Cinderella (1957) (TV)

Director:

Ralph Nelson

Writer:

Oscar Hammerstein II (writer)

Release Date:

31 March 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Musical | Family | Comedy | Fantasy | Romance

Plot:

The first of three TV-versions of the classic fairy tale that featured a Rodgers and Hammerstein score. |

Plot Keywords:

Cinderella | Fairy Tale | Live Broadcast | Character Name In Title

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys.

Cast

Julie Andrews	...	Cinderella
Howard Lindsay	...	King
Dorothy Stickney	...	The Queen
Ilka Chase	...	The Stepmother
Kaye Ballard	...	Stepsister Portia
Alice Ghostley	...	Stepsister Joy
Edie Adams	...	Fairy Godmother (as Edith Adams)
Jon Cypher	...	Prince Christopher
Robert Penn	...	Town Crier
Alexander Clark	...	The Captain of the Guard
Iggie Wolfington	...	The Chef
David F. Perkins	...	The Court Tailor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Charles Aschmann	...	Ensemble
Herb Banke	...	Ensemble
Donald Barton	...	Ensemble
Julius J. Bloom	...	Ensemble
Hank Brunjes	...	Ensemble
Robert Burland	...	Ensemble
John Call	...	Ensemble
Jean Caples	...	Ensemble
Jean Coates	...	Ensemble
Jerome Collamore	...	Ensemble
Sally Crane	...	Ensemble
Richard Crowley	...	Ensemble
William Damian	...	Ensemble
Grace Dorian	...	Ensemble
Debbie Douglas	...	Ensemble
Jose Falcion	...	Ensemble
Pat Finch	...	Ensemble
Marvin Goodis	...	Ensemble
Martha Greenhouse	...	Ensemble
George Hall	...	The King's Steward
Gloria Hamilton	...	Ensemble
Dorothy Hill	...	Ensemble
Stuart Hodes	...	Ensemble
Diana Hunter	...	Ensemble
Kathy Kelly	...	Ensemble
Joseph Layton	...	Ensemble
Karen Lock	...	Ensemble
Leland Mayforth	...	Ensemble
Margot Moser	...	Ensemble
Giselle Orkin	...	Ensemble
Jacquelyn Paige	...	Ensemble
Hazel Patterson	...	Ensemble
Eleanor Phelps	...	Ensemble
Alex Polermo	...	Ensemble
Earl Rogers	...	Ensemble
John Smolko	...	Ensemble
Tao Strong	...	Ensemble
Johnny Towsen	...	Ensemble
Jayne Turner	...	Ensemble
Karen Waters	...	Ensemble

Also Known As:

Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

76 min (dvd release) | USA:90 min (including commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White (surviving Kinescope prints) | Colour (original broadcast)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

CBS Television

Trivia:

It was Richard Rodgers who wanted the Fairy Godmother (played by Edie Adams) to be a beautiful young woman, arguing that, since she had magical powers, it made more sense - a concept that met with disagreement among the creative staff until the composer's view prevailed.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: The shadow of the boom mike visible on the right side of screen when Cinderella sings "In My Own Little Corner".

Quotes:

Cinderella: [singing] It's possible!

Movie Connections:

Featured in My Favorite Things: Julie Andrews Remembers (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

Overture

Julie Andrews Shines!

Back in the golden age of television, when TV specials were just that, waiting for the broadcast of a show like "Cinderella" was truly an anticipated event. Add the names of Rodgers and Hammerstein and Star-in-the-making Julie Andrews, and you have an entertainment milestone! This was the celebrated songwriters only musical especially written for television, and it is a classic. The project was specifically intended to showcase Andrews (then appearing on Broadway in "My Fair Lady"). The hand-picked cast included Ilka Chase as the stepmother, Edie (here billed as Edith) Adams as the fairy godmother, and Broadway Stars Howard Lindsay and his wife, Dorothy Stickney as the king and queen. A newcomer, John Cypher, later to gain fame on ''Hill Street Blues'' was cast as the prince, and up and coming comedians Alice Ghostley and Kaye Ballard played the stepsisters. Because this was before the advent of videotape, the production was kine scoped while being broadcast live, although the original color kine scope was lost. Julie Andrews may look somewhat matronly (even at 21) to be Cinderella, but her lovely voice and star quality carry her through Fans of "Mary Poppins" and "The Sound Of Music" will be pleasantly surprised to see how vulnerable she can be. Cypher is a suitable prince, with a good voice, while Adams is pushing a bit too hard as the godmother. Ilka chase, as the stepmother, and Ghostley and Ballard as the stepsisters are more silly than wicked. In all fairness though, this version was written more as a modern take off on the fairy tale, while the 1965 remake returned to the mood of the traditional story. The sets and costumes are rather cut-rate, somewhere between medieval and '50s modern, but they get by. Andrews is really the reason to see this, and it did attract a record audience at the time. The DVD is a treat with a remastered black-and white picture which, while not perfect, is good enough. There are several nice extras, including a documentary with Andrews, Cypher, Adams and Ballard reminiscing about the making of the production. Either for historic or entertainment reasons, "Cinderella" is well worth having. It's not every day you can watch a star being born.