Although the Evil Queen’s unforgettable wickedness in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs owes most to the inspired work of Disney animators who drew her elongated fingers, arching eyebrows, and malevolent mien with exceptional care and inventiveness, scholars have long speculated that Walt and his animators may have also looked to contemporary live-action films for inspiration.
Disney historian J.B. Kaufman says scholars have contended that the costume and regal accessories worn by the immortal and evil Queen Ayesha (pictured here), played by Helen Gahagan in the RKO film She, may have been one source. “The film’s release in 1935 certainly coincides with production of Snow White, and Walt and his team drew on quite a number of other contemporary films in the course of production,” the scholar says. “So although there is no direct proof, I wouldn’t rule out its influence altogether.” No matter the provenance, the Evil Queen became Disney’s first unforgettable personification of evil in Queen’s clothing.
