Voices of Sandra Dee, Tommy Kirk, Paul Frees, and Patty McCormick
Directed by Lev Atamanov
Music by Diane Lampert; Lyrics by Richard Loring
Frozen wasn't the first time the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale The Snow Queen was made into a major animated film. This was one of the first films from the Soviet Union to get an export to the US during the height of the early Cold War rivalry between the two countries. This first translation wound up being one of the most influential animated films of the mid-20th century, particularly in Japan and the US. How does this retelling of the little girl who seeks the enigmatic ice ruler who abducted her friend look today? Let's begin, at least in this version, with TV personality Art Linkletter giving Christmas gifts to children before telling them the story and find out...
The Story: Ol' Dreamy (Frees), a tiny elf in a book-filled room, narrates our tale. Gerda (Dee) and Kai (Kirk) were the closest of friends, until Kai insulted the Snow Queen (Louise Arthur). The frozen ruler sends shards of ice into Kai's heart and eyes, making him cruel and hateful. Ignoring Gerda, he ties his sled to the Snow Queen's sleigh. She wants to teach him a lesson and brings him to her palace.
Gerda is despondent without her friend and leaves the city to find him. No one can stop Gerda from bringing home her beloved friend, not the Summer Witch (June Foray) who tries to make her forget Kai, the Prince (Dick Beals) she mistakes for Kai, or even the spirited robber girl (McCormick) who takes her prisoner. With the help of the robber kid's reindeer and a kindly Laplander native (Foray), she's able to make her way to the frozen north and free her dearest friend from the clutches of the icy royal.
The Animation: I can see why this was so influential. You can see the genesis of many fairy-tale animated films that came out in the later 20th and early 21st century here, from Rankin-Bass specials to recent Disney hits. This looks like the most exquisite Disney fantasy from this era, with the adorable children, the wobbly, grotesque bandits that look like they come from some of Mickey Mouse's earliest shorts, and some of the beautiful, almost painterly backdrops and shadowy, snowy woods.
The Song and Dance: I've only seen the Universal version, but it is charming. Dee is lovely and Frees and Foray have some funny moments, but the real winner in the first English cast is McCormick. She's clearly having a ball playing the tough robber's daughter who would never admit that she actually has a heart under that thief's hide. She's so upset and so touching when she finally lets Gerda and her animal friends go, you really do feel sorry for her. No wonder her animals went back, despite the abuse she gave them earlier.
The Numbers: Linkletter kicks us off as he admonishes his charges to gaze into a "magic" mirror with "One, Two Snowflakes." That leads us directly into the jaunty title song, which largely makes the Snow Queen sound a lot more pleasant than she actually ends up being. "Do It While You're Young" is the brief number that eventually awakens Gerda when she's under the Summer Fairy's trance and reminds her that she must find Kai. "The Jolly Robbers" perform their chorus number as they go after Gerda.
Trivia: This wasn't the last time The Snow Queen would be translated for English-speaking audiences. A 1985 release that made it to video in 1993 used three voices, added rock songs, and wasn't well-received. The third dubbing debuted in 1995 as part of the series Stories From My Childhood and had a far more star-studded voice cast that included Mickey Rooney as Ol' Dreamy, Kirsten Dunst as Gerda, and Kathleen Turner as the Snow Queen.
What I Don't Like: Critics apparently took potshots at the silly Art Linkletter opening with the kids even in 1959, and yeah, they're right. It's completely unnecessary, and nowadays, annoyingly dated. He and the kids are never heard from again after their chant, not even for a few minutes in the finale. Kirk sounds stiff and bored even when he's supposed to be having fun with Gerda in the opening and doesn't get anywhere near the two girls' performances.
The Big Finale: Even with some so-so performances and the unmemorable songs, this is still highly recommended for the gorgeous animation alone.
Home Media: Considering how easy it is to find this nowadays, this is practically in the public domain in the US. It's currently free on Tubi with commercials. The version on YouTube uses the 2020 Russian restoration with the 1959 voice cast (sans the Linkletter opening).
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