Cinderella

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