Quiz: Can You Name the Disney Movie by Its Opening Line?

Over the years, so many books have become famous for their opening lines. Think of A Tale of Two Cities' insistence that it was both the best of times and the worst, or Pride and Prejudice's "truth universally acknowledged." But while it's common to see trivia quizzes asking about literary lines, it's much less common to test the same knowledge with movies.

Whether you've memorized the whole script or can match the line to the movies' plots and themes, this 15-question quiz is the ultimate challenge for Disney lovers!

Disney movies, which are considered some of the most iconic films ever made, are better known for catchphrases and throwaway jokes, rather than their opening lines. But that doesn't mean they are impossible. Disney fans who have seen the movies repeatedly may find that the opening lines of dialogue or narration are actually easy to match back to their films.

How did you do? While some of the lines in this quiz gave you some clues, others were very difficult to be sure of. After all, practically any princess film might have started with Cinderella's opening line (and in fact, Sleeping Beauty's first line is eerily similar). But if the ones you missed are frustrating you, it may be time for your next Disney movie marathon.

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Disney's Most Prominent Writers

Opening lines are important because they help set the tone and expectations for the audience while they adjust to the world of the movie. Getting one that really stands out is a sign of a skillful writer. Yet it's uncommon for Disney's writers to get as much attention as the animators and lyricists.

One reason for this is that Disney movies rarely had one clear writer in the early years. Instead, multiple storytellers would work together with the animators to create the final picture.

For example, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs had eight writers sharing the byline. Pinocchio had seven; The Reluctant Dragon had 12. This was in part because the early projects took so long. By the time a scene needed a rewrite, the original writer might have already left the company or moved on to another project.

However, there were some clear stand-out writers in the company, even then. Joe Grant and Dick Heumer worked together on Fantasia and Dumbo, while Ted Sears and Otto Englander were prominent names in projects like Snow White and Pinocchio.

Many of these figures continued writing for Disney in the turbulent World War II era, when the movies became more eclectic. In addition to adding live action to their stories, many of the films in the 1940s were essentially compilations of animated shorts, which increased the writer count. 1946's Make Mine Music was made up of ten different segments, with a total of 17 writers involved.

The 1950s brought a new golden age, with classic films like Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, and Sleeping Beauty. These also had multiple writers credited, including heavy hitters like Erdman Penner and T. Hee. These writers were masters of adaptation, transforming books and fairy tales into stories perfect for animation.

The 1960s marked a shift. While there were still many animated features being made by multiple writers, there were also several that were written by only one or two people. Bill Peet, who had contributed to eight previous films, was the sole writer of One Hundred and One Dalmatians and The Sword in the Stone. Meanwhile, live-action classics like Mary Poppins were written by Bill Walsh
and Don DaGradi.

The next few decades continued the broad pattern of having large story departments working on the writing for the animated films and smaller collaborations working on the live-action ones. Most of the animated movies included contributions from Larry Clemmons, Vance Gerry, and Ken Anderson.

Although some films still had massive story departments working on them in the 1990s, the Disney Renaissance era had a few major players influencing its direction. John Musker and Ron Clements worked on The Great Mouse Detective, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules, and Treasure Planet.

In addition, Linda Woolverton worked on Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, while Tab Murphy worked on The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Tarzan, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, and Brother Bear.

Since the 2000s, Disney's biggest hits have been a blend of old names and new ones. Musker and Clements continued working for Disney with The Princess and the Frog and Moana. But a few big names rose alongside them, including Dan Fogelman (Tangled and Bolt), Jennifer Lee (Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen, Zootopia, and Wish), and Jared Bush (Zootopia, Moana, and Encanto).

Despite their many contributions to the company, only three of the writers mentioned above have been officially honored as Disney Legends. The writers and storytellers have historically been ignored by both Disney as a company and by its viewers, but looking back to see who contributed to your favorite Disney movie may help you develop a greater appreciation for these critical players.

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