Sheet music:With a Smile and a Song / Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Just as movie studios would later release sound tracks to build on box-office revenues, the early film industry allied itself with the production of sheet music. Walt Disney considered his 1937 landmark "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" - the first full-length animated feature in history - as much a musical achievement as a cinematic one. Disney originally planned the film as a musical and believed that the music should be woven into the story line rather than added as an afterthought. The film features eight songs by Frank Churchill (music) and Larry Morey (lyrics), which comprised the first sound track in movie history. Featuring some of the best-known songs of all time, the film generated more hits than any other Disney production. In 1938 "The Hit Parade" featured an unprecedented six songs from the film, including the one represented here, "With a Smile and a Song." Countering criticism that a cartoon would appeal only to children, the film became the biggest box-office success in the history of movies at the time. The Motion Picture Academy honored Disney in 1938 for his pioneering achievement, presenting him with a special Oscar: one large one with seven smaller ones at its side.