In previous posts we dealt with the subject of the revolution of dubbing (specifically, in animated Disney films). Starting in the 1940s, this aspect of internationalization of film was subject to incredible improvements. But which is considered to be among the best dubbing jobs in history? And, more important still, what characteristics does it display?
Through to the present day, connoisseurs of the matter don’t cease to mention the dubbing of the 1959 animated film Sleeping Beauty as one of the best in history, if not the best of all. The story behind how this film was dubbed, which is a work of art unto itself, is very interesting and explains why even Walt Disney himself admitted that it vastly outperformed the feature’s original version. During those years, the dubbing work was performed in the Churubusco studios, in Mexico. Given the preparation of the actors and musical professionals, Disney honored them for their work.
Some of the most noteworthy characteristics of this dubbing job were:
-Edmundo Santos, the Disney dubbing master since the 1940s, was in charge of the composition.
-The direction of the musical arrangements was charged to Eduardo Hernández Moncada, director of the National Conservatory of Music of Mexico.
-The lyrical singers Lupita Pérez Arias and Alejandro Algara lent their voices to the characters’ songs.
-The actors and actresses who lent their voices to the spoken portions of the films were very prominent figures in film and radio drama at the time. They included Rosario Muñoz Ledo (famous for her interpretations of villains, she was given the role of Maleficent), Fanny Schiller, Magdalena Ruvalcaba, Carlota Solares and Luis Manuel Pelayo.
-The voice of the protagonist, Aurora, was tasked to Estrellita Diaz, a Cuban actress very well-known as an opera singer.
-Alberto Gavira and Dagoberto de Cervantes, recognized as being no less than the first dubbing artists in history, lent their voices to the roles of the two kings (the father of Aurora and the father of Phillip).
Unfortunately, this dubbed version has not been released in modern media formats, such as DVD or Blu-Ray, due to supposed complications arising from the dubbing artists’ rights. A reverse version of the dubbing was released in 2001, which is what was used in the last versions of the film, though its reception among the public was rather lackluster. We hope that, in the future, the original dubbing will be used again, thus ensuring that one of the best dubbing jobs in history is not lost forever.
