Winthrop Ames

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Winthrop Ames

Originally produced on Broadway in 1912, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was a popular success with audiences and critics alike. Winthrop Ames, who was a prosperous Broadway director, producer, and playwright, was one of the first producers to devote themselves to producing serious plays on Broadway intended entirely for children. Writing under the pseudonym of Jessie Braham White, Ames spared no expense with his production and when the after school three-thirty performances started selling out, he was forced to add an extra performance every week at eleven o'clock on Saturday mornings. After its Broadway production, the acting edition was published by Samuel French and became a staple of children's theatre throughout the first half of the 20th century. Ames' version is also credited as the inspiration for Walt Disney's Academy Award winning animated movie.