After the war, Disney was over $4 million in debt and close
to bankruptcy. He needed a miracle if his company was going to stay in business
and figured it was time to turn back to feature film making. After two years of
production, Cinderella was released
February 15, 1950. A commercial success, Cinderella
brought Walt back in the black and became one of the most loved Disney
films ever made, making the American Film Institute’s top 10 animated films at
#9. It also won the Golden Bear (Music Film) award at the first Berlin
International Film Festival and was nominated for Best Sound, Original Music
Score and Best Song. However, it lost to Sunset
Boulevard and Captain Carey, USA.
Cinderella (Ilene Woods) is the only child of a widowed
aristocrat, but after deciding that she needs a mother’s care, he marries Lady
Tremaine (Eleanor Audley) and soon dies. Tremaine has two daughters from a
first marriage (Drizella and Anastasia), who are envious of Cinderella’s
beauty. After the death, they take over the estate and mistreat Cinderella.
Despite being forced into servitude, Cinderella befriends the animals living in
the barn and the mice and birds who live in and around the estate.
One day, Cinderella finds a new mouse in a trap cage, who
she names Gus (Jimmy MacDonald). She gives him some clothes and tells another
mouse, Jaq (MacDonald), to tell him about the cat Lucifer. They go to spy on
him, but Gus eventually finds his way in a teacup meant for Anastasia. When she
gets the cup, she tells Tremaine, who makes Cinderella do extra chores.
Meanwhile, the King (Louis Van Rooten) is distressed that
his son does not intend to marry. However, he is determined to have
grandchildren and organizes a ball for his son to find someone to marry. Every
eligible maiden in the kingdom is requested to attend. Cinderella asks
Tremaine, and she agress if Cinderella is able to finish her chores and find a
nice dress. The animals fix a gown for her while she is doing chores and Jaq
and Gus grab a sash and beads dumped by Drizella and Anastasia. They finish
just as the royal carriage arrives, but when Cinderella comes down, Tremaine
subtly points out the beads and sash. The stepsisters believe Cinderella stole
them and rip the gown. Cinderella runs away heartbroken, but is visited by her
Fairy Godmother (Verna Felton). During song, the Fairy Godmother transforms a
pumpkin into a carriage, the mice into horses, the horse into a coachman, and
the dog into a footman. She leaves with a warning that the spell will break at
midnight.
At the ball, the prince (William Phipps) reject every girl
until he sees Cinderella. The two fall in love and dane until midnight. He
tries to get her name, but Cinderella flees and drops one of her glass
slippers. After her clothes revert to normal, she reminisces about the dance
and the mice point out the other glass slipper is still on her foot. Back at
the castle, the Duke tells the King they couldn’t find her, but plan to find
the owner of the slipper they recovered.
The next morning, the King proclaims the Grand Duke will
visit every house in the kingdom to find the girl whose foot fits the glass
slipper so she can marry the Prince. News reaches Cinderella’s estate and she
hums the song played from the ball. Lady Tremaine realizes she saw Cinderella at
the ball and locks her in her attic bedroom.
The Duke arrives, but the slipper doesn’t fit the
stepsisters. The mice help Cinderella escape and she appears just as the Grand
Duke is about to leave. Tremaine trips the footman, causing him to drop and
shatter the slipper. He laments that the King will be furious, but Cinderella
produces the other slipper, which he slides onto her foot. Cinderella and the
Prince soon marry and the story ends as they leave in their wedding carriage.
It’s thanks to this movie that Disney turned into the giant
it is today. And the credit is rightly deserved. It’s a wonderful story about dreams
and faith alongside some beautiful animation. Most of the characters are
believable as well. Lady Tremaine is the perfect sociopath, willing to do
anything to further herself and the stepsisters are portrayed well as children
of that sociopath. On the other end of the spectrum, Cinderella is always
faithful and hopeful, but is relatable in how she nearly loses it when
everything starts to crash down. And there’s the music, which is just
spectacular. I mentioned in my review of Pinocchio
that “When You Wish Upon a Star” was practically made Disney’s theme song.
Well, “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes” more or less became the secondary leitmotif
for the Disney Company (Musicians, if I’m using that wrong, let me know).
Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo also should have won that Oscar.
On the other hand, while the mice are entertaining, their
voices an get a little grating, but that doesn’t detract from the quality of
the film. Their song isn’t terrible and Jaq and Gus provide excellent comic relief.
Final Call: Damn near perfect. #1
Cinderella received its first sequel in February of 2002. Cinderella II: Dreams Come True grossed
about $120 million in sales, but was met with completely negative responses. It
holds the dubious honor of having a 0% on Rotten Tomatoes and was cited by
Lasseter, along with The Little Mermaid
II of why the sequel department shouldn’t exist. It also starred Jennifer
Hale, Corey Burton, Russi Taylor, Christopher Daniel Barnes, and Gina La Piana.
