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evil fairy Maleficent is responsible for all misfortune that befalls Stefan's kingdom; even the merest killing frost bears her mark. So when only the good fairies are invited to bestow gifts upon the newborn princess Aurora, the slighted sorceress arrives in a thunderclap to bestow her own "gift." "Before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday, she shall prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die." For 16 years, the Forbidden Mountains thunder with wrath and frustration as the meddling good fairies keep Aurora hidden from Maleficent's searching minions. Beyond a matter of honor, this has become a matter of ego. Her pride, her evil will not be denied. So Maleficent sends her beloved raven to search for Aurora. Just as the curse is about to expire, Maleficent finds her quarry and strikes. Savoring her victory over the weeping good fairies, she gloats, "You poor simple fools, thinking you could defeat me, me! The mistress of all evil." But Maleficent had best not underestimate her virtuous adversaries. Before the day is done, she'll have to assume her most fearsome guise, as a fire-breathing dragon, to defend all she's won.
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Maleficent's fearfully caustic persona was voiced by Eleanor Audley, who had previously performed Lady Tremaine, the wicked stepmother in "Cinderella" (1950). She also provided filmed inspiration for both of these infamous characters. Dancer Jane Fowler shared live-action reference duties for Maleficent.
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In search of the sound of a dragon's fiery breath, sound effects man Jim Macdonald asked the U.S. Army to send the studio some training films on flame throwing and found just the blazing wrath he was listening for.
Film: "Sleeping Beauty" (1959)
Voice Artist: Eleanor Audley
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