What Was the First Animated Movie?
The first feature-length animated movie changed cinema forever — and many people bet it would be a spectacular failure.
Quick Answer
Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) was the first full-length cel-animated feature film. It was also the first feature film to have its soundtrack commercially released and earned over $8 million at the box office during its original release.
While short animated films existed since the early 1900s, Walt Disney took an enormous gamble in 1934 by beginning production on a full-length animated feature. The Hollywood industry nicknamed the project 'Disney's Folly,' convinced that audiences wouldn't sit through 83 minutes of animation.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered on December 21, 1937, at the Carthay Circle Theatre in Hollywood. The audience — which included celebrities like Charlie Chaplin and Judy Garland — gave it a standing ovation. It went on to earn $8 million during its initial release (equivalent to about $170 million today), making it the most successful sound film at that time.
The film was a technical marvel. Disney's team developed the multiplane camera, which created an illusion of depth by moving multiple layers of artwork at different speeds. The film used over 750 artists and involved creating approximately 250,000 individual drawings (cels).
It's worth noting that some earlier animated features existed in other forms. The Argentine film El Apóstol (1917) is sometimes cited as the first animated feature, but it was silhouette animation, not cel animation, and no copies survive today. The German film The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926) used silhouette techniques and is the oldest surviving animated feature.
Key Fact
Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) was the first full-length cel-animated film and earned over $8 million at the box office — proving that feature animation could be both an art form and a commercial success.
Why It Matters
Snow White's success didn't just validate Disney — it created an entire industry. Without its commercial triumph, we likely wouldn't have Pixar, Studio Ghibli, or any of the animated films we know today. The film proved that animation could tell emotionally complex stories for audiences of all ages, and it established conventions in storytelling, music, and character design that still influence animation nearly 90 years later. The technical innovations developed for Snow White also advanced the broader film industry, influencing special effects and cinematography techniques.
Did You Know?
- •Walt Disney mortgaged his house to finance Snow White, which cost $1.5 million to produce — six times the original budget.
- •The film used 750 artists and approximately 250,000 hand-drawn cels over three years of production.
- •Snow White's face was modeled after dancer Marge Champion, who also served as the live-action reference model.
- •The film's success directly funded the construction of the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California.
- •Adjusted for inflation, Snow White has earned over $900 million worldwide across all its releases.
How Early Animation Was Created
The step-by-step process behind the world's first animated films.
- 1
Draw individual frames
Early animators drew each frame by hand, with slight changes between frames to create the illusion of movement.
- 2
Photograph each frame
Each drawing was photographed onto film, one frame at a time, using a specialized camera setup.
- 3
Project at speed
When the film was projected at 16-24 frames per second, the still images appeared to move smoothly — the birth of animation.
Key Dates
1906
Humorous Phases of Funny Faces — one of the first known animated films — was created
1917
El Apóstol (Argentina) became the first animated feature-length film, though no copies survive
1926
The Adventures of Prince Achmed (Germany) became the oldest surviving animated feature
1937
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered as the first full-length cel-animated feature
1995
Toy Story became the first fully computer-animated feature film
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