Building a Bed - Evolution of a Gag

Building a Bed Gag Sketches

Below are two sets of gag sketch drawings, three each in sequence, included in the "Fairest One of All" art exhibit at Disney's California Adventure, which illustrate a similar gag that was ultimately not included in the final Snow White released film.

The first set is described at the exhibit as follows:

Painting Ivy on a Post

Story Sketch Gag

Graphite and Colored Pencil on paper

Although artists suggested scores of ideas for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Walt only selected those gags that revealed a character's personality and moved the story forward. This gag concept was not included in the film.

If you click on the images you'll see a much bigger image where you can see there were captions at the bottom of each drawing explaining the gag. Here's what they say:

1. Swings vine at bed post. It wraps around post.
2. He slacks up and vine springs away from post
3. Leaving a leaf design - repeat.


Next, A More Mature Variation on the Gag

A similar gag sequence has the final Dwarf characterization, Sneezy in this case. The sequence is described as follows:

Carving a Post

Story Sketch Gag

Graphite and Colored Pencil on paper

In this scenario, Sneezy's affliction actually helps him carve a bedpost.

Click to see the larger images and you'll notice the drawings are labeled "Unit G" and are hand numbered sequentially, 28, 29 and 30. They also have sequential stamped numbers, 0072 - 0074 on the right side bottom.

The large amount of organization, planning, detail and coordination over years that went in to making Snow White can be appreciated a bit more with these drawings presented in the exhibit. Gag writing and tweaking clearly went on for years as these two sets of sequences show how the gag was tweaked and evolved with the characters.

Yet, as with the Dwarfs Eating Soup scene, it still did not make it in to the film.

Dopey Chopping a Tree Limb

From the Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho board at the California Adventure Snow White art exhibit, Dopey stands on a tree branch he is chopping off. A scene that did not make it in to the final movie.


This is described as a Story Sketch, it's graphite and colored pencil on paper. Note that it is Dopey. A number of gag sketches I will post later are of dwarfs, but not the final Seven Dwarfs, as this one is.

Notice also the comment written on the illustration, "STICK TONGUE OUT OF CORNER MOUTH".

To me this looks as if this sketch idea might fit in with the "Building a Bed" sequence that did not make it in to the final movie. The exhibit has a board dedicated to that sequence. I'll post pictures from that soon.

Click on the picture to get a larger image and feel free to save it.