Dir: J. Searle Dawley 　
Scr: Winthrop Ames
Orig: Winthrop Ames's stage play Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Pho: H. Lyman Broening　 　
Prod Co: Famous Players
Cast: Marguerite Clark, Dorothy G. Cumming, Creighton Hale
1916 | Tinted | DCP | Silent (with Musical Accompaniment) | Eng inter-titles, Chi subtitles | 63min

Print Courtesy of George Eastman Museum
Music Courtesy of National Film Preservation Foundation

 

The Brothers Grimm's Snow White has been adapted into different art forms around the world, including the beloved 1937 animated film by Walt Disney Studios. Similar to that version, Chow Sze-luk and Lo Yu-kei's adaptation is a light-hearted musical romance, but the Cantonese version's stepmother doesn't have a magic mirror, nor does she care if she's the prettiest of them all. The two also adds intentional Chinese touches to the story, even replacing the iconic poisoned apple with a Chinese BBQ pork bun. However, one thing does remain: the heroic prince rides on a white horse to save the day.

 

The root of both Disney and Hong Kong's versions of Snow White can be traced back to the 1916 American live-action silent film. J. Searle Dawley's version of the tale enriches the original story and its characters with new plot points, providing the framework for future film adaptations. The film was thought to be lost until a print was discovered in Amsterdam's EYE Filmmuseum in 1992. The film was subsequently restored at George Eastman Museum in the US. Parts of the original film remain missing in this version, but its general story structure remains complete. Even to this day, the film's special effects and rich visuals still capture the audience's imagination.