Cinderella
is a popular fairy tale embodying a classic folk tale myth-element of
unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known
throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in
unfortunate circumstances which suddenly change to remarkable fortune. The
word "cinderella" has, by analogy, come to mean one who unexpectedly
achieves recognition or success after a period of obscurity and neglect.
The still-popular story of Cinderella continues to influence popular
culture internationally, lending plot elements, allusions, and tropes to a
wide variety of media.
Disney Cinderella
Cinderella is a 1950 animated feature produced by Walt Disney, and
released to theaters on February 15, 1950 by RKO Radio Pictures. The
twelfth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon, the film
was directed by Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske and Wilfred Jackson, based
the fairy tale "Cinderella" by Charles Perrault. Songs were written by
Mack David, Jerry Livingston, and Al Hoffman. Songs in the film include "A
Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes", "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo", "So This Is
Love", "Sing Sweet Nightingale", "The Work Song", and "Cinderella."
The film received three Academy Award nominations for Best Sound, Original
Music Score and Best Song for "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo".
The profits from
the film's release, with the additional profits from record sales, music
publishing, publications and other merchandise gave Disney the cash flow
to finance a slate of productions (animated and live action), establish
his own distribution company, enter television production and begin
building Disneyland during the decade.
Walt Disney had not had a huge hit since Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
The production of this film was regarded as a major gamble on his part. At
a cost of nearly $3,000,000, Disney insiders claimed that if this movie
had failed at the box office, then Disney studio would have closed (given
that the studio was already heavily in debt). The film was a huge box
office success and allowed Disney to carry on producing films throughout
the 1950s.
Jaq and Gus, the two main mice characters from the film, also made a brief
cameo in Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
