstick and would mark the first time they would appear in glorious color. Interestingly, in the final film cut, when the Stooges are given a chance for their branded form of comedy, it doesn't last long, and their elderly age by this time in their career slows them down to gran'pa types that don't have all that much to do, but they do their best. The Stooges are substitutes for the vacationing Seven Dwarfs, and are also responsible later in the film for violently killing the Wicked Queen (in her Witch guise), and finally uniting Snow White with her Prince Charming.
The Stooges in their 1st of two "skating" scenes (long shots were stunt doubles)
Hardcore 'Stooges' fans have long hated this film. It was produced and co-written with Langley by future U.S. Information Agency head Charles Wick. However, to the many others fans and kids that grew up watching it every Thanksgiving on KTLA Channel 5's "Family Film Festival Night" in Los Angeles, it was a looked forward to and welcomed fairy-tale treat (until the following spring anyway when"Oz" would have it's annual CBS TV telecast). You don't have to be a Stooges fan to enjoy this film as it was clearly made with Oz-loving kids in mind (in more ways than one).
SW3S had a budget of (then unheard of) $3.5 million - an exorbitant amount at that time for a film in this genre. Walter Lang, known for the many musicals he made during Hollywood's "Golden Age" was chosen to direct after replacing another director that didn't work out. In fact, SW3S was Lang's last film. Somehow 20th Century-Fox, a studio bogged down with serious financial troubles after a series of expensive flops, surprisingly gave the go-ahead for the huge budget--after heavy deliberations as to who the film would cater to--skating fans or children. The movie was shot in widescreen and the final cut ran 107 minutes. The film contains lots of singing, lots of skating, lots of special effects, matte paintings, and sometimes additional story that should have been left on the cutting room floor. And a little Three Stooges thrown in from time to time.
As mentioned previously, the 'star' of the film (supposedly) was Heiss, but it was seasoned 1940's B-movie beauty Patricia Medina as the Wicked Queen/Witch who actually stole the film away from her on-screen step-daughter. In fact, Medina has said in recent interviews that Heiss even tried to have her fired from the production for supposed 'diva' behavior, as the two did not get along whatsoever. It seemed as though movie and real life blurred during the production. The normally blonde Heiss is attractive as a brunette, and she's an excellent skater, but for her first (and turns out, only) movie, an actress she is obviously not, and surely that miffed industry veteran Medina during production.
Carol Heiss (with good reason) tries to turn down the apple from the Queen
Medina as Queen/Witch
Edson Stroll was one of those run of the mill 'leading man' types, and he played a decent Prince Charming in those familiar tights (a virtual unknown he was--and still is--except for a brief turn on the TV series "McHales's Navy" and another Three Stooges film the following year,
The Three Stooges In Orbit). Stroll was also called upon, Errol Flynn style, to have a swashbuckling sword fight with Count Oga on the castle wall for the only true action sequences in the film. Stroll was also dubbed for his musical numbers by Bill Lee.
British actor Guy Rolfe was the evil Count Oga (looking like a medieval Captain Hook), aide to the Wicked Queen in all manners of 'Heir Assassination' and Witchcraft. His role as her 'assistant' is not needed, and does nothing but lessen the evil of the Queen's character. In addition, there are brief allusions that Oga and the Queen know each other.....better.
Count Oga gives the Wicked Queen her "Witchy" elixir
Others in the cast included Blossom Rock (Grand-mama in the 1960's TV show Addam's Family), in a brief appearance as the Prince's childhood nurse. Disney voice-over extraordinaire Paul Frees was the voice of the Magic Mirror, and Mel Blanc was the voice of Quinto, the Prince's puppet alter-ego.
None of the actors (Medina, Stroll, or the Stooges) did their own skating. Professionals were brought in for the numerous skating sequences. Rumor has it that Medina's skate double' for the scene in which the Queen interrupts a celebration during Snow White's dream sequence was in actuality male.
The film stays close to the overall framework of the 'Snow White' story, but with many additions thrown into the mix. The similarities with "Wizard of Oz" are easy to see and hard to miss, both visually and in the script. Noel Langley saw an opportunity and decided to put several set descriptions and scenes initially cut from his original "Oz" screenplay right back into this film. The Queen transforms into a Witch that more than resembles Margaret Hamilton's 'Oz' Witch - Right down to the caped and bodiced medieval witch dress and silk sash in the back of her hat. The character also rides a similar (and red-smoke-spewing) broomstick and owns a large hourglass (with red sand) that, in one particular scene, symbolizes Snow White's impending doom (not unlike Dorothy's in "Oz"). The Queen also violently (for a children's film) dies in an idea discarded from the original "Oz" screenplay, where the Wicked Witch of the West falls to her death via her broomstick.
Prince Charming's character (and the Stooges) are oddly introduced into the story. Through a twist of fate, the Prince (not knowing he is the rightful heir to the kingdom) has been raised by the Stooges, who have a traveling medicine show (like Professor Marvel in "Oz"). They happen to come across the Prince at age seven where they rescue him from an assassination attempt engineered by the Queen herself to keep him from taking over both her country and his when he comes of age. Comparisons to Disney's 1937 version abound here too. When Snow White makes her run from the Queen into the Dark Forest, she comes across the Dwarf's cottage, now occupied temporarily by the Stooges. The cottage itself more than resembles Disney's version, and Snow's costume is also reminiscent of Disney's heroine, as are the evil trees grasping at her.
There were some interesting issues during production. According to documents housed at the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences, it shows that Walter Lang, after a week of seeing daily rushes of Patricia Medina in a ridiculous "Dunce Cap Princess' Witch's hat and realizing that the makeup department had not properly aged her hands (at all), angrily ordered all of her completed Witch scenes to be re-shot (much to Medina's chagrin). Several days later of new costume tests and with a new Witch hat, new wig, and skintight aged gloves for her hands, production was on the move again. Proof of this is shown here below with two unpublished stills of Medina in the 'dunce cap' followed by costume test shots of her revised 'Margaret Hamilton-esque' appearance in the film.
Unpublished still of Medina in her "Princess hat" and alternate wig and makeup
Another shot of Patricia Medina in her "Princess hat" and shorter hair...note the hands are not aged
Patricia Medina in her final Witch makeup and costume
When SW3S was released June 21, 1961, Fox also unleashed a surprising amount of publicity and promotion for a 'Kid's Fairy Tale' movie. TV ads (in black and white) were rampant the first week as well as several different magazine ads printed in various foreign languages. Also a comic book story supplement in various nationwide Sunday newspapers, a soundtrack LP with songs from the film, and an 8MM movie package featuring selected scene excerpts soon followed.
Original Sunday Newspaper Comic Supplement
Original SW3S LP Soundtrack
There was a fairly elaborate pressbook, a large selection of one, two and three sheet posters, and 2 different sets of color lobby cards (one for the US and a completely different set for Europe where it was re-named "Snow White And The Three Clowns").
20th Century Fox SW3S 1961 Pressbook Campaign Manual
Pressbook Poster Promotions 22 x 28 Color-Tinted Poster
13 x 27 Italian Poster
Pressbook Publicity
For a vehicle emphasizing the Stooges, it's interesting to note, that Snow White, the Prince and the Witch's likenesses outweigh the Stooges in pressbook ads, but the TV commercials stressed their appearance. The film was a financial flop, to say the least, but it was quickly put on local television stations all over the US for the holidays as an answer to CBS's "Oz" telecasts, which is where it has earned somewhat of a small reputation as a 'fairy tale cult film'.
It is not as bad a film as one would think. It is, in fact (despite Miss Heiss), a very lavish and satisfying adaptation of the "Snow White" story - A wonderful kid's movie with great performances by Medina, the Stooges, Stroll and the supporting cast, and the very young set probably won't notice Heiss is giving her all despite the fact she's practically reading from cue cards. The Cinemascope production is shot beautifully with sets that convey the perfect fairy tale mood as well as showing where a good portion of the 3 million dollars went. The music score was written by Lyn Murray. Although the songs were forgettable, SW3S is still best appreciated by fans of children's fairy tale films rather than of the "Stooges Three' (as they are called in the film). In closing, I can name any number of kids that grew up in the early 70's who watched it every year with as much wonder as I did.
Original Flying Witch Prop...
This miniature prop from the film is a model of the witch character attired in black garb and sitting on a small broom. Made of composite, cloth and other materials, it measures 8" x 12". It's seen in the sequence when the Witch falls out of the sky to her death. A small device that created the smoke effect in this scene is still evident in the broom which is made of metal so it wouldn't catch fire.
Flying Witch Prop
The model was sold at Christie's Auction House at Rockefeller Center on December 20, 2002 for $1,793.00. Other props from the film have come up at auction recently as well and the original posters and production stills.
Home Video Release...
SW3S was released on VHS videocasette in 1985, and sales were fairly brisk for the baby boomers that saw it on TV in the 60's and early 70's. In 2005, the film was finally released (with a spectacular color print) on DVD and included a choice of either widescreen or pan-and-scan features. Extras included only the theatrical trailer and an insert.
2005 DVD Slip Cover
Written by guest contributor Kurt Raymond. All image scans provided by The Raymond Collection.
