Cinderella (1950) review

The ultimate little girl fantasy, Cinderella was given the Disney animated treatment back in 1950 and is just as lovely over half a century later.

Cinderella (Woods) lives with her heartless stepmother and equally nasty stepsisters, Anastasia and Drizella. They’re both intending to throw themselves at Prince Charming (voiced by fifties sci-fi star William Phipps) at an upcoming ball, but it is Cinders (thanks to a trusty fairy godmother (Felton), a pumpkin that turns into a coach and a bit of ‘Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo’) who wins his heart but then has to dash home by midnight, leaving her glass slipper behind.

Walt Disney added cute animals to the original 17th-century story and they’re a sweet addition, including the birds who help Cinderella dress and the cat, Lucifer, who is after them, and there are lots of memorable songs throughout too, like ‘A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes’ and, of course, ‘Cinderella’.

Unlike Snow White or Pinocchio, there aren’t any creepy moments that could bother little viewers – in fact, it’s just completely yummy. (A belated sequel, Cinderella II: Dreams Come True, was made for DVD in 2002. In fact, it’s three short films linked together by the fairy godmother’s wishes, which should appeal to little girls.)