Dryden Theatre makes dreams come true with 'Disney Animated Classics' film series

Films from the Disney Archives are Snow White, Bambi, Dumbo, Cinderella, Pinocchio, Alice in Wonderland, Lady and the Tramp, and 101 Dalmatians

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Dryden Theatre at George Eastman House brings back childhood memories with the "Disney Animated Classics" film series throughout November and December, screening eight 35mm films from the Disney Archives. The magic begins on Sunday, Nov. 9 with the screening of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and will continue through the final movie having audience members seeing spots with One Hundred and One Dalmatians Dec. 28.

Experience on the big screen a flying baby elephant with ears for wings, a wooden boy with a nose that grows when he lies, and two dogs who fall in love over a plate of spaghetti and meatballs. "Our first encounters with motion pictures meant introductions to characters that would forever be part of our cultural consciousness," said Jim Healy, George Eastman House's assistant curator of exhibitions, Motion Picture Department. "A trip to the cinema to watch one of these Disney animated classics on one of their frequent re-releases was a rite of passage for young children, and one that brought great pleasure."

Walt Disney and his team of animators captured the essence of fairy tales in 1937 with Disney's first full-length animated production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and continued with the success of story telling through vivid hand drawn and painted characters even after Disney's death in 1966.

"While the last generation or two have discovered these cinematic gems on a videocassette or DVD," Healy said, "we're bringing them back to their first home, the movie theaters so that new viewers can see them properly and others can revisit the films that shaped their childhoods."

The Disney films screen Sundays in November and December, beginning Nov. 9, in the Dryden with 2 p.m. matinees and early evening screenings. The titles include Pinocchio (showing Nov. 16); Dumbo (Nov.23); Bambi (Nov. 30); Cinderella (Dec. 7); Alice in Wonderland (Dec. 14); Lady and the Tramp (Dec. 21) and One Hundred and One Dalmatians (Dec. 28).

According to Healy, "The movies seen in the dark, with an audience, and projected on the big screen shows viewers the joy of movie-going. These films, with their delicate artistry and countless grace notes, are genuine American masterworks. They deserve a museum setting and an appreciative audience."

The films of the "Disney Animated Classics" series:

2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 9
SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (David Hand, US 1937, 83 min.)

2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16
PINOCCHIO (Ben Sharpsteen & Hamilton Luske, US 1940, 88 min.)

2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23
DUMBO (Ben Sharpsteen, US 1941, 64 min.)

2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 30
BAMBI (David Hand, US 1942, 69 min.)

2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7
CINDERELLA (Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, & Hamilton Luske, US 1950, 74 min.)

2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14
ALICE IN WONDERLAND (Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, & Hamilton Luske, US 1951, 75 min.)

2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21
LADY AND THE TRAMP (Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, & Hamilton Luske, US 1955, 75 min.)

2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 28
ONE HUNDRED AND ONE DALMATIANS (Wolfgang Reitherman, Clyde Geronimi, & Hamilton Luske, US 1961, 79 min.)

Admission to each film is $7 general admission and $5 students and members. For more information and complete film descriptions visit dryden.eastmanhouse.org. Popcorn and concessions will be for sale on site.

Attention Media: For additional information or high-resolution images, please fill out this form to obtain the address of the Press Room's FTP site.