Disney’s ‘Sleeping Beauty’ and ‘Old Yeller’ Added To The Library of Congress National Film Registry

The Library of Congress National Film Registry has added to classic Disney films (one animated, one live-action) as part of the 2019 class. According to Variety, Walt Disney classics Old Yeller and Sleeping Beauty received the coveted honor on Wednesday. Each year the Library of Congress adds a select number of films to the National Registry to ensure their preservation in American History. The films chosen must be deemed to be culturally significant in some way. Read: Disney Updates Theatrical Release Schedule Through 2023 The two films join other Disney films including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Dumbo, Bambi, The Lion King, Cinderella and shorts including Steamboat Willie on the Registry. over 50 Disney (created or acquired) films are on the prestigious list of 750 films. Released in 1957, and based on the book of the same name by Fred Gipson, Old Yeller is inspired by a true story and follows the Coates family, living in Texas in the late 1860s. When father Jim (played by Davy Crockett star Fess Parker) encounters a stray dog, he names him Old Yeller and brings him home. The family falls in love with Old Yeller, but when tragedy strikes, son Travis (Tommy Kirk) will have to make a devastating decision. Released in 1959, Walt Disney’s 16th animated feature follows the evil witch Maleficent (Eleanor Audley) who curses Princess Aurora (Mary Costa) to die on her 16th birthday. Thanks to Aurora’s guardian fairies (Verna Felton, Barbara Jo Allen, Barbara Luddy), she only falls into a deep sleep that can be ended with a kiss from her betrothed, Prince Phillip (Bill Shirley). To prevent Phillip from rescuing Aurora, Maleficent kidnaps and imprisons him. The good fairies are the last hope to free Phillip so that he can awaken Aurora. Source: Variety