Cinderella Is Still Charming Fans After Almost Three Centuries

Fri., Oct. 6, 1995

By Dan Webster danw@spokesman.com

Way back when, during that era when computers were as big as bedrooms and Walt Disney still appeared on his own weekly television show, the world discovered “Cinderella.”

Or, rather, Disney’s “Cinderella.”

Just as the studio has changed virtually every other story it has told, either factually (“Pocahontas”) or just in tone (“Bambi”), it took the European folk tale and made it its own.

More than 500 versions of the story are known, including one dating from ninth-century China. But the version Disney used was the 1697 tale told by French writer Charles Perrault, who may have invented the part about the glass slipper.

Here are a few other facts about Disney’s “Cinderella,” which is in the middle of a video re-release:

Despite the tale’s European origins, other versions have shown up in such diverse cultures as Egyptian, Roman and Native American.

Originally, Cinderella lost a fur - not a glass - slipper.

To get just the right feel for their lead character, Disney animators filmed actress Helene Stanley and based their drawings on her movements.

Mike Douglas, sometime singer and former afternoon talk-show host, provided the singing voice for Prince Charming.

Some 25 years before his 1950 full-lenghth animated feature “Cinderella,” Disney oversaw production of an eight-minute silent film on the same subject.

As Disney’s 12th full-length animated feature, “Cinderella” has been released theatrically six times. It has been seen by more than 25 million movie fans, and it has grossed more than $315 million (although that figure has been adjusted to current dollars).

Sale price of the new release, which runs 76 minutes, is $22.99 (including rebate) for video, $79.99 for the limited edition (including a “The Making of ‘Cinderella”’ feature). Laserdisc editions run $29.99 and $99.99.

“Cinderella” ***-1/2 Rated G.

French Kiss

**-1/2

The story is pure simplicity: Meg Ryan, jilted by Timothy Hutton, heads for Paris to get him back. She meets amiable thief Kevin Kline who, for his own reasons, comes to her rescue. Love blooms. The appeal of Ryan’s quirkiness is stretched to the limit, but it doesn’t snap, thanks to director Lawrence Kasdan’s efforts. Kline, as always, is competent and funny even when he doesn’t need to be. Rated PG-13.

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MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: What’s new to view Now available - “Cinderella” (Disney), “French Kiss” (Fox). Available on Tuesday - “Casper,” “Destiny Turns on the Radio” (HBO), “Rob Roy” (MGM/ Universal), “Friday” (New Line), “Tommy Boy” (Paramount), “Village of the Damned” (MCA/ Universal).

This sidebar appeared with the story: What’s new to view Now available - “Cinderella” (Disney), “French Kiss” (Fox). Available on Tuesday - “Casper,” “Destiny Turns on the Radio” (HBO), “Rob Roy” (MGM/ Universal), “Friday” (New Line), “Tommy Boy” (Paramount), “Village of the Damned” (MCA/ Universal).