Snow White (1987 film)
Snow White | |
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Directed by | Michael Berz |
Produced by |
Menahem Golan Yoram Globus |
Written by | Michael Berz |
Based on | Snow White by the Brothers Grimm |
Starring |
Diana Rigg Sarah Patterson Billy Barty Nicola Stapleton |
Distributed by | Cannon Films |
Release dates | 1987 (USA) |
Running time | 83 minutes |
Country |
Israel United States |
Language | English |
Snow White is a 1987 American musical/fantasy film based on the classic fairytale and released as part of the "Cannon Movie Tales" series. The film was released straight to video. In August 2005 it was released on Region 1 DVD by MGM.
Plot
The film opens with a handsome young prince traveling in the woods, and discovers a Snow White lying inside in a glass coffin, seemingly dead. The seven dwarfs arrive and tell the Prince of Snow White's story through flashback.
A courageous King and his fair Queen rule their kingdom well. One winter's day while sewing, the Queen accidentally pricks her finger with her needle, and a single drop of blood falls on the snow outside her windowsill. The King declares they will have a child with hair as black as ebony, cheeks as red as blood, and skin as white as snow. The Good Queen eventually gives birth to a daughter, whom she names Snow White, but dies shortly after.
When Snow White (Nicola Stapleton) has grown into a kind child, her father remarries. However, the new queen (Diana Rigg) is evil and jealous of her stepdaughter. Fearing Snow White's beauty could surpass her own, the Evil Queen orders the huntsman (Amnon Meskin) to get rid of Snow White. During a hunting trip, the huntsman succeeds in taking Snow White from her father, but cannot bring himself to harm her. Snow White escapes into the forest where she finds a cottage belonging to seven kindly dwarfs - Iddy, Biddy, Kiddy, Diddy, Fiddy, Giddy and Liddy - who allow her to stay with them. The King is heartbroken when he heard that Snow White had been eaten by wild animals, and he is killed later in battle.
The years pass, and Snow White (Sarah Patterson) grows into a beautiful young woman. When the Evil Queen asks her magic mirror "who is the fairest one of all", she learns that Snow White is still alive. The Evil Queen makes three attempts to kill Snow White. First, she disguises herself as a gypsy woman and laces up Snow White in a tight bodice, only for the dwarfs to cut the lace with scissors. Next, she disguises herself as an Asian comb seller and gives Snow White a poisoned comb, only for the dwarfs to remove the comb from her hair. Finally, the Evil Queen disguises herself as an old peddler woman and offers Snow White a poisoned apple. Snow White resists at first, but relents when the Evil Queen cuts the apple in half so they may share it. Snow White eats the poisoned half of the apple and collapses. The dwarfs are unable to revive her, and place her inside a glass coffin.
The film returns to the present, where the dwarfs allow the Prince to take Snow White to a proper resting place. When Snow White is being transported, the coffin accidentally falls off the wagon, causing the piece of poisoned apple to dislodge from her throat, and Snow White awakens. The Prince is overjoyed and asks her to marry him, and she accepts.
Invitations to the wedding are sent to all nearby kingdoms, and the Evil Queen receives one as well. The Evil Queen consults her magic mirror, and is told that the Prince's bride is the fairest in the land. The Evil Queen is enraged and smashes her mirror, which causes her to age rapidly. She rushes to the church in time to see that the bride is Snow White, and then disintegrates into ashes. Snow White and the Prince are married and live happily ever after.
Cast
- Diana Rigg as The Evil Queen, Snow White's evil stepmother
- Sarah Patterson as Snow White
- Nicola Stapleton as Young Snow White
- Billy Barty as Iddy
- Mike Edmonds as Biddy
- Ricardo Gil as Kiddy
- Malcolm Dixon as Diddy
- Gary Friedkin as Fiddy
- Arturo Gil as Giddy
- Tony Cooper as Liddy
- Doug Sheldon as The King, Snow White's father
- James Ian Wright as The Prince
- Dorit Adi as the First and Good Queen, Snow White's mother
- Julian Chagrin as the Magic Mirror
- Amnon Meskin as the Huntsman
- Azara Rapoport as the other King, Prince's father