by Mark Zeiger

Created on: May 20, 2009

When old Disney movies get remastered, why do they change the voices? The answer is simple: they don't. Anyone considering the purchase of a beloved Disney classic movie need not be concerned that the voices are altered.

Disney Studios invests a lot of time, effort, and money to upgrade their re-releases to the latest standards. The VHS movies used to have their look and sound cleaned up for release, then improvements were made for the DVD releases. New releases in the 21st century include upgrades to make them more attractive in the new Blue-ray technology.

It's true, changes are sometimes made in re-release, most notably in cutting scenes that are offensive to modern viewers. A comment in the movie Aladdin that could be construed as a racial slur against Arabs disappeared, as did centaur character that reflected archaic and unflattering attitudes toward African Americans in the movie Fantasia. Lines may be dropped or altered. If new voices are added at all, then the company takes the utmost care to match the original voice. These are classic movies are beloved by millions. The Disney Company's business is making money. It is inconceivable that they would jeopardize their best-selling products by altering them in easily-discernible ways!

The idea that the character voices have been changed apparently comes from the advertising campaigns launched to announce the re-release of a Disney classic movie. Snippets of the movie are edited into television advertisements, occasionally with other voices dubbed in. Clips from the original movie that might lend excitement to the release may be used if available (for instance, if a character were to have a line of dialog in the movie such as "I've never seen things quite this clearly before!" it would be perfect). If such lines are not available, an appropriate phrase is dubbed in. In cases where the dubbed voices clearly don't match the original voice, all lines by that character may be dubbed by the same voice in the commercial for continuity's sake.

These dubbed-in voices are immediately recognizable, and often jarring to anyone who knows the movie being advertised, so the misunderstanding that the voices within the actual movie soundtrack have been changed as well is understandable. These films are precious to those who love them, and are likely to buy them. This buying audience will, of course, want the original movie, not an overdubbed approximation. Unfortunately, Disney executives have made some bad decisions about their products occasionally, such as updating colors in older classics, so people are wise to question.

If you are concerned about a new release of a favorite old film, whether from Disney or another film company, there's a very easy way to check before purchasing. Go to Amazon.com's entry for the movie in question, and read several of the consumer reviews. If there is a change in the movie, real or perceived, someone is sure to mention it! Be careful, though, because these reviews are submitted by amateur writers, and there are no fact-checkers. Our memories are not always foolproof. Many times someone thinks they remember an original film differently than it actually is. By reading several of the reviews, any discrepancies are usually brought to one's attention by other reviewers. Also, make sure that the reviews are for the specific release you're considering. Most Amazon reviews note if the review refers to the release in question, or a different one. This source of information doesn't always work, but it often provides a very quick assessment of any film you wish to buy.

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