Cinderella (1957) (TV)

Director:

Ralph Nelson

Writer:

Oscar Hammerstein II (writer)

Release Date:

31 March 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Musical | Family | Comedy | Fantasy | Romance

Plot:

The first of three TV-versions of the classic fairy tale that featured a Rodgers and Hammerstein score. |

Plot Keywords:

Fairy Tale | Beautiful Woman | Cinderella | Live Broadcast | Character Name In Title

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys.

Cast

Julie Andrews	...	Cinderella
Howard Lindsay	...	King
Dorothy Stickney	...	The Queen
Ilka Chase	...	The Stepmother
Kaye Ballard	...	Stepsister Portia
Alice Ghostley	...	Stepsister Joy
Edie Adams	...	Fairy Godmother (as Edith Adams)
Jon Cypher	...	Prince Christopher
Robert Penn	...	Town Crier
Alexander Clark	...	The Captain of the Guard
Iggie Wolfington	...	The Chef
David F. Perkins	...	The Court Tailor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Charles Aschmann	...	Ensemble
Herb Banke	...	Ensemble
Donald Barton	...	Ensemble
Julius J. Bloom	...	Ensemble
Hank Brunjes	...	Ensemble
Robert Burland	...	Ensemble
John Call	...	Ensemble
Jean Caples	...	Ensemble
Jean Coates	...	Ensemble
Jerome Collamore	...	Ensemble
Sally Crane	...	Ensemble
Richard Crowley	...	Ensemble
William Damian	...	Ensemble
Grace Dorian	...	Ensemble
Debbie Douglas	...	Ensemble
Jose Falcion	...	Ensemble
Pat Finch	...	Ensemble
Marvin Goodis	...	Ensemble
Martha Greenhouse	...	Ensemble
George Hall	...	The King's Steward
Gloria Hamilton	...	Ensemble
Dorothy Hill	...	Ensemble
Stuart Hodes	...	Ensemble
Diana Hunter	...	Ensemble
Kathy Kelly	...	Ensemble
Joseph Layton	...	Ensemble
Karen Lock	...	Ensemble
Leland Mayforth	...	Ensemble
Margot Moser	...	Ensemble
Giselle Orkin	...	Ensemble
Jacquelyn Paige	...	Ensemble
Hazel Patterson	...	Ensemble
Eleanor Phelps	...	Ensemble
Alex Polermo	...	Ensemble
Earl Rogers	...	Ensemble
John Smolko	...	Ensemble
Tao Strong	...	Ensemble
Johnny Towsen	...	Ensemble
Jayne Turner	...	Ensemble
Karen Waters	...	Ensemble

Also Known As:

Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

76 min (dvd release) | USA:90 min (including commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (surviving Kinescope prints) | Color (original broadcast)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

CBS Studio 72, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)

Trivia:

CBS originally broadcast this program live and in color. However the recently discovered kinescope is in black and white.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When performing the duet with the Queen of the reprise of "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?", Jon Cypher as the Prince, accidentally sings a line of the song that was meant to be sung by the Queen, played by Dorothy Stickney. This occurs after he sings the line "Do I want you because you're wonderful?" The camera shifts to the Queen and you can see her open her mouth to sing her line "Or is she wonderful because you want her?" but she remains silent when the Prince goes ahead and mistakenly sings the line from his point of view.

Quotes:

Fairy Godmother: All the dreamers in all the world are dizzy in the noodle!

Movie Connections:

Edited into "Great Performances: Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'Cinderella'" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Overture

The Best 'Cinderella' by far

'Cinderella' is amazing. Well, at least this one is. Brandy and Lesley Ann Warren don't come anywhere near close to Julie Andrews (although i like Lesley Ann Warren very much). This, the orignal was written FOR Julie Andrews, who was the biggest prodigy on Broadway. Rodgers and Hammerstein were utterly enchanted with Julie Andrews and they wanted so much to work with her that they wrote 'Cinderella' for her. And they were very afraid that she would turn it down because they finished writing during the run of 'My Fair Lady', and when they asked her, she was delighted and much to the relief of Rodgers & Hammerstein accepted. (She was also extremely honored that the biggest playwrites-songwrites in the business wrote something just for HER ***Julie had conquered New York in 'The Boy Friend' (playing the lead of Polly Browne) and was still in 'My Fair Lady' (playing Eliza Doolittle) when Cinderella aired.

The script was changed in 1964 when Lesley Ann Warren became Cinderella (Julie Andrews was a huge screen star and Academy Award winner (Best Actress, Mary Poppins) by then). I am totally convinced that the orignal 'Cinderella' is much better, and only because Dame Julie Andrews starred in it. Dame Andrews was only 21 at the time. And she did a fantastic job, especially since she had to get rid of her Eliza-Cockney accent. And it also must have been hard to practice, etc for 'Cinderella' while performing on Broadway every night.

***Anyway, this 'Cinderella' is wonderful, i urge you to try and find this, it easily surpasses remakes made by Lesley Ann Warren and Brandy. (Another plus was Edie Adams for godmother instead of Whitnet Houston, i like Houston a lot, but Adams was better for the part) I give it 10 stars!!!!