 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered at the Carthay Circle Theatre on December 21 , 1937 , to a wildly receptive audience , many of whom were the same naysayers who dubbed the film " Disney 's Folly " . The film received a standing ovation at its completion from an audience that included Judy Garland and Marlene Dietrich . Six days later , Walt Disney and the seven dwarfs appeared on the cover of Time magazine . The New York Times said " Thank you very much , Mr. Disney " . Variety suggested that " [ so ] perfect is the illusion , so tender the romance and fantasy , so emotional are certain portions when the acting of the characters strikes a depth comparable to the sincerity of human players , that the film approaches real greatness . " 
