When I was five or six years old, my mom took me to Radio City Music Hall. It was such a special outing for just the two of us. She thought I was old enough to appreciate the beauty, the grandeur of this magnificent entertainment center. I remember we both dressed for the occasion. I wore my frilliest dress, complete with white lace socks, black, patterned leather shoes, white gloves, and a hat. I was always a hat person. My mom chose the same, swapping my style of shoes for her heels. We rode the subway into Manhattan from the Bronx, leaving plenty of time for walking and discovering. When it was time to go into the theater, I was met with an usher at the door who handed me a large, colorful program and a small glass slipper. It was about four inches in length and fit perfectly in the palm of my hand. I remember being surprised at receiving this memento. I held it tightly within my small grasp, not wanting to let it go and shatter. To me, it was the most beautiful trinket I had ever received. My mom and I walked into the theater and found our seats for the sold-out show. I know I must have held my mother’s hand. I probably smiled up at her many times throughout that afternoon, but I do know I never loosened my grip on that glass slipper. I can still hear the opening words – ‘Once Upon A Time…’
At that moment, I fell in love all over again with one of my favorite fairy tales. I don’t think I moved much during that movie performance. I was in awe of the colors, the music, the songs, the mice, the Prince, the Stepmother, the Godmother, and especially the stunning CINDERELLA. She held my heart as she sang about how a dream is a wish you hope will come true. I believed every word. I have never forgotten the rags-to-riches tale. I kept my glass slipper for decades.
CINDERELLA was Walt Disney’s first feature-length film made after World War II. The studio was in dire financial straits. Disney had two teams of animators working on CINDERELLA and ALICE IN WONDERLAND at the same time. Whichever team finished first was how he decided which to premiere. CINDERELLA won. It opened in 1950 and ALICE IN WONDERLAND in 1951. CINDERELLA was a huge success, which allowed Disney to continue creating more and more wonderful storytelling. It was even nominated for three Oscars, including Best Music, Sound, and Original Song. (BIPPIDI BOPPIDI BOO) The film grossed close to one hundred million dollars.
CINDERELLA was the first film in which Disney used live-action actors to help make the animation realistic. All nine of the studio’s top animators worked together for the first time. Many scenes were created but not used in the final cut. The sweet singing voice of CINDERELLA took 308 different auditions to find the perfect one. Ilene Woods stole Disney’s heart. Funny thing, Ilene didn’t even know she was being considered for the role. Her friends sent in a demo recording without telling her. When Disney called to let her know the good news, she was extremely surprised. It was to be her only feature film in her lifetime. Disney has said he loved the purity and joy of her voice. He could not stop hearing her sing in his head. Neither could I. (Or for millions of other little girls as well.)
Disney told his animators to draw the stepmother like “Joan Crawford gone wild.” They did. Lucifer was the personality of one of the animator’s pet cats. Gus and Jack were voiced by the man who also spoke for Mickey Mouse and Goofy. There was a very Goofy laugh in the film when the King almost lost his footing on the balcony. It was pure Disney shenanigans. The Prince was never named or given any kind of personality. One actor sang for him and another gave voice to his words.
The animators took shortcuts to save money. The beginning and ending used the opening and closing of a book, with the addition of a narrator to grab the audience’s attention. The pumpkin/coach rose in the air in black and white to avoid creating an involved animated scene. The castle was later used in two other features. The creation of several CINDERELLAs within tiny bubbles harmonizing together as a group was a frugal, clever technique that allowed more budget cash for complicated, action-packed cat and mouse, hilarious chase scenes. Even I loved those silly sequences, and I am not a fan of rodents in real life, but put a shirt on a little mouse body, and I am captivated. The ball gown was where the animators pulled out all the stops. It was a spectacular vision when the Fairy Godmother created the gorgeous ensemble from the previously tattered dress. It was said to be Disney’s favorite moment, too.
The film has endured for 75 years because of its positive theme. We all will go through hard times. It is important how we handle our setbacks and obstacles. We can’t always choose who surrounds us throughout our journeys. Bullies and mean-spirited people can lurk at any corner. All we can do is keep hoping and believing better times are up ahead. We may not be able to change other people’s attitudes and behaviors, but we do have control over ourselves. This is a major lesson for children of all ages to learn. In a later article, a young man said CINDERELLA helped him get through years of being bullied. The movie encircled him with hope and highlighted how quickly situations can change. This so impressed me, and reinforces my wish for my youngest grandson, Aiden, who just watched CINDERELLA for the very first time on the big screen. He is three. I wish I still had my glass slipper to give him.
CINDERELLA is a beloved, cherished, cartoon classic that I have no doubt will stand the test of time for generations yet to come. Could this film be reimagined and remade using advanced CGI? Of course, but I fear it might lose some of its simple, engaging charm. It is not perfect, but it is, however, a masterpiece for its time. Cinema buffs must celebrate every creative second. It is one I had to direct when I was teaching theatre. What fun we had covering the entire stage with smoke as we “blew up” a pumpkin right before the audience’s eyes. The ball gown was trickier, but I won’t give away any trade secrets. I can still hear the people in my auditorium gasp with delight. It is etched in my memory box forever. It makes the impossible true. All must continue wishing and dreaming. I have never stopped. There will always be that little girl inside who is still holding her glass slipper.
CINDERELLA is available on Disney+.
