65 Years After Its Release ‘Sleeping Beauty’ Continues to Inspire
65 years after the film’s release, Sleeping Beauty remains one of the most influential films in Disney’s history.
In addition to its memorable characters, including Aurora, the three Good Fairies, and Maleficent, the film would also inspire Disneyland’s iconic castle.
Perhaps more important, however, was the artistic risks that the film’s animators took. That daring would set the film apart.
“Today, ‘Sleeping Beauty’; is considered one of the most artistically acclaimed and important films ever produced by the animation industry,” says Rebecca Cline, director of the Walt Disney Archives.
The Result of Eyvind Earle’s Vision
To make Sleeping Beauty stand out from its predecessors, Walt Disney tasked his animators with creating “the feel of a moving animation.”
According to Cline, Walt also “gave unprecedented control of the film’s visual appearance to future Disney Legend Eyvind Earle as both de facto art director and color stylist. The result is a film notable for its distinctive and beautiful art direction, which is instantly recognizable to Disney fans.”
It was Earle, who gave the film its medieval pathos. The art director even came up with the film’s iconic prop storybook.
“The result is a magnificent prop storybook styled to look like a medieval illustrated manuscript including original hand-painted art and hammered brass and ‘jeweled’ cover,” said Cline. “Inside the book are multiple pages hand-painted by Eyvind, inspired by the pre-Renaissance European illustrated religious manuscripts.”
The Crown Jewel of the Disney Archives
According to Cline, the prop book has become the “crown jewel” of the Walt Disney Archives.
“We felt it was very important to preserve and protect this very iconic and beloved asset,” she said.
The iconic storybook has since been recorded and is routinely checked on. The prop, however, would not be the only physical manifestation of Earle’s artwork.
“When Disneyland opened in 1955, its centerpiece was a fairytale castle, and as Sleeping Beauty was in production, Walt decided to deem it Sleeping Beauty Castle and guests fell in love with it — regularly requesting to go inside,” Cline noted. “So, in 1957, before the film even opened, the interior of the castle was crafted into a walk-through attraction where guests could experience the story of the film through beautifully crafted dioramas, including murals painted by Earle.”
A Lasting Legacy
Additionally, production artwork from Sleeping Beauty was featured in a traveling art exhibition called “The Art of Animation.” The tour “was so beloved that following its tour, a unit of the exhibition was installed in Tomorrowland at Disneyland where it ran from 1960 to 1966 — giving guests a very special peek ‘behind the magic,’” Cline said.
60 years after Sleeping Beauty’s release, the film was added to the U.S. National Film Registry as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” More importantly, however, says Cline, the film “has enchanted millions of Disney fans who have taken it into their hearts.”
Six and a half decades after the film’s release, it is clear that both Walt and Earle achieved their goals. Sleeping Beauty’s lasting success is a testament to both leaders and the talented team of animators who made the film a reality.
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