Cinderella (1950)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Directors:

Clyde Geronimi
Wilfred Jackson

Writers:

Charles Perrault (original classic fairytale)
Bill Peet (story) ...

Release Date:

4 March 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Family | Fantasy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

The greatest love story ever told. (1957 reissue)

Plot:

When Cinderella's cruel stepmother prevents her from attending the Royal Ball, she gets some unexpected help from the lovable mice Gus and Jaq, and from her Fairy Godmother.

Plot Keywords:

Ball | Cinderella | Fairy Godmother | Prince | Castle

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Ilene Woods	...	Cinderella (voice)
Eleanor Audley	...	Lady Tremaine (voice)
Verna Felton	...	Fairy Godmother (voice)
Rhoda Williams	...	Drizella (voice)
James MacDonald	...	Bruno / Gus / Jaques (voice) (as James Macdonald)
Luis Van Rooten	...	King / Grand Duke (voice)
Don Barclay	...	Doorman (voice)

Runtime:

74 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Canada:F (Ontario) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Brazil:Livre | South Korea:All | USA:Approved (PCA #14083) (original rating) | Canada:G (video rating) | USA:G (re-rating) (1973) | Sweden:Btl | Argentina:Atp | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/6 | UK:U

Company:

Walt Disney Productions

Trivia:

In both Cinderella (1950) and Sleeping Beauty (1959), the main character's friends surprise her with a new dress, calling out "Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! Happy birthday!"

Goofs:

Continuity: When Cinderella comes down as the Grand Duke is leaving with the slipper, he turns and puts on his monocle. Then after speaking to the stepmother he removes it. When he takes Cinderella's hand to help her down the stairs, his monocle is back on his eye. We never see him replace it.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: Once upon a time in a faraway land there was a tiny kingdom, peaceful, prosperous, and rich in romance and tradition. Here in a stately chateau there lived a widowed gentleman and his little daughter, Cinderella. Although he was a kind and devoted father...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in One Hour in Wonderland (1950) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Work Song

Delightful Disney animation with some pleasant songs...

When I first saw 'Cinderella', I found it surprising that the mice had so much to do whereas in the fairy tale they were just incidental creatures. But Disney saw that giving them a big role in the main storyline was the key to providing all the humor and suspense needed to spice up the predictable story. The leading mice, Gus and Jaq are delightful creations and the valiant band of mice are given amusing bits of business.

Artistically, the animation art has a rather glossy modern look despite the fact that it's an old, old story from 1697, a classic children's fairy tale that has been done countless times as either a film, a play or a ballet. But this version will charm Disney fans young and old with its imaginative use of animation and a splendid collection of tuneful songs.

A highlight is the 'Cinderella Work Song' in which the mice make a dress for the mistreated Cinderella, full of inventive comic touches and accompanied by the intricate blend of song and animation. Add to that 'So This Is Love', 'A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes' and 'Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo' and you have a charming version of the Charles Perrault story.

For villainy, the stepmother and her black cat (Lucifer) are two of the most brilliantly animated creatures in the film. The cat reminds me of a naughty black cat I once owned. The scene where the stepmother is stroking the cat as she gives Cinderella a list of chores is striking in its use of shadow and menace. Along with some dark touches, there is always a bubbling sense of humor, particularly in this sequence.

Cinderella herself comes across as a pleasant heroine with a sense of humor herself, lifelike in her movements and one of Disney's more successful human figures. Disney's artists did greater art work in other films but this is a well-structured work, a great combination of music and clever animation. The pace is fast, even allowing for extended scenes of the mice and their shenanigans for the sub-plot. And Lucifer, the cat, makes a wonderful foil for their tricks.

The Disney touch is evident in every scene and makes this charming blend of comedy, music and romance a film with timeless appeal.