It’s been 75 years since Cinderella taught Us that a dream is a wish your heart makes.
Based on the original French fairy tale by Charles Perrault (which was a take on an old folk tale), the 1950 Disney animated film marked the first major film adaptation of the love story. It also marked the second film in Disney’s princess franchise behind 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Ilene Woods famously lent her voice to Cinderella’s titular princess, singing classic Disney tunes such as “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes,” “Oh, Sing Sweet Nightingale” and “So This Is Love.” Eleanor Audley voiced Cinderella’s evil stepmother, Lady Tremaine, while Verna Felton played the story’s famous Fairy Godmother.
Additional cast included Rhoda Williams and Lucille Bliss as Cinderella’s not-so-nice stepsisters, Drizella and Anastasia, while William Phipps voiced Cinderella’s love interest, Prince Charming.
Related: ‘A Cinderella Story’ Cast: Where Are They Now?
After A Cinderella Story was released in 2004, stars such as Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray continued to find success in the industry. The film, which was a take on Cinderella folklore, focused on the blossoming romance between two internet pen pals who never met in person. They plan to meet at their high […]
Over the years, the story of Cinderella has served as the blueprint of many memorable movies, with actresses such as Brandy, Drew Barrymore, Hilary Duff and Anne Hathaway embodying the character’s strength and kindness.
Scroll down for more of the most memorable movies inspired by Cinderella, in honor of its 75th anniversary.
‘Cinderella’ (1950 and 2015)
As Disney’s original animated Cinderella turned 65, the film was brought to life once again on the big screen in live action. Lily James took on the role of Cinderella while Richard Madden played her Prince Charming. The movie’s star-studded cast also includes Cate Blanchett as Lady Tremaine (the evil stepmother), Helena Bonham Carter as the Fairy Godmother, Derek Jacobi as the King, Stellan Skarsgård as the Grand Duke, Sophie McShera as Drizella and Holliday Grainger as Anastasia.
‘Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella’ (1957, 1965 and 1997)
The musical created by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II made its debut as a 1957 TV special starring Julie Andrews in the starring role. The musical was revamped twice into TV movies, first in 1965 TV presentation starring Lesley Ann Warren as Cinderella and again in 1997 with Brandy in the starring role and Whitney Houston as the Fairy Godmother. All three versions featured songs from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s famous score, including “In My Own Little Corner” and “Impossible.”
‘The Slipper and the Rose’ (1976)
Unassociated with the Disney or Rodgers & Hammerstein’s versions of Cinderella, The Slipper and the Rose is another musical retelling of the fairy tale. The film stars Gemma Craven and Richard Chamberlain as Cinderella and Prince Edward, respectively, and features songs by the Sherman Brothers — Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman — who famously wrote the music for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Mary Poppins.
‘Ever After’ (1998)
Though Barrymore’s leading lady is not named Cinderella, her character, Danielle de Barbarac, in Ever After follows the fairy tale’s main story points while adding some fun historical twists. Anjelica Huston, Dougray Scott, Patrick Godfrey, Megan Dodds, Melanie Lynskey, Timothy West and Judy Parfitt fill out the film’s memorable cast. Not to mention, Barrymore’s ballgown and fairy wings remain one of the most iconic outfits in movie history.
‘A Cinderella Story’ (2004)
Duff’s modern-day version of Cinderella does see her character, Sam Montgomery, sport a ball gown, but she trades in a glass slipper for a cellphone. The teen rom-com — which also stars Chad Michael Murray, Jennifer Coolidge and Regina King — spawned a franchise of direct-to-video spinoffs starring Selena Gomez, Lucy Hale, Sofia Carson, Laura Marano and Bailee Madison.
‘Ella Enchanted’ (2004)
While Ella Enchanted is a fairy tale in its own right, the book adaptation (based on Gail Carson Levine’s 1997 novel) pulls heavily from the classic Cinderella story. Hathaway stars as common girl Ella, who unexpectedly finds herself falling for the charismatic Prince “Char” Charmont (Hugh Dancy) while on a quest to break her obedience spell, which forces her to do anything she is asked (including almost killing the prince).
‘The Prince and Me’ (2004)
Like Ella Enchanted, The Prince and Me is not a direct Cinderella adaptation but instead draws inspiration from the fairy tale. College student Paige Morgan (Julia Stiles) forms a romantic connection with a guy named Eddie (Luke Mably), only to discover he is secretly the Crown Prince of Denmark. As their relationship grows, their connection is put to the test by Eddie’s royal duties and Paige’s dreams of becoming a doctor.
‘Cinderella’ (2021)
Camila Cabello joined the long lineup of actresses who have portrayed the iconic princess in Prime Video’s original Cinderella musical. Unlike other adaptations, Cinderella features a mix of original and hit pop and rock songs, including Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation” and Queen’s “Somebody to Love,” among others. The movie also stars Billy Porter as the Fab G, Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Robert, Idina Menzel as evil stepmother Vivian, Pierce Brosnan as King Rowan and Minnie Driver as Queen Beatrice.
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