Adriana Caselotti

Adriana Caselotti's face may never ring a bell, but her voice is known whereever Walt Disney's Snow White is shown. Blessed with a delicate but unusually clear and high voice, Caselotti was only 19 when she was chosen out 150 girls to portray the title character. Caselotti was born into a musically talented family. Her father came from Italy and was a vocal coach. Her mother was also Italian and once sang opera as did Caselotti's sister Louise, who was famed in her own right and later trained Maria Callas to sing. Following the success of Snow White, Caselotti played small roles in a couple other films, including The Wizard of Oz. She also frequently worked on radio. In 1987, she began making public appearances for Disney to promote the 50th anniversary edition of Snow White. Caselotti was honored by Disney Studios in 1994 when she received a "Disney Legend Award" and left her handprints in cement outside the Studio Theatre. She died of cancer at age 80 in her Los Angeles home. ~ Sandra Brennan