The Glass Slipper (1955)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Charles Walters

Writers:

Helen Deutsch (libretto)
Helen Deutsch (screenplay)

Release Date:

29 November 1955 (Japan)

Genre:

Musical | Romance

Plot:

In a small pleasant European village, there is one unhappy person: Ella. She is despised by everyone...

Plot Keywords:

Duke | Ball | Prince | Glass Slipper | Fairy Tale

Cast

Leslie Caron	...	Ella
Michael Wilding	...	Prince Charles
Keenan Wynn	...	Kovin
Estelle Winwood	...	Mrs. Toquet
Elsa Lanchester	...	Widow Sonder
Barry Jones	...	Duke
Amanda Blake	...	Birdena
Lisa Daniels	...	Serafina
Lurene Tuttle	...	Cousin Loulou
Liliane Montevecchi	...	Tehara

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Perspecta Stereo (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | Finland:S | USA:Unrated | Sweden:Btl

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Goofs:

Continuity: The amount of soot on Ella's face changes constantly in the early scenes of the film.

Quotes:

Kovin: [taps charles with his pipe] You're not well Charles. You're not yourself.
Kovin: Kovin: You know what ails you. Careful Charles, remember your special weakness.
Prince Charles: [playing the melody to "climbing rose" on the piano] She's frightened sad and hurt. afraid to hope, expecting ridicule. A tender heart half afraid to love.
Kovin: Oh careful Charles.
Prince Charles: [upset, he stops playing] Why be careful? Every man has his own special vulnerability. I once knew a man who couldn't resist fat women; women with rolls. Another who fell madly in love with everytime a woman slapped his face, well this is mine.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Version of Cinderella (1957) (TV)

Cinderella With Heart!

"The Glass Slipper" is a modern interpretation of the classic fairy tale. And it's a good one. Leslie Caron is cast as Ella, a girl almost destroyed by the death of her mother and the lack of understanding shown her by her insensitive stepmother (Elsa Lanchester) and haughty stepsisters ("Gunsmoke's" Amanda Blake, and Lisa Daniels.) The local villagers are likewise indifferent to her, and (as narrator Walter Pigeon dryly observes), her spirit is in danger of being broken as a result. Enter local "madwoman/kleptomaniac" Estelle Winwood, who, simply by reaching out to the defiant girl, gives her confidence and hope. Yes, she's the film's equivalent of the fairy godmother, and she is wonderful in the part. Although the prince (a mature Michael Wilding) leaves a bit to be desired in the dancing department, he is perfectly all right otherwise. Keenan Wynn is wasted as his companion, but Barry Jones is amusing as the prince's father, and Miss Lanchester makes a suitably nasty stepmother. But what of Leslie Caron? Well, she goes from neglected little spitfire to luminous princess effortlessly, and her appearance at the ball is a treat. The ballet sequences do tend to slow the film down, but Miss Caron did begin her career as a dancer, and she has a grace few others could match. The music by Bronislaw Kaper perfectly enhances the mood, as does the modest but tasteful production. Strangely enough, this could be called the original "Ever After", because, except for a delightful twist at the end, the tale is told as if it could have happened. All in all, a captivating version of "Cinderella", and one which will linger in your memory.