The Slipper and the Rose (1976)

I first saw this movie when i was around six years old. my grandmother gave it to me amongst a whole lode of other videos that she was clearing out. it is easiest to say that i have never been so grateful to her in all my life than when i discovered this movie. This is a masterpiece of movie magic, although it may be based on one of the most over told stories ion modern media, it is like no others in its field. with extremely talented actors and an amazing soundtrack that makes you want to laugh, sing and cry,and I'm not ashamed to say that i know all of the words. It is by far my all time favourite movie, and a must see.

Cinderella as you probably know is one if not my favorite fairy tale of all time. Why you may ask well for starters Cinderella works her butt off with her step-mom and stepsisters making fun of her and she meets a fairy godmother who makes Cinderella's dreams come true and she wins the heart of the prince at the ball and then clock strikes twelve and she leaves a glass slipper behind her and the prince searches for the mysterious princess who really is a servant girl and he finds her and they live happily ever after in the end.This version has this formula Richard Chamberlain plays Prince Edward who must find someone to love but his parents wants to pick out someone for him and thinks that the prince shouldn't marry for love. Of course his father's henchmen wants to throw a ball for the prince and it happens of course. Meanwhile we later meet Cinderella who lives with her step-mom and sisters and like I have mentioned in the start of the review what happens next. I found this version charming and sweet. I had no idea it was going to be a musical(and I will go to the negatives in a few minutes about the songs)and like I said I am a Cinderella fanatic. I don't care how many times I have seen a adaptation of Cinderella(I even loved the 2015 edition of Cinderella as it was a feast for the eyes and even though it was predicable unlike ALL Cinderella movies I still loved the movie)but I love the story of Cinderella as its a mixture of romance,sometimes music,drama and of course fantasy. I haven't seen this in a long time I must have been a kid when I last seen this movie I can't remember so I am going to tell you the good and bad on this movie.Good: The story is charming and it was a beautiful movie.The cast was nice too and like I said I am a Cinderella fanatic.Bad: The music was forgettable I don't know any of the songs and its in one ear and out the other. But still though I liked it as it reminded me of Drew Barrymore's Ever After with a hint of the 1950's Cinderella movie.Also Cinderella's story itself is very predicable. You know what is going to happen once the ballroom scene is shown but hey I will always love Cinderella.If you are like me a fan of Cinderella since you were a kid and your not sick of the same old tale been done a billion times then check this one out.

This is the absolute worst Cinderella version ever made. The songs are sappy and unmemorable, the choreography tasteless - for instance there's a scene where Chamberlain dances on the coffins of his ancestors! What WERE they thinking? There's nothing unique or special about this in any way. Moreover Chamberlain can't sing or dance, so why did they cast him in the part? One would think that because of his looks, he'd make a good Prince Charming - and yes, he is charming, but that's where this ends. There are so many versions of this story out there that this one becomes totally forgettable, and I wouldn't even have written this review if I hadn't been suckered into seeing it in a theater back when it came out in 1979. There's a couple of hours of my life I'll never get back!Sorry, but if you want a good version, watch any of them, but not this one. Disney's old one is still the best, if you ask me. There's also a Hallmark production from a totally different angle, called "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister" which is marvelous with Stockard Channing.

First off, I love just about any re-telling of the classic Fairy Tale of "Cinderella". From the beautiful Disney Film, all the way to Shelley Duvall's 'Faerie Tale Theatre' version with Jennifer Beals and Matthew Broderick. So back in 2000 I bought this DVD sight unseen. I figured, 'C'mon, it's Cinderella!'. Also, I had heard about this UK produced film for a long time, and knew it had established a cult following. Right up my alley people. WOW was I disappointed. Dis-a-pointed!! Twenty minutes in, and I was bored out of my mind. Not one single song had a strong melody, and the lyrics were forgettable. Nothing was engaging me. I kept telling myself 'It will get better - It will get better'. It just didn't. I have never seen a musical where the camera stayed so very still. There was none of that 'flow' that most great musicals have (See: "My Fair Lady", "Funny Girl", "Oklahoma", "Grease", "The Sound of Music", "Oliver", "Chicago", "West Side Story", etc.) You know, that uplifting spell that only a special musical can cast. Remember what it was like the first time you saw "My Fair Lady"? THAT's the feeling. I do love The Sherman Brothers' people. I do. So Imagine my shock at how bad the music was. These are the guys who did "Mary Poppins", "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", and even "The Parent Trap"! So I just could not get over how dead and uninspired every single song was. The minute the song was over, I could not remember a note. Most good musicals leave you with at least ONE song you are humming by the end. Even so, I carried on, and forced myself to watch the entire movie, and found it utterly painful to get through. When I was done, I went on line to see what others thought, and I was shocked to read all the raves, and I wondered "Did I watch the same movie?" Upon further investigation I found out that the film was universally panned by critics and audiences alike, both in the states and the UK. Phew. Which then made me question all these other people on the internet who were calling this "The BEST MOVIE EVER!" What? The best movie ever? Huh? God no! I tried to then look at it as a 'guilty pleasure', but I found no pleasure in watching this movie. I've been known to like a guilty pleasure or two myself...I mean I own "Grease 2" on DVD. But at least I was humming 'Cool Rider' on the way out of the theater people! Time passed, and I re-discovered the Lesley Anne Warren version from 1965. That brought back wonderful childhood memories for me. While the show does not hold up well by today's standards, it was warm and fun, and every song is a winner. Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote such a lovely score that stands the test of time. Then came the 1997 version on ABC. To my complete shock and joy, I loved it. I mean, LOVED IT. The movie has wit, color, style and heart. I was completely moved and entertained from beginning to end. I laughed out loud at Whoopi Goldberg's hilarious Queen, and appropriately loathed Bernadette Peter's inspired evil Step Mother. Actually, I was surprised Bernadette was over-looked at Emmy time. Brandy brought a sweetness and a modern twist to the role, and Pablo Montalban was literally perfect as the Prince. Every aspect of the production was top notch, and stunning. This production was the first real endeavor from the wonderful artists that would eventually bring us "Chicago". So THAT'S why the choreography and camera work was so amazing! Bravo to the entire company for finally producing THE DEFINITIVE MUSICAL VERSION OF "CINDERELLA".So anyway, a few years passed, and it was time to give "The Slipper and The Rose" another go. I got all comfortable and cozy on a lazy Sunday and put in the DVD. WOW, it was even worse then I remembered. The choreography and staging was stunted and amateurish. I felt embarrassed for the filmmakers at ever attempt of wit and cleverness that flopped miserably. This film was directed by Bryan Forbes, who just came off of "The Stepford Wives" at the time, which had the same slowness to it, but that worked for that film. It's as if he is a one-note director who attempts different genres, but uses the same techniques. He clearly had no passion for this project. If he did, he was then definitely 'miscast' as the director, and not the man to be behind the camera for such an obviously large production. I will say this though, the gowns / costumes were beautiful to look at.The sets were empty and over-sized. The cinematography was motionless and the color palette was dull. The acting by all was two dimensional and wooden. The singing was, oh god, the singing was horrible. Every single joke just fell flat. Again, I felt so bad for the filmmakers! If I can sum this review up in one sentence, I would have to say: Dull, uninspired, forgettable and a waste of two hours and twenty three minutes - Twice!!! Do yourself a favor, watch the DVD of the 1997 Rodgers and Hammerstein version. It has magic in it, and is destined to become a classic.