Though screen adaptations of Cinderella abound, none is as well-remembered as the 1950 Disney animated version.
Returning to full-length animated features for the first time since 1942, Disney also made a return to the world of fairy tales, expanding the classic French story with a host of new animal characters.
Sweet-hearted Cinderella moves in with her Stepmother and two Stepsisters, Anastasia and Drizella when her widowed father remarries.
When the father dies, the Stepmother raises Cinderella as a domestic slave. Cinderella’s only friends are the animals – bluebirds, Bruno the dog and two mice named Gus and Jaq. The birds and mice are menaced by the Stepmother’s cat, Lucifer (and what do you expect with a name like that!).
Across the village, the King announces a grand ball, inviting all eligible young ladies to come meet his unmarried son. That should include Cinderella, but her wicked family leaves her without a thing to wear.
Thankfully, Cinderella has a Fairy Godmother. With a little magic, a glass slipper and some help from her animal friends, Cinderella just might live happily ever after.
True to Disney form, the film included a number of memorable tunes, including Cinderelly, A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes, and the Oscar-nominated Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo.
The film was a triumphant comeback for Disney’s animated features, becoming one of the most-watched movies of the year.
Disney decided to stick with the trend of animating popular tales, moving on to Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan over the next few years.
Cinderella
Ilene Woods
Cinderella (singing voice)
Helene Stanley
Fairy Godmother
Verna Felton
Prince Charming
William Phipps
Anastasia
Lucille Bliss
Drizella
Rhoda Williams
Lady Tremaine
Eleanor Audley
Gus
James G. MacDonald
Jacques
James G. MacDonald
Bruno
James G. MacDonald
King
Luis Van Rooten
Grand Duke
Luis Van Rooten
Lucifer
June Foray
Mice
Clint McCauley
Narrator
Betty Lou Gerson
