Cinderella (1957)

next to Disney's delightful cartoonish contrive, this is my favorite version of 'Cinderella'. and not to commit iconic blasphemy, R&H's very best musical.i know i know. how can i say such a thing when 'South Pacific' and 'Oakiehomie' are such monumental works? simple. they're just that. monumental. how dull, boring and oppressively overpowering. i like it when things are kept pure and simple. R&H completed this in half the time and effort as their other works, and that bare basics approach works in this production's favor. rarely are media musicals this sincere and unpretentious. a pure delight for anyone that relishes sweet unpretentiousness. it also has the straight-forward, raw quality that only live television and performances can provide.and the performances in this can be just wonderful. not only is Dame Julie a perfectionist delight a Cinders, but the supporting cast is just marvelous fun. Kaye Ballard and Alice Ghostley are liltingly hilarious and "lovely" as the awkward stepsisters. and Edith Adams and Ilka Chase are wonderful. this has to be the most entertaining "fairy godmother" you could imagine outside of Disney. "impossible", stands right alongside "Bibbidi-Bobbidi" as one of musical's most delightful and very best.even though this first rate, Broadway-like production, is only preserved in a primitive, rough, kinescope telecast videotape, young unexperienced viewers must keep in mind that the original CBS-TV broadcast was seen by the largest TV audience on the planet at that time. it was a television, historical event that reached millions and millions of viewers stretching from Canada to Cuba. a real milestone in the "Golden age" of television. by today's standards, that event is "impossible" to conceive.for anyone that loves American television history, this is a true national treasure. and if you let yourself believe, "impossible things are happening everyday".

I bought the DVD and watched it right away. My reason is that I am a Julie Andrews fan and wanted to see her in one of her earliest film performances. This was filmed live on TV in 1957 - Julie was only about 22 years old, yet even then she possessed her special qualities. According to the extra interviews on the DVD, Cinderella had one rehearsal, then a dress rehearsal and then the live performance. It was a smash hit with the public. Apparently this video has been shown on PBS lately. The back of the DVD shows 2004 release from the estate of Oscar Hammerstein II and the family trust U/W Richard Rogers. I urge the purchase of the DVD, not only for the performance of Cinderella but the extra interviews and information available as special features. There is a short of Rogers and Hamerstein on the Ed Sullivan show. You can see the then and now of Kaye Ballard, Jon Cypher, Edie Adams and Julie Andrews (who is still a most beautiful, graceful and highly intelligent woman). Interestingly, the Prince was played by Jon Cypher who was also the police captain on Hill Street Blues, among other works. See Edie Adams twirling a baton (magic wand) as well as a majorette. The entire company's performance was flawless as far as the viewer is concerned. I'm sure there were little errors made that were known only by the performers, but none came across the screen. What you see and hear is a perfect production on all counts. Everyone knows the story of Cinderella, so there is no need to repeat it here. The storyline was kept in it's original time period, there was no puff person trying to modernize an already good story. If you like a good, quality musical you will like this one. If you like Julie Andrews, you will like Cinderella. Enjoy it if you get the opportunity.

I sincerely hope that many parents and other grownups will share this wonderful, witty musical with their kiddos and kiddo friends. Start them early with quality fare like this, and don't let them develop a prejudice against black & white viewing, or intelligent creations.It really is a shame that later television CINDERELLAs messed with the script, and particularly that they cut the ball- and banquet-planning scene with the King, Queen, Chef, Tailor and...I forget who else. The King and Queen are such stronger roles here than in the later versions. Actually, all the roles seem stronger here, as directed and played. (I don't mean to bash the later two TV CINDERELLAs, both of which have their good points, and good intentions, but end up falling so short of the original, for all their larger budgets, full color, more ethnically diverse casting--the last a plus in my book. A shame they didn't stick with the many strengths of this original script, and build and embellish from there. It also helps to have a Cinderella with a gorgeous, majestic voice.) Besides the wit, humor and intelligence of this musical's book, the big, winning ingredient is the basic sense of love and good will, strong but not cloying. A very Hammerstein element, which, for the most part, he wielded deftly throughout his works. There is an unfortunate tendency to screw with that strong ingredient when people try to adapt and "improve" Rodgers & Hammerstein shows. For a particularly heinous example of this, see the ABC TV, Glenn Close SOUTH PACIFIC. Better yet, don't subject yourself to that horrible desecration of a beautiful work. Watch the good stuff, like this original Cinderella.

I've finally seen a B&W kinescope copy of the live color telecast of March 31, 1957--about 3 months after I was born. Someone of my age can take into account that this was live television (something many younger viewers may not be able to do), and accept all the limitations inherent in that medium. Still, this is by far a superior version of the R&H classic. The celebrated team did not condescend to the medium of television, but chose to treat it as every bit as important as a Broadway show. Hammerstein's lyrics for such songs as "IN MY OWN LITTLE CORNER," "IMPOSSIBLE," and "DO I LOVE YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL" are as fine as any he wrote for Broadway. Likewise, Rodgers' music for those songs, plus his "GAVOTTE," "WALTZ FOR A BALL," and "WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING THROUGH THE MOONLIGHT/A LOVELY NIGHT" are among his best melodies. The script is witty; the actors play it realistically, and with humor. All in all, this production should be revived today on live television [despite the Disney version with a miscast Brandy] with a cast equal to the original. Unfortunately, there is probably no one to rival Julie Andrews in today's young musical comedy stars--although Kristen Chenowith might be great Cinderella. (Hint, hint!!) If you ever get a chance to see thus version, GO!!!!!