# Cinderella (1950 film)

Cinderella is a 1950 American animated film from Walt Disney Productions. The film concerns a girl named Cinderella whose cruel stepmother, Lady Tremaine, prevents her from attending the Royal Ball, but who gets some unexpected help from two lovable mice named Jaq and Gus and her Fairy Godmother.
    Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson and Hamilton Luske. Written by Ken Anderson, Homer Brightman, Winston Hibler, Bill Peet, Erdman Penner, Charles Perrault, Harry Reeves, Joe Rinaldi and Ted Sears.

## Cinderella

* [singing] A dream is a wish your heart makes When you're fast asleep. In dreams you will lose your heartaches. Whatever you wish for, you keep. Have faith in your dreams, and someday Your rainbow will come smiling through. No matter how your heart is grieving, If you keep on believing, The dreams that you wish will come true.
* No, I mean it. Lucifer has his good points, too. For one thing, he...Well, sometimes he...Hmmm. There must be something good about him.

## Anastasia Tremaine

* [to Cinderella] You are so dead!
* Exactly!!!!

## Dialogue

    [Opening Titles and Credits: CINDERELLA From the Original Classic by CHARLES PERRAULT COLOR BY TECHNICOLOR]
    The Chorus: Cinderella
    You're as lovely as your name
    Cinderella
    You're a sunset in a frame
    The Female Soloist: Though you're dressed in rags
    You wear an air of queenly grace
    Anyone can see
    A throne would be your proper place
    The Chorus: Cinderella
    If you give your heart a chance
    It will lead you
    To the kingdom of romance
    There you'll see your dreams unfold
    Cinderella, Cinderella
    In the sweetest story ever told...
    [The song's main title theme]
    [First lines]
    The Narrator: Once upon a time in a faraway land, there was a tiny kingdom - peaceful, prosperous, and rich in romance and tradition. Here in a stately chateau, there lived a widowed gentleman and his little daughter, Cinderella. Although he was a kind and devoted father, and gave his beloved child every luxury and comfort, still he felt she needed a mother's care. And so he married again, choosing for his second wife a woman of good family with two daughters just Cinderella's age, by name Anastasia and Drizella. It was upon the untimely death of this good man, however, that the stepmother's true nature was revealed. Cold, cruel, and bitterly jealous of Cinderella's charm and beauty, she was grimly determined to forward the interests of her own two awkward daughters. Thus, as time went by, the chateau fell into disrepair, for the family fortunes were squandered upon the vain and selfish stepsisters, while Cinderella was abused, humiliated, and finally forced to become a servant in her own house. And yet, through it all, Cinderella remained ever gentle and kind, for with each dawn she found new hope that someday, her dreams of happiness would come true.
    [Cinderella is summoned for Lady Tremaine's room for frightening Anastasia with Gus on her tray.]
    Cinderella: Oh please, you don't think that I would-
    Lady Tremaine: Hold your tongue! Now, it seems we have time on our hands.
    Cinderella: But I was only trying to help.
    Lady Tremaine: Silence! Time for vicious practical jokes. Perhaps we can put it to better use. Now let me see...There's the large carpet in the main hall; clean it! And the windows, upstairs and down; wash them! [Cinderella glares hatefully] Oh yes, and the tapestries and the draperies-
    Cinderella: But I just finished-
    Lady Tremaine: Do them again! [Cinderella silences herself and strengthens her glare] And don't forget the garden. Then scrub the terrace, sweep the halls and the stairs, clean the chimneys. And of course there's the mending and the sewing and the laundry... Oh yes, and one more thing. See that Lucifer gets his bath.
    [Lucifer frowns at the thought of having to get a bath]
    Lady Tremaine: And, by royal command, every eligible maiden is to attend!
    Drizella Tremaine: Why, that's us!
    Anastasia Tremaine: And I'm so eligible!
    Cinderella: Why, that means I can go too!
    Drizella Tremaine: Hah! Her, dancing with the Prince. [laughing]
    Anastasia Tremaine: [mocking Cinderella] I'd be honored, Your Highness. [holds out her flute] Would you mind holding my broom? [both waltz in place, laughing derisively]
    Cinderella: Well, why not? After all I'm still a member of the family, and it said, "by royal command, every eligible maiden is to attend."
    Lady Tremaine: Well, I see no reason why you can't go...if you get all your work done.
    Cinderella: Oh, I will. I promise.
    Lady Tremaine: And, if you can find something suitable to wear.
    Cinderella: I'm sure I can. Oh, thank you, Stepmother. [exits]
    Drizella Tremaine: Mother! Do you realize what you just said?
    Lady Tremaine: Of course. I said, if!
    Drizella Tremaine: [realizing] Oh! If!
    [They all chuckle]
    Jaq: Poor Cinderelly. Ev'ry time she find a minute, that's the time when they begin it. "Cinderelly! Cinderelly!"
    Drizella Tremaine and Anastasia Tremaine: [echoing offscreen] Cinderella!
    Jaq: [shut the door; singing] Cinderelly, Cinderelly. Night and day it's Cinderelly. Make the fire! Fix the breakfast! Wash the dishes! Do the moppin'!
    The Female Mice: [singing] And the sweepin', and the dustin' They always keep her hoppin'.
    Jaq: [singing] She go around in circles 'till she very, very dizzy Still they holler...
    The Female Mice: [singing] Keep-a busy, Cinderelly!
    Jaq: Yeah. Keep-a busy.
    Gus: [singing] I'll cut it with the scissors!
    Jaq: [singing] And I can do the sewing.
    The Female Mouse: [singing] Leave the sewing to the women. You go get some trimmin'.
    Jaq and Gus: And we'll make a lovely dress for Cinderelly!
    Anastasia Tremaine: And this too, Cinderella, my slippers. Now don't forget-
    Drizella Tremaine: Cinderella, take my dress! Here, mend the buttonholes.
    Anastasia Tremaine: Press my skirt as well, and mind the ruffle. You're always-
    Lady Tremaine: And, Cinderella...
    Cinderella: Yes?
    Lady Tremaine: If you're through, and before you begin your regular chores, I have a few little things.
    Cinderella: Very well. [leaves the room]
    Anastasia Tremaine: Mother, I don't see why everyone else seems to have such nice things to wear, and I always end up in these old rags. This sash! [throws it on the floor] Why, I wouldn't be seen dead in it!
    Drizella Tremaine: You should talk. [throws them on the floor] These beads! [kicks them] I'm sick of looking at them! Trash!
    Anastasia Tremaine: Oh, I hate-
    Drizella Tremaine: I don't see why I can't have-
    [The other girls leave the room]
    The Fairy Godmother: Well, hop in, my dear. We can't waste time.
    Cinderella: Oh, but-
    The Fairy Godmother: Now, now, don't try to thank me.
    Cinderella: Oh, I wasn't... I mean, I do, but don't you think my dress-
    The Fairy Godmother: Yes, it's lovely, dear, love... [actually sees it] Good heavens, child! You can't go in that!
    Cinderella: Why, it's like a dream. A wonderful dream come true.
    The Fairy Godmother: Yes, my child, but like all dreams, well, I'm afraid this can't last forever. You have only until midnight, and-
    Cinderella: Midnight? Oh, thank you.
    The Fairy Godmother: Oh, now, just a minute. You must understand, my dear: On the stroke of twelve, the spell will be broken, and everything will be as it was before.
    Cinderella: Oh, I understand, but...it's more than I ever hoped for.
    The Fairy Godmother: Bless you, my child. I... [realizing] Goodness me! It's getting late. Hurry up, dear. The ball can't wait. Have a good time. Dance, be gay. Now, off you go. You're on your way.
    [As the clock strikes midnight]
    Cinderella: Oh my goodness.
    Prince Charming: What's the matter?
    Cinderella: It's midnight.
    Prince Charming: Yes, so it is, but...
    Cinderella: Goodbye.
    Prince Charming: No, no, wait. You can't go now. It's only...
    Cinderella: Oh, I must, please. Please, I must.
    Prince Charming: But why?
    Cinderella: Well, I... Oh, the Prince. I haven't met the Prince.
    Prince Charming: The Prince? But didn't you know-
    [The clock strikes midnight with a loud gong]
    Cinderella: Goodbye! [runs off]
    Prince Charming: No, wait. Come back. Please come back! I don't even know your name! How will I find you?!, Wait! Please wait!
    Cinderella: Goodbye!
    The Grand Duke: [waves before realizing] I say, young lady! Who is she?!
    Prince Charming: Wait! [gets enamored by the maidens]
    Jaq: He's here! He's here, the Duke-Duke!
    Gus: Who?
    Jaq: The Grand Duke, with the slipper! Gotta get that key quick!
    Gus: Duke-Duke! Key-key! Quick-quick!
    The Herald: His Grace will read a royal proclamation. [brings the proclamation]
    The Grand Duke: [clearing throat] All loyal subjects of His Majesty are hereby...notified by royal proclamation in regard to a certain... [yawning] glass slipper. [the Herald uncovers the slipper] It is upon this day decreed...
    Drizella Tremaine: Why, that's my slipper!
    Anastasia Tremaine: Well, I like that! It's my slipper!
    Gus: No, no, no! Cinderelly's slipper! [starts to get out of the cup getting angry but restrained by Jaq who puts his cap on his muzzle to prevent him from continuing]
    Drizella Tremaine: How can she- [as she and Anastasia tries to grab the slipper, but the Herald runs out of the way with the slipper]
    Lady Tremaine: Girls, girls! Your manners. A thousand pardons, Your Grace. Please continue.
    The Grand Duke: Yes, quite so. [reading] It is upon this day decreed that a quest be instituted throughout the length and breadth of our domain...the sole and express purpose of the quest to be as follows... [Jaq gestures to Gus to show him Lady Tremaine’s pocket and whispers in his ear to tell him that the key is hidden there] that every single maiden in our beloved kingdom, without prearranged exception, shall try upon her foot this aforementioned slipper of glass. [Jaq and Gus get out of the cup and Gus steps on Jaq's tail when he climbs down from the cup] And should one be found upon whose foot said slipper shall properly fit...such maiden shall be acclaimed the object of this search and immediately forthwith shall be locked upon as the one and only true love of His Royal Highness, our beloved son and heir, the Noble Prince. [Gus helps Jaq go down inside Lady Tremaine's pocket] The Noble Prince will humbly and upon bended knee beg, request, or if need be, [Jaq starts to pull the key out of the pocket and Gus tries to grab it] implore the maiden, that they grant her hand in marriage. [but at that moment Lady Tremaine looks in the direction of Cinderella's room, where she is locked, and decides to check the key in her pocket, Gus signals to Jaq who is hiding at the back bringing the key with him] Well...whereupon, should the aforementioned-made look with favor upon his suit, but shall the happy couple pledge their troth...on... [Lady Tremaine's hand grabs the key and begins to lift it in her pocket, Jaq tries to climb up along the fabric to avoid it, but the key goes up faster and catches his muzzle as it passes, Jaq remains lifted by the tip of his nose not daring to move, and ends up slipping along the pocket with Lady Tremaine who drops the key which falls on his head, stunning him] and in just dues, upon the inevitable demise...of His Most Gracious and August Majesty, the King, succeed to the throne, there to rule all over the land...as Kingsland Queen of our beloved kingdom. [Lady Tremaine pats her pocket, inadvertently hitting Jaq with the key] [yawning] so be it. [falls asleep, but the Herald brings a chair just before he falls down]
    Lady Tremaine: You must be quite fatigued, Your Grace. May we offer you some tea? [starts pouring tea into the cup where Gus is hiding, and Gus starts sucking in his belly, lying on the bottom of the cup, to avoid being hit by a boiling drop of tea which starts pouring out of the teapot and comes down dangerously toward him]
    The Grand Duke: What? Tea? [yawning] Thank you, madam, no.
    [Lady Tremaine raises the teapot as the drop was about to fall on Gus]
    [As Anastasia tries on the glass slipper, which at first appears to fit]
    Anastasia Tremaine: There. I knew it was my slipper. Exactly my size. I always wear the same size. As soon as I saw it, I said... [the Herald lifts up her foot, revealing that the shoe just barely covers one toe] Well, it-it may be a trifle snug today. You know how it is, dancing all night. I can't understand why. [the Herald shrugs his shoulders, decides to roll up his sleeves, leaps onto her leg and starts to hammer the shoe on] It's always fit perfectly before. I don't think you're half trying. Mother, can you...
    Lady Tremaine: [hushing her daughter up because the Grand Duke is sleeping] Shhh. Quiet, my dear. We mustn't disturb his Grace. [to the Herald] Young lady, are you sure you're trying it on the right foot?
    Anastasia Tremaine: Oh, it's the right foot, but it must have shrunk or something. A glass shoe isn't always reliable.
    [Anastasia angrily tries to kick the Herald, who hits his head onto the piano, due to the fact that he failed to make her fit the slipper]
    Anastasia Tremaine: Why can't you hold still a minute?!
    The Grand Duke: [waking up] Oh, my word! Enough of this! [the Herald slides his head down on the piano keys] The next young lady, please.
    [Drizella struggles to put the slipper on]
    Drizella Tremaine: Oh, of all the stupid little idiots! I'll do it myself! Get away from me! [furiously stuns the Herald with another shoe and angrily kicks him to make him go away] I'll make it fit! [fits the slipper with her big feet] There!
    Lady Tremaine: It fits!
    The Grand Duke: It fits?
    [Eventually Drizella's foot turns out to be too large for the shoe, which makes it fly into the air. The Herald rushes to catch it, and in the end, the Grand Duke manages to save the shoe on his finger, sighing in relief]
    Lady Tremaine: Oh, Your Grace, I'm dreadfully sorry. It shan't happen again.
    The Grand Duke: [noticeably exasperated while the Herald brushes him] Precisely, madam.
    [Last lines]
    The Grand Duke: You are the only ladies of the household, I hope- [catches himself] I-I presume.
    Lady Tremaine: There's no one else, your Grace.
    The Grand Duke: Quite so. Good day, good day. [starts to leave]
    Cinderella: [calling him from the stairs, much to her stepfamily's horror] Your Grace! Your Grace! Please, wait. May I try it on?
    [As the Grand Duke sees Cinderella's right size feet, with a smile on his face]
    Lady Tremaine: Oh. Pay no attention to her.
    Anastasia Tremaine: It's only Cinderella.
    Drizella Tremaine: Our scullery maid.
    Anastasia Tremaine: From the kitchen.
    Drizella Tremaine: Absolutely ridiculous.
    Anastasia Tremaine: She's out of her mind.
    Lady Tremaine: Yes, just an imaginative child.
    The Grand Duke: Madame, my orders were every maiden! [walks up to Cinderella] Come, my child.
    [The Grand Duke leads her kindly to sit in the chair, and signals the Herald with his finger. The Herald nods, and walks up to them. But Lady Tremaine secretly trips over the Herald with her cane, causing the slipper to fly and shatters on the floor]
    The Grand Duke: Oh, no! Oh, no, no, no, no, no! Oh, this is terrible. [gasps] The King! What will he say? [clutches his throat] What will he do?!?!
    Cinderella: [reaching into her pocket] But, perhaps, if it would help-
    The Grand Duke: No, no, nothing can help now. Nothing!
    Cinderella: [pulls the other slipper out of her pocket] But, you see, I have the other slipper.
    [Lady Tremaine is horrified. Overjoyed, the Grand Duke kisses it. The mice and the birds cheered from upstairs as the Grand Duke fits Cinderella's foot with the slipper perfectly]

## About Cinderella (1950 film)

* As an animator, I sure was frustrated. Cinderella was a real girl, and handled like a real girl, and the stepsisters and everybody who worked with her, particularly the Prince and the stepmother, to my way of thinking had to be just as real as she was. You couldn't let up and have them half-cartoon. The closest was the Grand Duke, he was more of a cartoon figure and he didn't have to work with her very much; the King didn't have to work with her. So you could get by with them, but everybody who was in the scenes with her I felt had to have the same treatment she did, very realistic, believable drawing and believable animation. I felt, here are your restrictions; it doesn't allow you very far to go. I never got any scenes that I felt really had the meanness, the villainy. You'd get a sneer, and it was just a subtle little sneer; just a curve of the upper lip was about all you could do on it. And the stepsisters, the same way. If you tried to get really the expression you wanted, you got into a lot of extra lines. The faces were designed realistically, and it had to be, for that treatment.
** Frank Thomas (animator) Thomas Johnston (1987)

## Taglines

* The greatest love story ever told.
* Greatest Since Snow White
* A love story with music
* For All the World to Love!
* Midnight never strikes when you're in love.

## Cast

* Ilene Woods - Cinderella
* Eleanor Audley - Lady Tremaine
* Verna Felton - Fairy Godmother
* Rhoda Williams - Drizella
* James MacDonald - Jaq; Gus; Bruno
* Luis Van Rooten - The King; The Grand Duke
* Don Barclay - Doorman
* Lucille Bliss - Anastasia
* June Foray - Lucifer
* Betty Lou Gerson - Narrator
* William Phipps - Prince (speaking)
* Mike Douglas - Prince (singing)

## See also

* Cinderella II: Dreams Come True
* Cinderella III: A Twist in Time

## External links

* Cinderella quotes at the Internet Movie Database