The Slipper and the Rose: The Story of Cinderella

This English Musical managed to make an impression in a time when the musical was all but a dead art form in the US. This is largely due to wonderful performances of the supporting cast(especially Michael Hordern as the King and the underrated Annette Crosbie as the Fairy Godmother), and some really wonderful moments in the script (as it happens Crosbie and Hordern get some of the best lines). The leads (Chamberlain and Craven) are sweet, but their performances are lacking something. Chamberlain looks pained at times like he is not enjoying himself. There are also moments where it sounds as though he is giving a straight reading of the script. He can sing, though, and not too badly. The score by the Sherman Brothers (responsible for the music in "Mary Poppins") has its moments ("Protocolicorically Correct" and "The Slipper and the Rose Waltz: When He/She Danced with Me"), but the songs tend to be a little odd and forgetable. Overall though, this film is worth seeing and is an excellent film choice for family video night.

This is one of my favorite movies of all time. I just wish they'd make a soundtrack so I could listen to the songs in my car. This isn't your average Cinderella story; it's so much better! And this version has added scenes and songs that were omitted in the television and first release versions. I would very much recommend this film if you like fairy tales and humor.

This is a very clever and entertaining remake of Cinderella, with wonderful music, beautiful costumes and scenery, and a very talented ensemble cast. It also has a good deal of dry wit, particularly from the King, played marvelously by Michael Hordern, which sets it apart from other productions of Cinderella. It also features Richard Chamberlain trying his hand at his first musical, in the role of Prince Edward, the royal heir to the throne of Euphrania, who simply wants to marry for love, not political expediency. He is terrific in this role--handsome, aristocratic, with a very pleasant singing voice, and extremely graceful on the dance floor--he looks very much "The Prince." Gemma Craven is good in the role of Cinderella, and I particularly like her singing in the haunting "Tell Him Anything." The song "Secret Kingdom" with Richard and Gemma is beautiful, and one of the highlights of the entire movie. Though the film itself runs a little too long, I still love all the fine performances from this very talented cast, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys the musical genre.

This is one of my favorite 'comfort films'--I associate it with being home from college at Christmas, when I first saw it on late-night TV. I now own it on DVD and watch it almost every Christmas. The 18th-century costumes are absolutely superb (love that moment when Margaret Lockwood as the Stepmother removes her black widow's cloak to reveal her scarlet gown), the script witty (especially when Julian Orchard as the prince's camp cousin shows up), and the performances delivered with a light touch (Annette Crosbie and Kenneth More are the best at this). Richard Chamberlain never looked so dashing--the way he gazes adoringly at Cinderella!!--and Cinderella herself, Gemma Craven, is sweet and lovely, with an excellent voice.

A couple of the songs clunk a bit (you decide which ones), but the dancing is great, especially in the ball scene and the 'Position and Positioning.' The dancers come from the Royal Ballet (the dancing mice, too), so the dancing is a delight. And Richard Chamberlain has a dance number with Christopher Gable of the Royal Ballet, and he certainly doesn't suffer by comparison!

And oh, the costumes! I first saw a rather faded copy of this movie, and I loved the frosty pastels of the ballgowns (in fact, I thought Cinderella's dress was white); I was slightly disappointed by the brighter colors on the DVD. But not too disappointed--this is a beautifully-dressed film.

My favorite scene is Cinderella's flight from the ball; she runs down a series of staircases as the clock tolls midnight, rose-petals fluttering down all the time, and her pale-pink gown and frothy white wig gradually darken into her ragged blue dress and chestnut hair. It's a stunning effect.

I, too, have been longing forever (since VCRs appeared) for this musical to become available on video. The Sherman & Sherman (& Morley) songs are perfectly good, and the choreography is super, but what I remember best is the great, iconoclastically non-chalant Fairy Godmother character (Annette Crosbie). I put her among the greatest steal-the-show supporting characters of all time, right along with Nicol Williamson's Merlin in "Excalibur."