I first saw this film when I was in boarding school. It was so magical for me that I recall skipping back to the dorm room, actually wanting to be Cinderella.
Careful what you wish for - because in many ways, I went on to become a Cinderella of sorts. Instead of a wicked stepmother, I had a stepfather for whom I basically became a house maiden. Not so much because he asked for it, but it became a necessity, among other reasons. Truth is, when you treat a kid like they're unwelcome in their own home, they may resort to serving people - just to try to win them over. But that's another story (that I'm actually writing).
Back to the movie. I thought about this film for days and days and days after seeing it. It left that much of an impression upon me. This is also when I fell in love with Leslie Ann Warren's work.
This version of Rodgers & Hammerstein's made-for-TV musical offers more of a realistic setting, if there really is such a thing for a fairy tale. There are no singing mice or other distractions. Just a very pure telling of this popular tale. The songs are all sung with a sense of longing and wonderment.
Leslie Ann Warren is breathtakingly beautiful as the unfortunate heroine, scraping and scrapping for whatever bit of respect she can get, as she toils and toils away for what is supposed to be her family. Celeste Holm is wonderful as the Fairy Godmother and Ginger Rogers' turn as the Queen, along with Walter Pidgeon as the King are spot-on.
This tale of love travels along a much more subtle trajectory. What really makes this version such a definitive Cinderella story is its faithfulness to Perrault's fairy tale. Rather than alter it as was always done in previous versions, we are treated to the most honest rendition of the story. That's just one other reason why this film is so beloved. For me, no other film of this kind from my childhood still brings back such fond feelings, even if the circumstances of my own life tended to mimic the story in so many ways. Thankfully, at least I even had the Prince Charming!
Careful what you wish for - because in many ways, I went on to become a Cinderella of sorts. Instead of a wicked stepmother, I had a stepfather for whom I basically became a house maiden. Not so much because he asked for it, but it became a necessity, among other reasons. Truth is, when you treat a kid like they're unwelcome in their own home, they may resort to serving people - just to try to win them over. But that's another story (that I'm actually writing).
Back to the movie. I thought about this film for days and days and days after seeing it. It left that much of an impression upon me. This is also when I fell in love with Leslie Ann Warren's work.
This version of Rodgers & Hammerstein's made-for-TV musical offers more of a realistic setting, if there really is such a thing for a fairy tale. There are no singing mice or other distractions. Just a very pure telling of this popular tale. The songs are all sung with a sense of longing and wonderment.
Leslie Ann Warren is breathtakingly beautiful as the unfortunate heroine, scraping and scrapping for whatever bit of respect she can get, as she toils and toils away for what is supposed to be her family. Celeste Holm is wonderful as the Fairy Godmother and Ginger Rogers' turn as the Queen, along with Walter Pidgeon as the King are spot-on.
This tale of love travels along a much more subtle trajectory. What really makes this version such a definitive Cinderella story is its faithfulness to Perrault's fairy tale. Rather than alter it as was always done in previous versions, we are treated to the most honest rendition of the story. That's just one other reason why this film is so beloved. For me, no other film of this kind from my childhood still brings back such fond feelings, even if the circumstances of my own life tended to mimic the story in so many ways. Thankfully, at least I even had the Prince Charming!