Who was Adriana Caselotti? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Adriana Elena Loreta Caselotti

Died At Age: 80

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Dana Costigan (m. 1972–1982), Norval Mitchell (m. 1952–1972)

father: Guido Caselotti

mother: Maria Orefice

siblings: Louise Caselotti

Singers Actresses

Died on: January 19, 1997

place of death: Los Angeles, California, United States

Diseases & Disabilities: Lung Cancer

Cause of Death: Cancer

U.S. State: Connecticut

More Facts

awards: Disney Legends

Recommended For You

1

Where did Adriana Caselotti grow up?

Adriana Caselotti grew up in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
2

What was Adriana Caselotti's first major role in Hollywood?

Adriana Caselotti's first major role in Hollywood was providing the voice for Snow White in Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."
3

How did Adriana Caselotti get discovered for the role of Snow White?

Adriana Caselotti was discovered for the role of Snow White when she sang at a party hosted by her father, who was an opera singer. Walt Disney overheard her singing and knew she was perfect for the role.
4

Did Adriana Caselotti continue to work in Hollywood after voicing Snow White?

Adriana Caselotti did not have a prolific career in Hollywood after voicing Snow White. She did some additional voice work, but she was largely typecast as Snow White, limiting her opportunities.
5

What was unique about Adriana Caselotti's voice for Snow White?

Adriana Caselotti's voice for Snow White was noted for its sweet, innocent, and ethereal quality, which perfectly suited the character and contributed to the film's success.

Recommended Lists:

Career

In the 1930s, Walt Disney was looking for a voice artist for his first feature ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’. After hearing one or two candidates, he came to know about Adriana from her father and was totally convinced that she was the one he was looking for. She went on to voice the title character Snow White and was paid an amount of $970 for her services, an amount that would be equivalent to around $16,000 in today’s date. The film became a major hit.

Adriana Caselotti was under contract and Walt Disney owned her voice in legal terms. The contract prevented her from working in any other productions, be it films, television shows, or any kind of commercial/non-commercial public shows. She was not even allowed to work in any of Disney’s future movies as Walt Disney wanted to keep her voice exclusive to the character of Snow White. The contract became catastrophic for her as it literally ended her career before it could even flourish. While Disney enjoyed the profits from the Snow White franchise, Caselotti suffered immensely because of the restrictive nature of the contract.

Apart from ‘Snow White,’ Adriana worked in only one film, MGM's ‘The Wizard of Oz’ in 1939 in which she was not credited. She also sang the song ‘If I Only Had a Heart.’

Later in 1946, she had an uncredited role in ‘It's a Wonderful Life’. In 1972, she appeared in an episode of ‘The Julie Andrews Hour’ and later made a guest appearance in ‘The Mike Douglas Show’.

Recommended Lists:

American Singers

American Actresses

Women Film & Theater Personalities

American Film & Theater Personalities

Continue Reading Below

Premature End of Career

‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ was the only credited work in Adriana Caselotti’s career. While it brought her widespread fame, it also effectively ended her career even before it began. She was made to sign a highly restrictive contact with Walt Disney prior to the release of the film which prohibited her from working in any other film or television production. She was not even allowed to appear on radio.

Awards & Achievements

In 1994, Adriana Caselotti was inducted into the hall of fame of the Disney Universe, making her the first ever female voice artist to be named in the prestigious list.

Personal Life

Adriana Caselotti was born on May 6, 1916, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Her parents were of Italian descent. Her father Guido Caselotti was a music teacher and a vocal trainer by profession while her mother Maria Orefice, who was originally from Naples, was a singer in the Royal Opera Theatre of Rome.

She had an elder sister who was also an opera singer and gave voice lessons, like their father, to several artists including Maria Callas. The family moved from Connecticut to Italy when Adriana was seven. During the three years in Italy, she studied in an Italian convent and upon returning to the United States, she started taking English lessons and voice training under her father.

Adriana Caselotti was married four times. Her first marriage was in 1945 with Robert Chard, a theater ticket broker. Following their divorce, she got married to her second husband, actor Norval Mitchell in 1952. After the death of Norval in 1972, Adriana got married to a podiatrist, Dr. Joseph Dana Costigan, who died in 1982. Her last marriage was to retired postal employee Florian St. Pierre in 1989, which ended in a divorce.

She died from lung cancer at her home in Los Angeles on January 18, 1997. She was cremated according to her wish and her remains were scattered at Newport Beach, California.

Facts About Adriana Caselotti

Adriana Caselotti was the voice behind the iconic character of Snow White in Disney's first animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

She had a unique, high-pitched voice that was perfectly suited for the role of Snow White.

Caselotti was known for her dedication to her craft, spending hours perfecting the character's voice and singing.

Despite being a talented singer, Caselotti's singing career was limited due to her association with Snow White.

She remained grateful for the opportunity to bring such a beloved character to life and continued to be a cherished figure in Disney history.

Adriana Caselotti Biography

You wanted to know

Where did Adriana Caselotti grow up?

What was Adriana Caselotti's first major role in Hollywood?

How did Adriana Caselotti get discovered for the role of Snow White?

Did Adriana Caselotti continue to work in Hollywood after voicing Snow White?

What was unique about Adriana Caselotti's voice for Snow White?