Sleeping Beauty

Animation, Children, Family

Mary Costa	Princess Aurora
Bill Shirley	Prince Phillip
Eleanor Audley	Maleficent [Voice]
Verna Felton	Flora, [Voice]
Barbara Luddy	Merryweather
Bill Thompson	King Hubert
Taylor Holmes	King Stefan, [Voice]
Barbara Jo Allen	Fauna [Voice]
Pinto Colvig	Maleficent's goon [Voice]
Dal McKennon	Owl [Voice]
Bill Amsbery	Maleficent's goon (voice) (uncredited)
Candy Candido	Maleficent's goon (voice) (uncredited)
Animated Classic

Director	Les Clark; Eric Larson; Clyde Geronimi
Producer	Walt Disney
Writer	Charles Perrault; Erdman Penner

Disney produced this lavish animated fairy tale, the most expensive cartoon ever made up to its release with a budget of $6 million. When the young princess Aurora is cursed at birth by the evil fairy Maleficent, the baby is kidnapped by a trio of good fairies who raise the girl themselves, hoping to avoid the spell's fulfillment. Nevertheless, at the age of 16, the beautiful Aurora falls into a deep sleep that can only be awakened by a kiss from her betrothed, Prince Phillip. Knowing that Phillip intends to save Aurora, Maleficent takes him prisoner. When the good fairies launch a rescue attempt, Maleficent transforms herself into a spectacular fire-breathing dragon, forcing Phillip to defeat her in mortal combat. Sleeping Beauty (1959) was Oscar nominated for its musical score, which featured adaptations of Tchaikovsky compositions. — Karl Williams