Facts and Figures

  1. Walt Disney Pictures' 16th animated feature
  2. First theatrical release: January 29, 1959
  3. Length: about 75 minutes
  4. Estimate of cost: 6 million dollars (1959) At the time, this was the highest (and unheard of) cost ever for an animated film.
  5. It took about six years to make, a long time compared to other films.
  6. The music of Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty Ballet was adapted for the film's soundtrack.
  7. The score was nominated for an Academy Award, Best Score for a Musical Picture (1959).
  8. Based on the Charles Perrault version of the story.
  9. Film Process: Super Technirama 70 - uses two 35mm film prints to create a 70mm film. Its aspect ratio is 2.35:1. Sleeping Beauty was the first Disney animated feature in 70mm film.
  10. First Disney animated feature having both parents of the hero/heroine present and alive and the only one with a human princess/heroine.
  11. First Disney animated feature with a named human prince/hero.
  12. Both Disneyland and Disneyland Paris (formerly EuroDisney) have Sleeping Beauty's Castle. Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle was originally going to be Snow White's Castle but with the impending release of Sleeping Beauty, Walt thought it would be good publicity to rename the castle.
  13. Last released in theaters in 1986. Last video release: 1997.
  14. The only widescreen video release of any Walt Disney animated film.

Trivia type facts

* Facts from the Making of Sleeping Beauty clip and/or the Commemorative Booklet.

Overview

Sleeping Beauty was meant to be Walt's greatest acheivement. The film's backgrounds were done in an radical angular style, based on medieval art, to give it a medieval atmosphere. The backgrounds are highly detailed, so much so that many people feel disappointed about the foreground animation. Although considered a classic, the general public's reaction to Sleeping Beauty was disappointing (further proof that the public has really bad taste in film, author's opinion). The film is not an action film, comedy film or a "kids" film, but is more a romance film that happens to be animated. Today, Sleeping Beauty is sadly mostly forgotten by the public and the Walt Disney Company. Often, film details are confused with Cinderella.

There is a definite "break" in the film. Once Aurora learns her true identity and Phillip decides to run away from his arranged marriage, you may notice that the colors change slightly. Also Aurora and Phillip do not have any more spoken lines after that point.

Sleeping Beauty Quotable Quotes

  1. "That would make me happy."
    - Merryweather, about turning Maleficient into a hoptoad
  2. "No carrots!"
    - Prince Phillip, after falling into the river
  3. "He takes me in his arms and then ... I wake up."
    - Briar Rose
  4. "But they say if you dream a thing more than once, it's sure to come true. And I've seen him so many times."
    - Briar Rose
  5. "Now, Father, you're living in the past. This is the fourteenth century. Nowadays -"
    - Prince Phillip, on princes needing to marry princesses
  6. "I set my trap for a peasant and lo! I catch a prince."
    - Maleficient
  7. "Now you shall deal with me, O Prince, and all the powers of HELL!"
    - Maleficient
  8. "Sword of Truth, fly swift and sure; that Evil die and Good endure."
    - Flora
  9. "It looks terrible."
    - Merryweather, about the gown they make without magic
    "That's because it's on you, dear."
    - Flora, in response to Merryweather
  10. "When will I see you again?"
    -Prince Phillip to Briar Rose
    "Oh, never, never."
    - Briar Rose's response
  11. "You know, sometimes I don't think she's very happy."
    - Fauna, on Maleficient
  12. "Oh, they're hopeless, a disgrace to the forces of evil."
    - Maleficient, on her henchmen
Last PagePage TopNext Page
Steve C. Liu/Princess "Briar Rose" Aurora Fan Club/admiral@access.digex.net