Numbers

The Seven Dwarfs of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937)

• Bashful
• Doc
• Dopey
• Grumpy
• Happy
• Sleepy
• Sneezy

The names of the seven dwarfs listed above were created for the Disney film from 1937. They were not in the original folktales on which the film is based.

The impact of the film and its characters on American culture has been enormous. Not only has the film sometimes been ranked as the best animated film of all time, but from its release in 1937, it has inspired artists with its music—songs like "Someday My Prince Will Come" have become standards—and its story with such parodies as "Ball of Fire" (1941) starring Barbara Stanwyck and Gary Cooper and "Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs" (1943) one of the Censored Eleven Warner Bros. cartoons coming out within a few years of the film's original release. The film and its characters also inspired other things including a B-29 bomber squadron during World War II called "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."

The resonance of the film, its characters, and their names has continued in American culture since that time with examples such as an episode of "The Brady Bunch," first broadcast in 1973, where the each of the dwarfs is portrayed by one of the six Brady children with the seventh dwarf played by Sam the Butcher—and Snow White by their mother, Carol, the evil Queen by their housekeeper, Alice, and Prince Charming by their father, Mike:

• Greg as Doc
• Marsha as Sleepy
• Peter as Sneezy
• Jan as Happy
• Bobby as Bashful
• Cindy as Grumpy
• Sam the Butcher as Dopey

and "Sydney White" (2007) where a fraternity house of seven nerds (the film is also known as "Sydney White and the Seven Dorks") is turned around by a freshman, Sydney White, played by Amanda Bynes.

In addition, the term "seven dwarfs" has been used as the nicknames of a group of companies in the computer industry and the group of contenders for the 1988 Democratic Presidential primaries.

How It's Used

"Dear Diary:

"Two friends and I were driving into the city from New Jersey to attend an awards luncheon for another friend at the Hilton New York on Avenue of the Americas. As usual, we were late, and as we drove across 42nd Street, we were alarmed to find signs at every intersection prohibiting all turns.

"So we finally decided to chance it and make an illegal right turn onto Lexington, figuring we could go around the block and head uptown.

"Wouldn’t you know it: There were two of New York’s finest, sitting in their squad car waiting for offenders like us. They pulled us over.

"My friend Karen, who was driving, batted her eyes and said sweetly, 'So sorry, officers, but I’m from California and we didn’t see the sign and we’re late for our friend’s awards lunch.'

"The officers told us to wait a minute and then stepped away to confer.

"When they returned, one of them said, 'Ladies, we’re going to let you go — on one condition.'

"We waited, eager and relieved.

“'You’ve got to name all Seven Dwarfs.'

"Amid laughter we thought hard: Sneezy, Bashful, Dopey, Sleepy, Grumpy, Doc and ... Happy!

"Grateful and amused, we drove off, arriving at the Hilton just in time for cocktails."

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