Adriana Caselotti
| Adriana Caselotti | |
|---|---|
| Born |
May 6, 1916 Bridgeport, Connecticut |
| Died | January 18, 1997 (aged 80) Los Angeles, California |
| Cause of death | Respiratory failure from lung cancer |
| Resting place | Ashes scattered at Newport Beach, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Voice actress, singer |
| Years active | 1932–1997 |
| Notable work | Original voice of Princess Snow White in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) |
| Spouse(s) | Robert Chard (m. 1945–?; divorced) Norval Mitchell (m. 1952–72; his death) Dr. Joseph Dana Costigan (m. 1972–82; his death) Florian St. Pierre (m. 1989–?; divorced) |
| Parent(s) | Guido Caselotti (father) Maria Orefice (mother) |
| Relatives | Louise Caselotti (older sister) |
| Awards | Disney Legend (1994) |
Adriana Caselotti (May 6, 1916 – January 18, 1997) was an American voice actress and singer. Caselotti was the voice of the title character of the first Walt Disney animated classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, for which she was named as a Disney Legend in 1994, making her the first woman to receive the award in the voice category.
Adriana Caselotti was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut to an Italian American family. Her father, Guido Caselotti (1884-1978), was an immigrant from Udine, and worked as a teacher of music and a vocal coach. Her mother, Maria Orefice (1893-1961), from Naples, was a singer in the Royal Opera Theatre of Rome. Her older sister, Louise, sang opera and gave voice lessons (for example, to Maria Callas, from 1946 to 1947). When Caselotti was seven years old, her family left Connecticut for Italy while her mother toured with an opera company. Caselotti was educated at an Italian convent, San Getulio, near Rome, while her mother performed in the opera. When her family returned to New York three years later, Caselotti relearned English and studied singing with her father.
In 1935, after a brief stint as a chorus girl at MGM, Walt Disney hired Caselotti as the voice of his heroine Snow White. She was paid a total of $970 for working on the film (equivalent to $16,160 in 2016). She was under contract with Disney, and Disney prevented her from appearing in further film and other media, even for Disney, after Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.Jack Benny specifically mentioned that he had asked Disney for permission to use her on his radio show and was told, "I'm sorry, but that voice can't be used anywhere. I don't want to spoil the illusion of Snow White." The only other work Caselotti did following her premiere was an uncredited role in MGM's The Wizard of Oz (1939); she provided the voice of Juliet during the Tin Man's song, "If I Only Had a Heart", speaking the line, "Wherefore art thou Romeo?" In 1946, she had an uncredited role in Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life, singing in Martini's bar as James Stewart was praying.
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