Disney Movie Challenge: Cinderella (1950)

DISNEY MOVIE CHALLENGE

Cinderella

WHAT IS THE DISNEY MOVIE CHALLENGE: With Disney+ making available almost all of their films from the vault I thought it was a good time to watch all the theatrically released feature length Disney Studio Animated films. That’s a lot of qualifications so what does it all mean? It must be a film developed and released under the Walt Disney Animation Studios (so no PIXAR or Tim Burton stop motion films). Must have been released in theaters (no direct to video releases). And feature length (no shorts that played prior to the features). Currently there are 58 films. Starting with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937 going to Frozen II in 2020. 

A new decade, a new princess, and a renewed Disney.  Disney hadn't made a feature length animated film since Bambi in 1942.  Many factors were the cause of that including WWII, the animators strike in 1941, and a lack of box office success.  Now over $4 million in debt Disney was on the verge of shutting down the entire feature film division.  By the end of the 40's there were two features in development Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland.  Which ever could get their film done first would be the one that would try to save the feature film division.  In the end it ended up being Cinderella getting released in 1950 and Alice in Wonderland in 1951.  It's hard to imagine how much was riding on Cinderella and how many times a movie saved Disney from bankruptcy.  But the huge popularity of Cinderella reinvigorated Disney.  The film grossed over $4 million at the box office and because of the popularity of the songs Disney sold a lot of records. Not only was the feature film division saved but it gave him enough money to invest in his own studio and theme parks.  

Because the film needed to be made cheaply they relied heavily on Live Action Reference. This was done using actors who were recorded on film and the animators would use the recorded video to draw the animation.  This was not new to Disney as they had done it on previous films but never as much as they did on Cinderella.  Since they were essentially copying something that was already recorded it made the animation go quicker with fewer revisions.  While the animators felt like this inhibited their imagination it fast tracked the production.  For some examples of how it looked check out this link and this video.

I feel like even if you haven't seen the film pretty much everyone knows what happens in the film.  Cinderella lives with her evil step mother and 2 step sisters with birds and mice are her closest friends. She is forced to be a maid in her own home and birds and mice are her closest friends.  When there is a ball at the castle Cinderella wants to go but her step mother and step sisters make it impossible for her to go.  When she feels hopeless her Fairy Godmother comes to her rescue.  With a wave of her wand she turns a pumpkin into a carriage, mice into horses, a horse into a driver, and a dog into the coachman. Finally she gives Cinderella a beautiful dress for the ball.  But there is one caveat, the magic ends at midnight.  Cinderella makes it to the ball, falls in love with the prince, and then has to run off at midnight.  She leaves behind a glass slipper.  The Prince, desperate to find the girl he danced with, declares that whomever's foot fits the glass slipper he will marry.  Of course the step sisters try to stop Cinderella from trying on the shoe but Cinderella escapes and proves she is the one that danced with the Prince.  Cinderella and the Prince live happily ever after.  

It's easy to see why the film was a huge hit.  It's an enjoyable film that showcases everything Disney does well.  The Princess Fairy Tale films are what Disney would go on to be known for and Cinderella is probably his most loved.  The movie is well made although doesn't have the more detailed animation in Bambi.  Probably the weirdest aspect of the movie is how much time we spend with the animals.  There is a subplot with mice doing battle with an evil cat, Lucifer. This subplot is fun but it takes time away from getting to know the humans.  All the humans are one dimensional and it would have been nice to really get to know them.  The Prince for example is barely in the film and has no speaking parts (he does sing a little with Cinderella).  

One of the reasons I started this challenge is because I have not seen very many Disney films and the ones I had seen I wasn't impressed with.  I think one of the reasons might be the lack of character depth.  To keep things simple for children it's easiest to keep the bad guys pure evil and the good guys without any fault. Cinderella does that perfectly.  The animators convey a lot of information in the way people are lit or the way they look.  We instantly know the step mother is evil in the first scene we see her just by looking at her.   

Overall:  Lots of fun parts and a very enjoyable movie.  Would have liked less time with the animals and more character development from the humans in the film.  But since this is a kids movie keeping the characters simple is forgivable.  

Random Facts:

Not Disney's First Cinderella Movie.  In 1922 with his first company Laugh-o-Gram Disney made a version where Cinderella turns into a Flapper.  You can watch that one here. 

Helene Stanley did the live action references for Cinderella. She would also go on to do the live action references for Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, and Anita Radcliff in One Hundred and One Dalmatians

Disney's favorite bit of animation in the film was Cinderella's gown transformation.  

Cinderella was the first time Disney went outside the studio for music.  He enlisted musicians from "Tin Pan Alley" to write and perform the songs.  The film ended up getting three Oscar nominations Best Score, Best Song for "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" and Best Sound. 

Cinderella was also the first to have the songs released by Walt Disney Music Company. Another visionary company by Walt Disney.  Film studios did not usually release soundtracks but Disney realized it was another way to make money from films.  

In the song "Sing Sweet Nightingale" Disney had Ilene Woods sings on multiple tracks and sings in harmony with herself.  It is considered one of the first times it was ever done.  It would become common practice in music in the 60's. 

First production overseen by the "Old 9 Men" of Disney.