CINDERELLA

US, 1950, 75 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geronimi.

Cinderella is an engaging, delightful Disney animation feature. After the success of the early Disney films, the war effort and the films with mixture of animation and live action dominated the Disney Studios. Cinderella - and then Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan - were a return to the films associated with Disney.

The film follows the storyline very familiarly - though some critics have noted that the stepmother and the ugly sisters get off scot-free. The Disney Studios have added some engaging animals, especially two mice -Jacques and Gus, a dog called Bruno and a villainous cat, Lucifer. The animal experiences interweave with those of Cinderella and in some ways parallel her plight and her success. There are a number of engaging songs including 'So This is Love', 'A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes', 'The Work Song', 'Sing Sweet Nightingale' and the popular 'Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo'.

The film was a great success on its first release and has continued to attract young audiences.

1. The continuing popularity of Charles Perrault's fairy story. The number of times in which it has been recounted and filmed? An appropriate topic for Disney animation? Its popularity in its time? with subsequent generations?

2. The quality of the Disney animation: the colours, the decor, costumes? Sense of period - at the stepmother's home as well as at the castle? The delight of the animal world and their helping Cinderella? The magic touches with the glass slipper, the fairy godmother, dressing Cinderella for the ball, the midnight disaster? The special effects for magic and charm?

3. The musical score and the insertion of the music, the songs? The songs illustrating characters and situations?

4. The familiar portrait of Cinderella - her place in the household, the persecution of the ugly stepsisters, the domination of her stepmother? The details of her having to work hard in the house? The invitation to the ball and her not being allowed to go? The delight of the animals preparing a dress for her - and the horror of the stepsisters destroying it? Her encounter with the fairy godmother? Going to the ball? The delight of the ball and dancing with the Prince? Midnight? Her being prevented-from having her foot put in the slipper? The animals helping her? The happy ending? A delightful heroine - and the type of rag-to-riches fulfilment of a dream?,

5. The stepmother - the witch-figure? The ugly and jealous stepsisters? Their arrogance? Their disdainful treatment of Cinderella? The preparation for the ball and their vanity? Their cruelty towards Cinderella and her dress? The ball? Cinderella's success? Their wanting to prevent the Prince seeing her? The fact that they were not punished at the end?

6. The fairy godmother - the funny old fairy? Her measuring Cinderella, preparing everything for her, her instructions?

7. The importance of the animals? The world of the mice? The characters of Jacques and Gus? Bruno as the old dog and his laziness? Lucifer as a Disney villain? The cruel cat? The dangers in the animal world paralleling Cinderella's experience? The mouse in the stepsister's cup? The chase by Lucifer? The confrontation with Bruno? The happy

8. The King and the Prince - as expected from the story?

9. The special delight of seeing Disney animation version of a popular story? The designs and the behaviour of the characters? Romance, sentiment, humour? The touch of cruelty? The highlights of the animated version?

10. Disney's contribution to making popular fairy tales accessible to 20th century audiences?