The Disney Discussion - Cinderella

Over the course of the year, we'll be spending our Wednesdays with Walt, having a discussion about each of Disney's animated films...

Movie #12 of The Disney Discussion

Cinderella (1950)

Featuring the voice talents of Ilene Woods, Eleanor Audley, Luis Van Rooten, Jimmy MacDonald, William Phipps, Lucille Bliss, Rhoda Williams, and Verna Felton

Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, and Wilfred Jackson; Ben Sharpsteen (production supervisor)

Summary (in 150 words or less):

The beautiful Cinderella has constantly been at the beck and call of her stepmother Lady Tremaine and her two stepsisters Anastasia and Drizella ever since her father died when she was a child.  She cooks, cleans, and never has time for herself.  When the king sends out an announcement across the land that all the single ladies (if you start humming Beyoncé now, I apologize) attend a ball in order to be introduced to his son, Prince Charming, Cinderella can't wait to go.  However, her stepmother and stepsisters do all they can to prevent her from attending and they nearly succeed, too, until Cinderella's Fairy Godmother comes along to help our title character be the belle of the ball.

Let the Discussion Begin...

Cinderella is the Walt Disney Company's twelfth full-length animated feature and was released on February 15, 1950.

After the financial difficulties of the 1940s, Cinderella was Walt Disney's return to full-length animated feature films following a series of "package films" that showcased a variety of short animated subjects.  Admittedly, Cinderella was a little bit of a gamble and had the three million dollar production failed, it could have signaled the end of the Walt Disney Studios.  However, the film was greeted with enthusiasm and proved to be very successful which allowed Walt to take on more ambitious projects as well as venture into the new medium of television.  In its first release, Cinderella raked in over $4 million in its initial release -- one of the highest-grossing films of the year -- signaling that the public was clamoring for this type of classic storytelling

Cinderella was nominated for three Academy Awards -- Best Sound, Best Score, and Best Song for "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo" -- but did not walk away with any prizes.  The film was also ranked #9 on the American Film Institute's Top Ten animated features of all time.

The Characters

(The Best...The Worst...The Villains...)

First, let's just revel in the fact that we're finally back to telling a full-length story after seven years of animated short packages masquerading as a movie.  It's just a treat to finally be past that phase of the Walt Disney Company's oeuvre.  But, even with that in mind, I had to hope that my first visit to Cinderella in well over a decade (and probably closer to a score, in Lincoln's terms) would prove to be a treat.  Fortunately, I wasn't disappointed.

The similarities between the title characters in Cinderella and Disney's first film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs are uncanny.  Yes, Cinderella's hair has been turned a yellowish red, but the two leading ladies were built from the same cloth.  With Disney desperate for this film to be a success, I completely understand going back to the tried and true characteristics that made his first princess tale a winner.  Like Snow White, Cinderella's father has died and she's now under the watch of her stepmother who, while not mixing up deadly potions or talking to a mirror, is a nasty lady.  Cinderella's life is composed of cooking, cleaning, and every other daily chore imaginable.  When we first meet her, Cinderella is singing to a group of mice and birds -- her only friends -- about her dreams and aspirations.  Does that remind you of our introduction to Snow White at a wishing well singing to some feathered friends about her dreams of meeting a prince?  

Despite all these similarities, Cinderella is a more well-rounded character than Snow White, a character whom I thought more than capable of carrying a story, but was rather bland when compared to the rest of that film's cast.  I think part of the reason for the improvement is because the animation has improved greatly since Walt's first attempt at creating a princess.  Cinderella's movements and facial expressions are much better than that of Snow White.  Additionally, the script also allows Cinderella to have a little bit of an edge in that there are hints of sarcasm when things don't go her way.  SPOILER -- She's also given a fantastic last line of the film in which she reveals that she has the matching glass slipper -- it's a deliciously sly "screw you" to her stepmother and stepsisters.  This only proves to endear her to the audience even more because she's the one that succeeds in trumping their evil as opposed Snow White in which the title character essentially dies and is saved by a prince.  END SPOILER

For every protagonist, though, we need an antagonist and Lady Tremaine is a good one.  As I mentioned, there are no evil spells or black magic being utilized here, but the sharp, biting tones of a woman who recognizes that Cinderella's beauty far surpasses that of her own daughters' and will do whatever is necessary to make sure her offspring fare better than her now deceased husband's.  With her rude and childish brethren Anastasia and Drizella by her side, the trio provide humor with their wickedness, but also create a more realistic sense of evil than we saw in Snow White.  (Not that Snow White's portrayal of a villain is bad...in fact, it's more enjoyable in its gothic horror nature than this.)

With a prince that mutters maybe a sentence throughout the movie, the remainder of the characters are presented purely for giggles and they succeed in that department for the most part, although they're given too much screen time for my liking.  Cinderella's Fairy Godmother makes the most of her one scene and her bubbly, though bumbling, personality is a hoot.  I almost wish she had more scenes with which to entertain us, however, she then may have fallen into the trap of Cinderella's mice friends Gus and Jaq and their sworn enemy Lucifer the cat.  This trio of characters, while humorous and nicely animated, are given much too much emphasis.  With the exception of a key scene (involving an actual key) during the film's climax, the threesome are simply there for comedic effect in an attempt to stretch the film out to a more expected feature length.  While certainly amusing, it's much too obvious that these folks are here for padding as opposed to providing any form of character development.

The Music

The music of Cinderella is the first to come from songwriters of Tin Pan Alley and it was the first film to have its songs published and released by the Walt Disney Company -- another added source of revenue for Disney.  Containing six songs, I must say that although there isn't really a bad one in the bunch, I find them lacking the emotional oomph I desired, perhaps in part due to the fact that the story of Cinderella itself is so simplistic at its core.  However, and to the score's benefit, every song fits its scene perfectly.  From the opening "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" which sets the scene for Cinderella's aspirations to "So This Is Love" which details her dreams coming true, the title character's songs showcase her desire to move out of her life of servitude.  Add in two fun ditties -- "The Work Song" in which Cinderella's mice friends ready her dress for the ball and "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo" where the Fairy Godmother works her magic on the title character -- and there are certainly some memorable pieces here.  While I think "A Dream Is A Wish..." and "Bibbidi..." have certainly stood the test of time, songwriters Mack David, Jerry Livingston, and Al Hoffman didn't craft truly inspiring numbers to me.  There's a slight genericness to the proceedings that aren't bad, but aren't incredibly creative either.

My Favorite Scene

The film's final moments are quite fun and surprisingly exciting.  With Anastasia and Drizella failing to fit into the glass slipper, the king's Grand Duke is about to leave Lady Tremaine's house.  Cinderella, who was heretofore locked in her room by her stepmother manages to escape thanks to the help of Gus and Jaq and she quickly rushes down the stairs to try on the shoe that she knows will fit.  Lady Tremaine is of course irritated by this and as the Grand Duke begins to walk towards Cinderella with the glass slipper, she trips him causing the slipper to break into hundreds of pieces.  As the Grand Duke starts to cry and Lady Tremaine evilly smirks, Cinderella says not to worry and she pulls out the other glass slipper from her pocket.  It's a "middle finger moment" that brought a smile to my face because it so simply topples the bitchiness of Cinderella's stepsisters and stepmother. 

Random Thoughts

• The film starts out with the opening of a storybook again!  It made me quite happy that we were returning to the Land of Fairytales for some reason after such a long time away.
• I had no memory at all that the film opens with our title character as a child.  Granted, it's only for the first thirty seconds, but I had no recollection.
• Walt definitely harkens back to Snow White in the film's first song with the title character singing to her animal friends who help get her dressed and pretty up her room.
• As much as I enjoy Jaq and Gus, the extended scene of them trying to snag breakfast out from under the watchful eye of Lucifer the cat, goes on for much too long considering it has absolutely no bearing on any aspect of the plot whatsoever.
• This is the second Disney movie in a row that features a shattered pumpkin!

Final Analysis

(Does It Belong in the Revered Disney Pantheon and How Does It Stack Up to Past Films?)

Cinderella was never my favorite growing up (it may have something to do with the fact that I have a 'Y' chromosome), but upon this viewing of the popular Disney film, I'd certainly have to grant it admission into the revered Disney Pantheon.  While its story is actually a bit weaker than its similarly themed predecessor Snow White, its title character is given a bit more spunk and personality which picks up some of the slack.  (That being said, why the hell didn't Cinderella just walk out of the house? It's not like her stepmother had her shackled in the attic.)

The animation in Cinderella is fine -- with Cinderella herself a bit more detailed than Snow White -- but Walt wasn't reinventing the wheel here.  The backgrounds are basic and lack intricacy although, admittedly, they're grandiosely gothic when we're in Cinderella's home which added to the idea that our title character is being trapped by her stepmother.  Still, I couldn't help but think that many of the scenes appeared as if they were being "filmed" on a "soundstage."  By that, I simply mean that there's an unrealistic simplicity to many scenes.

I think the biggest flaw in Cinderella comes from the intense focus on Gus and Jaq's tete-a-tetes with Lucifer.  Although I didn't time it, it feels as if half of the movie deals with these characters' battles with one another.  While certainly appealing to children, these scenes harm the overall impact of the story.

Still, despite its simplistic story, Cinderella is a welcome return to form for Disney.

The RyMickey Rating: B

Join us next Wednesday for Alice in Wonderland, the thirteenth film in The Disney Discussion.