Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella

Overview

Lesley Ann Warren plays the title role in this television production of the classic Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein III musical. Cinderella (Warren) is a sweet and pretty young woman who has been given a poor hand by fate; her stepmother (Jo Van Fleet) treats her cruelly, and while her graceless sisters are invited to a royal ball, Cinderella is not allowed to attend. But her Fairy Godmother (Celeste Holm) has other plans, and Cinderella attends the ball, where she makes a tremendous impression upon the Prince (Stuart Damon). But her Godmother's magic only works until midnight, and Cinderella is forced to leave the festivities at their height; will she ever see the Prince again? And how will he ever find her? This was the second television production of this musical version of the classic fairy tale; the original 1957 version featured a young Julie Andrews in the lead.

Product Details

Release Date:	09/09/2014
UPC:	0826663151138
Original Release:	1964
Source:	Shout Factory
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo]
Language:	English
Time:	1:23:00

Special Features

Closed Caption; Includes retrospective featurette

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Lesley Ann Warren	Cinderella
Stuart Damon	Prince
Celeste Holm	Fairy Godmother
Ginger Rogers	Queen
Walter Pidgeon	King
Jo Van Fleet	Stepmother
Barbara Ruick	Esmerelda
Joe E. Marks	Aide
Bill Lee	Father
Betty Noyes	Actor
Trudi Ames	Daughter
Linda Howe	Actor
Francesca Bellini	3rd Maiden
Alicia Adams	Actor
Judy Chapman	Actor
Jackie Ward	7th Maiden
Debbie Megowan	Young Maiden
Robin Eccles	Actor
Alice Mock	Actor
Pat Carroll	Prunella
Richard Rodgers	Composer
Rodgers & Hammerstein	Composer

Technical Credits

Joseph Schrank

Charles S. Dubin	Director,Producer
Richard Rodgers	Executive Producer
Joseph Schrank	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

Fittingly enough, among Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's stage and screen musical triumphs -- including The Sound of Music, South Pacific, The King and I, and Oklahoma! -- the 1964 curio Cinderella is like a stepsister. A modest effort, relatively speaking, it is nonetheless a masterpiece from these giants of musical theater. Buoyed not just by the wonderful lilt and sway of their waltzes, some of which are as affecting as "My Favorite Things" or "Hello, Young Lovers" -- this made-for-TV special also showcases the ethereal debut of Lesley Ann Warren, who reprises a role originated by Julie Andrews in a much-watched but long-lost 1957 live broadcast. As executive producer of this version, Rodgers also saw fit to dust off an enchanting song cut from South Pacific for the occasion, "Loneliness of Evening," a sublime little tune that Stuart Damon (later of General Hospital fame) handles fabulously. But it's the luminous ingénue Warren who carries the show, showing off the canny talent that had already garnered her raves on Broadway. Never letting the starkly realized pastel sets take over, she grounds the show beautifully while pulling back from any trace of treacle. Her version of the somewhat dark "In My Own Little Corner" is full of a verve that belies her 18 years. Flecked with near-standards -- "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful" and "Impossible" -- and sterling support by Celeste Holm, Ginger Rogers, and Walter Pidgeon, the production has scarcely aged. This broadcast proved so popular that it was rerun eight times between 1964 and 1974, and was later retooled skillfully in 1997 for Brandy, with Whitney Houston playing the Fairy Godmother.