Cinderella

1 9 5 7 (USA)
1 x 90 minute episode

This classic fairytale of the glass-slippered heroine, rescued from the scullery by a handsome prince, was turned into a full-scale TV musical production by America’s most successful Broadway musical writing and composing partners, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein. It was their first work expressly for television.

CBS asked the pair to compose something for 21-year-old Julie Andrews, who was appearing in the Broadway smash My Fair Lady at the time and was also under contract to the network.

Performed live-to-air on Sunday 31 March 1957, the 90-minute musical special (sponsored by the Pespi-Cola Company) was watched by more than 107 million viewers – 62% of the US population at the time.

Newcomer John Cypher (later to gain fame on Hill Street Blues) appeared as the prince, up-and-coming comedians Alice Ghostley and Kaye Ballard romped and tromped through the entire production as the none-too-bright bickering stepsisters, and Ika Chase proved to be well-chapeaued as the stepmother.

Edie Adams played the fairy godmother with almost too much sparkle, and as the slightly frugal, rotund king, Howard Lindsay was the perfect foil to his real-life wife, Dorothy Stickney, as the queen.

The show was broadcast in colour, although very few viewers had colour TV sets at the time. Sadly, the only surviving kinescope recording of the broadcast is in black and white.

This musical version of the classic fairytale was shown again in 1965 with a cast led by Leslie Anne Warren, Walter Pigeon, and Ginger Rogers.

Cinderella
Julie Andrews
King Maximillian Godfrey Ladislaus Leopold Sidney Frederick John
Howard Lindsay
Queen Constantina Charlotte Ermintrude Guinevere Maisie Marguerite
Dorothy Stickney
Stepmother
Ilka Chase
Stepsister Portia
Kaye Ballard
Stepsister Joy
Alice Ghostley
Fairy Godmother
Edie Adams
Prince Christopher Rupert Windemere Vladimir Karl Alexander François Reginald Launcelot Herman Gregory James
Jon Cypher
Ensemble
Eleanor Phelps
Charles Aschmann
Herbert Banke
Donald Barton
Julius J. Bloom
Hank Brunjes
Robert Burland
John Call
Jean Caples
Alexander Clark
Jean Coates
Jerome Collamore
Sally Crane
Richard Crowley
William Damian
Grace Dorian
Debbie Douglas
Jose Falcion
Pat Finch
Marvin Goodis
Martha Greenhouse
George Hall
Gloria Hamilton
Dorothy Hill
Stuart Hodes
Diana Hunter
Kathy Kelly
Joseph Layton
Karen Lock
Leland Mayforth
Margot Moser
Gisella Orkin
Jacquelyn Paige
Hazel Patterson
Robert Penn
Alex Polermo
Earl Rogers
John Smolko
Tao Strong
Johnny Towsen
Jayne Turner
Karen Waters
Iggie Wolfington