Cinderella (1950 film)

Cinderella (1950 film)
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Name	Cinderella
Caption	Theatrical release poster
Director	Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, Wilfred Jackson
Producer	Walt Disney
Based on	Cendrillon by Charles Perrault
Music	Paul J. Smith, Oliver Wallace
Studio	Walt Disney Productions
Distributor	RKO Radio Pictures
Released	1950, 02, 15, New York City, 1950, 03, 04, United States
Runtime	74 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Cinderella (1950 film) is a landmark animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. Based on the fairy tale Cendrillon by Charles Perrault, the film was a critical and commercial success that revitalized the Disney studio following the difficult years of World War II. It features the voices of Ilene Woods in the title role, alongside Eleanor Audley, Verna Felton, and Luis van Rooten.

Plot

Following the death of her father, a young woman named Cinderella is forced into servitude by her cruel stepmother, Lady Tremaine, and her two jealous stepsisters, Anastasia and Drizella. Her only friends are the mice Jaq and Gus, led by their leader Gus-Gus, and a flock of birds, all of whom are protected from the household cat, Lucifer. When the King and the Grand Duke proclaim a royal ball to find a bride for the Prince, Lady Tremaine forbids Cinderella from attending. With the help of her Fairy Godmother, who transforms a pumpkin into a coach and mice into horses, Cinderella attends the ball but must flee at midnight, leaving behind a single glass slipper. The Grand Duke then embarks on a kingdom-wide search for the slipper's owner, which Lady Tremaine attempts to thwart before Cinderella's true identity is revealed, leading to her marriage to the Prince.

Production

Development began in the late 1940s under the supervision of director Clyde Geronimi and producer Walt Disney, who saw the project as crucial to the studio's financial recovery. The film utilized a combination of traditional hand-drawn animation and live-action reference footage, with actress Helene Stanley performing for the animators. The character animation was led by key artists like Marc Davis on Cinderella and Eric Larson on the animal characters. A significant innovation was the use of the multiplane camera to create depth in sequences like the chase from the palace. The production faced budget constraints, leading to the reuse of some animation cycles from earlier films like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Release and reception

The film premiered at the Carthay Circle Theatre in Los Angeles before its wide release across the United States. It was a major box office hit, earning nearly $8 million in its initial run and becoming the highest-grossing film of 1950. Critics praised its animation, music, and emotional resonance, with reviews in The New York Times and Variety highlighting its artistic achievement. The film received three Academy Award nominations: Best Original Score for Paul J. Smith and Oliver Wallace, Best Original Song for "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo," and Best Sound Recording. It won the Golden Bear at the 1st Berlin International Film Festival.

Music and soundtrack

The songs were composed by Mack David, Jerry Livingston, and Al Hoffman, with the score provided by Paul J. Smith and Oliver Wallace. The soundtrack includes several iconic numbers such as "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes," "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo," and "So This Is Love." The music was performed by the MGM Studio Orchestra and several popular vocalists of the era. The soundtrack album was released by RCA Victor and helped popularize the film's music, with "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" becoming a Top 40 hit on the Billboard charts.

Legacy and cultural impact

The film's success re-established Walt Disney Productions as a dominant force in animation and financed the expansion into Disneyland and television production like Disneyland. It spawned direct sequels such as Cinderella II: Dreams Come True and Cinderella III: A Twist in Time, a live-action remake in 2015 starring Lily James, and became a cornerstone of the Disney Princess franchise. The film is preserved in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Its imagery, from the glass slipper to the castle, remains integral to Disney's global brand and theme park iconography.

Category:1950 animated films Category:American animated films Category:Walt Disney Animation Studios films