Continuing on with our count down to our new major exhibition, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Creation of a Classic, we're taking a closer look at our next dwarf. In celebration of the 75th anniversary of this Dinsey classic, author and historian J.B. Kaufman's new book The Fairest One of All explores the making of Walt's first feature-length animated film, including an examination of each individual dwarf. Below is a short excerpt from this book—which is available now online and in our Museum Store—all about... HAPPY!
Like Grumpy, Happy was one of the first names sguggested for the dwarf ensemble. Unlike Grumpy, the dwarf Happy was conceived in unrecognizable terms before evolving into the character we know today. The earliest known mention of Happy, in mid-1934, describes him as "a little skinny fellow" with a stuttering problem, while Fatty/Chubby, whom we've already met, was the good natured dwarf with "a twinkle in his eye." In the August 1934 "Manuscript" outline, Happy is described as having one tooth and as being voiced by "Professor Diddleton D. Wurtle, whose wild Ben Turpin eyes are reinforced by one of the funniest tricks of speech in radio." In this verison, Happy's "funny trick of speech" was caused by a physical defect: his jaw habitually dislocated in mid-sentence! His elbows, knees, and other joints likewise periodically slipped otu of their sockets and had to be reassembled by the othe rdwarfs. "It is funny to the eye," the outline claimed, "but especially funny because of the painful psychology behind it. Happy grins away and sputters gaily even as the beads of pain pour from his brow."
It's not clear how long this bizarre concept of Happy survived, but in any case it had been phased out by January 1936, when Otis Harlan was engaged to record his dialogue. . .
As for Happy's personality, he emerges in the finished film as a perennially cheerful optimist and little more. During story development, he had been conceived as a more rounded character; Walt had taken pains to give each of the dwarfs more or less equal time on the screen. "You will find that Happy has an awful lot of personality that we have not got out of him yet," he commented at one story meeting. But as the story was continually refined and trimmed to its essentials, that balance of power shifted, and some dwarfs became more prominent while others receded into supporting positions. One by one, Happy's starring moments were eliminated from the film until he became one of the "supporting" dwarfs. . . .
To find out more about Happy and the other six dwarfs, pick up The Fairest One of All at our Museum Store or online by clicking here. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Creation of a Classic will be on view from November 15, 2012 to April 14, 2013, the exhibition celebrates Walt Disney’s vision and the artistry of his dedicated staff, illustrating how they shaped and defined an entirely new American art form through their creation of this groundbreaking film. For more information and details about our first major exhibition, please visit waltdisney.org/snow-white.