By Kim Morgan
Special to MSN Movies

We all know the tune. We can all sing the tune. We may even use the tune in a cynical moment of "Yeah, right." "Someday My Prince Will Come." But while it may be one of the most famous songs in the history of animated movies, ask those familiar with Disney's masterful "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" just who sang it. Unless they're a true animation fan (or Leonard Maltin) more than likely, they won't know. Either that, or they'll answer, Snow White sang it of course!

Actually, one Adriana Caselotti sang that legendary bit of wistful hope, a young woman whose ultra feminine pipes would supply not just the songs but the speaking voice of the red-lipped, dark-haired damsel. The 18-year-old newcomer was paid less than $1,000 and was uncredited for her work, while the 1937 picture (a controversial gamble in its day) made millions, becoming the enduring classic we've come to cherish; in other words, something that would never happen in animated films today. This is Walt Disney's Snow White! Now, the studio would be demanding Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts or Reese Witherspoon in the plum lead. And I won't even get started on the prince, the witch or all seven of the dwarves who would surely be voiced by cinemas most in-demand character actors, comedians and personalities. You can picture the trailer. And Vince Vaughn as ... Grumpy!

Just look at the glittering roster gracing the frames of "Shrek the Third." Following Mike Myers' beloved green ogre is a multi-generational, multi-talented mixed bag of celebrities. Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, John Cleese, Justin Timberlake, Ian McShane, Amy Sedaris and, yep, Larry King. Take a look at last year's live-action, talking-animal charmer "Charlotte's Web," a movie that boasted not only the teaming of Dakota Fanning with Julia Roberts (albeit as a Spider), but, among others, Oprah Winfrey, Steve Buscemi, Sam Shepard, Robert Redford,Cedric the Entertainer, Kathy Bates and Andre Benjamin. My Lord! And some of us fondly remember Debbie Reynolds and Paul Lynde leading the original animated "Web." Times have certainly changed -- but why? Why does everyone from Paul Newman to Woody Allen show up in animated features?

The Genie Comes Out of the Bottle
Blame it on Robin Williams. Well, blame it partially on Robin Williams. And, Tom Hanks can shoulder some of the responsibility. Though decades earlier animated films did feature famous voices (prime examples are Peggy Lee in "Lady and the Tramp"; Louis Prima in "The Jungle Book"; Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor in "The Rescuers"; and, Jeff Bridges and Mia Farrow in "The Last Unicorn"), it was usually considered either tantamount to B-movie making or an act of stunt casting for a great big star to pipe in. The excellent and unforgettable abilities of vocal talents were still regularly employed, unselfishly allowing the characters of Mickey Mouse, Bambi, Peter Pan and Cruella De Ville to exist as their own inventions. If stars were needed, Disney voice talent Paul Frees could do a spot on W.C. Fields, Humphrey Bogart or Peter Lorre in a snap. And, though vocal genius Mel Blanc (the "man with a thousand voices") was a name star, he had, as they say, a face for radio. But no matter. Back then, kids didn't point to the blonde lady talking on the TV and say ... "Dora" (that's Ellen DeGeneres from "Finding Nemo," in case you didn't know). When Robin Williams almost literally popped out of a bottle with his famous three wishes, a change was brewing.

Following the critically acclaimed successes of "The Little Mermaid" and the Oscar-nominated "Beauty and The Beast" (a movie some think is one of the finest animated films ever made), 1992's "Aladdin" came with additional prestige. Through time and a lot of less acclaimed pictures, many had forgotten that animated features could be works of art and, at the very least, blockbuster entertainment. In the case of "Aladdin," it was a set-chomping, scene-stealing coup. Who even remembers Aladdin or Princess Jasmine? All anyone could talk about was the manic, motor mouthed Robin Williams as the rapid fire, improvisational blue genie zipping across the screen, delighting and dazzling even those usually annoyed with the rambunctious actor. So impressive were his vocal talents, some critics thought Williams should be nominated for an Academy Award. No longer were animated films strictly the repository for Dom DeLuise (with all due respect to Mr. DeLuise and "All Dogs Go to Heaven"); this gig could make you one of the most popular actors in the world.

Next: More Animated Actors