Cinderella (1965)

Just perfect...

Best movie ever!

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

In this oft-repeated fairy tale, Lesley Ann Warren plays the part of "Cinderella" who has to contend with a mean "Stepmother" (played by Jo Van Fleet) and two equally hateful stepsisters named "Prunella" (Pat Carroll) and "Esmerelda" (Barbara Ruick). The other main characters of this story include the charming "Prince" portrayed by Stuart Damon along with Walter Pidgeon as "the King" and the always lovely Ginger Rogers as "the Queen". Now, since this story is so familiar to just about everybody there really isn't much I can say about it that isn't already known. However, as far as this particular film is concerned I will add that this movie was a made-for-television remake of a musical produced in 1956. On that note, while I haven't seen the earlier film, what I really liked about this movie was was the performance of Lesley Ann Warren who seemed tailor made for this part. She was truly excellent. Likewise, the acting of Stuart Damon and the music provided by Rodgers and Hammerstein was equally top-notch. That being said, while this film certainly wasn't perfect in every detail, I found it to be extremely enjoyable and I have rated it accordingly.

Several years ago I had a woman working for me who loved this movie as much as I did. We talked of all the times we used to watch it growing up in the 60's as it was on TV every year around Thanksgiving or Christmas, and how we looked forward to it every year. I had recorded it off of TV several years before she was hired and before I even owned my own business (a daycare) when my own children were small. One day I brought the movie in and unbeknownst to her I put it in the VHS player while she was heating up the children's lunches. When she heard Lesley Ann Warren singing "In my own little corner" she turned around with tears in her eyes singing along to the song she remembered from long ago. As a Christmas gift to her that year I ordered a copy of this movie from Moviesunlimited.com I placed it in the bottom of the bag and added more things on top. As she was going through the bag, carefully pulling out and admiring each hand-picked gift, she shrieked with delight when she reached the bottom of the bag. "I can't believe you bought me Cinderella". It is a day that is forever etched in my mind as I was so glad that I had gotten it for her to share with her children and grandchildren. The last time I checked, the movie was no longer available on the Movies unlimited website, but hopefully it will be again some day. I should say that all the little girls at the daycare loved seeing this movie that day as well as they had never seen this version. I have since acquired a DVD recorder and this movie was one of the first ones I transferred to DVD from our old VHS. I also have the 1957 Julie Andrews version transferred to DVD, as well as the animated classic : ) but the Lesley Ann Warren version is the one I have the fondest memories of.

Out of the Cinderella films I have seen, that includes the timeless Disney film, the delightful Ever After and the overlong but lavish Slipper and the Rose, this 1965 made for TV movie gets my vote as the most overlooked. At merely less than an hour and a half, it is perhaps too short, which is the only real problem I had with it, as I was genuinely enchanted by this. I completely forgive the fact that it is a TV movie, for the production values in consideration are simply fantastic. The scenery is colourful and the costumes lavish, Lesley Ann Warren's dress at the ball was gorgeous.And then there are the songs and score. In my opinion, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II are fantastic musical composers, and penned some of the best songs in musical history. Their credits include King and I, State Fair, Oklahoma and Carousel, and the film versions of their musicals range from decent(South Pacific) to outstanding(The Sound of Music). Their contribution here is no exception, the score is just breathtaking, especially Instrumental Waltz. And the songs are stunning, standouts are In My Own Little Corner, Do I love You Because You're Beautiful and Ten Minutes Ago. The others aren't quite as good, but are definitely memorable.I had little to complain about the performances either, for Lesley Ann Warren is enchanting as Cinderella. I thought she looked sexy in the comedy Clue, but especially in the ballroom scene she is even lovelier here, and I thought she sang very well.Perhaps lacking the angelic quality of Julie Andrews but she seriously wasn't bad, not to the extent that she couldn't sing. Stuart Damon is very dashing and charming as the Prince with a very beautiful baritone voice, and Celeste Holm is splendid as the Fairy Godmother. And while dancing legend Ginger Rogers does well as the queen, there is also scene-stealing support from Barbara Bruick and Pat Caroll(the voice of Ursula in The Little Mermaid) as the stepsisters. And I just want to add that I love the simplicity of the highly romantic story. All in all, very overlooked and I think magical. 9.5/10 Bethany Cox

This excellent version of Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella is a class act. This is a far better version than the 1957 original television production which was awful.Lesley Ann Warren and Stuart Damon are just wonderful and elegant as Cinderella and her prince respectively. Their voices ring true to happiness.Jo Van Fleet again proves her adeptness at being a difficult mother. This time, she does it in a comedic way. Her scene with the prince at the ball is a riot. Looking at herself in the mirror, she knows what she is.Celeste Holm should be everyone's fairy god-mother. She has always been a voice for toleration from her scenes in "Gentleman's Agreement," and she shows it again in this fine production.Get to your video stores and have the kiddies see this wonderful movie. They'll yell for more.