- Adriana Caselotti, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1937. Walt Disney wanted a 14-year-old Janet Gaynor to voice his $1.4m “folly.” Her animation was based on live-action footage of dancer Marjorie Belcher (later Marge Champion). With an office loudspeaker tuned into the audition stage, Disney rejected the unknown Durbin as “too mature” (at 14!). He was mulling over the operatic Jaynes and Susanna Foster when Caselotti, 19, similarly evesdropped… on a Disney casting man’s call to her vocal-coach father. When she piped up with a little girl’s voice, she was promptly invited to test. “That’s the girl,” yelled Disney. Her fee for 48 days of recording: $970. Jaynes later wed singer Douglas McPhall (in the mix for The Prince’s voice) and they were signed by MGM as a second string Nelson Eddy and Jeannette MacDonald. But how long is a piece of second string? Too short and McPhallpoisoned himself.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 1