La pantoufle de verre

Okay, I admit I have long had a soft spot for Michael Wilding--had a terrific crush on him when I was young and was delighted to see him in this film playing the Prince. He had a nice career going for himself in England before marrying Elizabeth and moving to the US. Hollywood didn't quite know what to do with him and he didn't have that many good or even likely roles here. In England he and Britain's favorite blonde, Anna Neagle, made several films in which she sang and the two of them danced (kind of a poor man's version of Rogers and Astaire), so he did dance in films before this picture, but I'm afraid he wasn't terrifically impressive as a dancer. But, boy, he had charm!

When I first saw this film I thought it was a bit simplistic, but I was won over by Leslie Caron, a favorite of mine. And it was gratifying to see Michael Wilding, though he didn't get to do much here. Loved Estelle Winwood; she too, was always good. Altogether a very pleasant movie, pretty to watch, if just a little slow. (Or maybe it seemed that way because with this story, there are no surprises--you know how it will end!)

Why wasn't this film more successful, and why isn't it more well known than it was and is? It is an utterly delightful and original take on the Cinderella story in which almost every element is just right. Leslie Caron is completely enchanting as Ella. True, she may not be an amazingly gorgeous beauty in her ball gown, but she is radiant nevertheless. Especially those eyes. Oh, those expressive eyes! They show you the true beauty beneath her outward plainness. She is a wonderful actress and phenomenal ballet dancer, as demonstrated in the wonderful dream ballet sequences in which she dances with the Roland Petit ballet company. These sequences may seem unnecceasry at first, but they turn out to do exactly what the ballet dances in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals do: They express the character's emotions in ways that not even dialogue and music can. They are indeed a vital part of the film. Estelle Winwood is charming as Ella's eccentric "fairy godmother." Walter Pidgeon's uncredited narration is pithy and wise. True, Michael Wilding is indeed a bit bland as Prince Charming/Charles (though not really all that bad) and this is one of Kennan Wynn's weakest appearences (except for his reaction when he sees Ella at the ball), but all in all these are tiny flaws in one underrated gem of a film.

I saw this movie first when I was very young. I was fascinated by Lelie Caron after seeing GiGi and my Granny had this in her vast video collection. It is a great film taking a new twist on the Cinderella story incorporating ballet in it, which is great to watch. Though Michael Wilding is quite a disappointment as Cinderella's prince, but can be overlooked. The fairy godmother is funny and good fun to watch. With her list of favourite words 'Apple Dumpling' 'Windowsill' 'elbow' and of course Cinderella. Leslie Caron is cast well and plays the tortured Cinderella well. The sets and costumes are magnificent. All in all a very pleasant film to watch on a rainy Sunday afternoon

Leslie Caron was the perfect choice to play Cinderella, a scruffy, rebellious girl living with her stepmother and stepsisters, "not quite a servant and not quite a member of the family". Caron reunites here with much of the team from her best movie "Lili" and, if the results are not quite as memorable, it may be because the tale has been exhausted. Still, director Charles Walters paces it carefully (some may say sluggishly) and keeps the outré magic of the story to a minimum. The droll observation/narration (by Walter Pidgeon, uncredited) is dryly amusing and Cinderella's step-family isn't overly nasty to her (they treat the girl more like a black sheep than a housemaid). While the MGM production is modest, the cast is quite colorful and the musical direction and balletic fantasy sequences are very good. A bit tepid overall, but sweet and simple. **1/2 from ****

MGM probably hoped for another "Lili" by casting Leslie Caron as the lead in a live-action version of Cinderella. While this effort didn't quite meet with the success of that earlier film, it still delighted a number of people who continue to hold fond memories of the production. Leslie Caron makes an irresistably appealing "Ella" and Estelle Winwood is a glorious fairy-godmother but Michael Wilding does tend to be a rather bland Prince Charming. Watch for Amanda Blake (Miss Kitty on "Gunsmoke")as one of the selfish stepsisters. And just try, after seeing this movie, NOT to hum, "Climbing rose, on the wall ... "