American singer and voice actress Adriana Caselotti gained notoriety for lending her voice to Snow White in the Walt Disney Company’s 1937 animated musical fantasy picture “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” She became the first female voice actor to be named to The Walt Disney Company’s Hall of Fame when she was later enshrined there. Throughout her career, she also attempted opera singing and recorded Snow White songs for Disneyland’s “Snow White Grotto” renovations. Walt Disney never allowed Adriana to appear in any other films, not even his own, since he didn’t want to destroy Snow White’s illusion and preserve Adriana’s voice unique to the character. In terms of her private life, she was divorced at the time of her death in 1997 after four marriages.
Career of Adriana Caselotti
Walt Disney was searching for a voice actor in the 1930s for his debut motion picture, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” He heard from a couple of the contenders, and after learning about Adriana from her father, he was certain that she was the one. She continued on to voice Snow White, the titular character, for which she received payment of $970, or almost $16,000 in today’s currency. The movie turned into a huge smash.
Legally speaking, Walt Disney owned Adriana Caselotti’s voice and she was bound by a contract. She was not allowed to work on any further motion pictures, television series, or public productions, either commercial or nonprofit. Walt Disney intended to keep her voice reserved for the role of Snow White, therefore she was not even permitted to appear in any of the company’s upcoming motion pictures. For her, the contract became disastrous because it effectively put an end to her career before it had a chance to grow. Due to the contract’s restrictions, Caselotti suffered greatly while Disney benefited financially from the Snow White franchise.
Adriana only appeared in one movie, MGM’s “The Wizard of Oz,” in 1939, other than “Snow White,” and she didn’t receive any credit for it. In addition, she performed “If I Only Had a Heart.”
She appeared in “It’s a Wonderful Life” later in 1946 but her role was unacknowledged. She made a guest appearance on “The Mike Douglas Show” after making an appearance in a Julie Andrews Hour episode in 1972.
Early Termination of Career
Adriana Caselotti’s career consisted solely of credited work for “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Although it made her very famous, it also pretty much put a stop to her career before it started. Before the movie came out, she was forced to sign a very restricted contract with Walt Disney that forbade her from participating in any other motion picture or television project. She was not even permitted to make radio appearances.
Honors & Accomplishments of Adriana Caselotti
Adriana Caselotti became the first female voice actor to be listed in the esteemed Disney Universe Hall of Fame when she was inducted there in 1994.
Individual Life of Adriana Caselotti
On May 6, 1916, Adriana Caselotti was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Italian ancestry was shared by her parents. Her mother Maria Orefice, originating from Naples, was a vocalist in the Rome Royal Opera Theatre, and her father Guido Caselotti was a music teacher and voice trainer.
Like their father, her older sister taught voice to a number of performers, including Maria Callas. She was also an opera singer. When Adriana was seven years old, the family relocated to Italy from Connecticut. She studied at an Italian convent for her three years in Italy, and when she came back to the US, her father began teaching her voice and English.
Adriana Caselotti had four marriages. Her first marriage, to theatrical ticket dealer Robert Chard, took place in 1945. In 1952, after their divorce, she wed actor Norval Mitchell as her second husband. Following Norval’s passing in 1972, Adriana wed Dr. Joseph Dana Costigan, a podiatrist who passed away in 1982. Her most recent union, which ended in divorce in 1989, was with Florian St. Pierre, a retired postal worker.
On January 18, 1997, she passed away at home in Los Angeles from lung cancer. As per her request, she was cremated, and her ashes were strewn in Newport Beach, California.
Net worth of Adriana Caselotti
The estimated net worth of Adriana Caselotti is about $1 million.