Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella

Rating:
Summary: Garry Hixon as Cinderella Tremaine
Review: Cinderella never had a last name. Was Garry Hixon's real name Cinderella Tremaine? or was it Cinderella Brown, or was it just Cinderella? These questions plague the public. For the most famous person in the world, Garry Hixon sure leads a private life, maybe the stars don't crave privacy as much as they say. Cinderella Tremaine, has two sisters, Debbie Gibson as Anastasia Tremaine, and Mariah Carey as Drewsila Tremaine, and of course Michelle Pfeiffer as Lady Tremaine, let's just call her Michelle Tremaine, if Miss Pfeifer is reading this, she probably thinks I'm nuts, you see I knew I was Cinderella!

Rating:
Summary: Has some charm, but cannot equal the original
Review: When this version was produced in 1965, the reason given to the public was that the original production that appeared in 1957 was aired before videotaping was possible, so once it was aired, it was lost forever. That turned out not to be entirely true; it was preserved in a black-and-white kinescope recording that was recently released on DVD. While the picture quality is less than perfect, it is very similar to the quality of television picture that was common back in 1957, so it has sort of an authentic look to it, and there is simply no comparison in the quality of the production. This 1965 version does not come remotely close to that of the 1957 original. Despite some talented actors and singers, this production comes across as so much fluff with a truncated script in comparison, and with no good reason.

Lesley Ann Warren, a newcomer in her role, seems to have been spanked and sent to bed without supper before having played Cinderella to be put into the mindset of the squashed cabbage leaf servant girl; somehow she never really seems to become the princess type. She sings beautifully, but her acting seems very forced. Something about her performance comes across as less than graceful.

Stuart Damon's singing is fine, but his acting leaves much to be desired; he always seems to be reading from a cue card. The talents of Barbara Ruick and Pat Carroll are not adequately utilized in this production. They sing well, which comes as no surprise, but as brilliant as comediennes as they have been in other roles, they could have been better displayed than they were here, which is a shame. Celeste Holm is charming and regal as the Fairy Godmother; although she does not have the flash and flair that Edie Adams had in the 1957 version, she creates the role in her own style. However, the roles of King and Queen in this production, played by Walter Pidgeon and Ginger Rodgers, are reduced to walk-on roles that could have been just as easily played by extras. It is hard to understand why the story was mutilated to such an extreme when the original story could have just as easily been used and given this production far more life than it had.

Someone will really have to explain to me what was the meaning of having that woman leap up in front of the camera on the last beat of the song "The Prince Is Giving a Ball." It was embarrassing, to say the least, for her; my children split their sides laughing over it, as all of us did when we saw it years ago. That poor girl is going to be a laughing stock throughout the ages. Sad to say, so is this production. If they were going to make a remake of this musical, they could have done a much better job than they did.

The quality of the DVD itself is fair; it's a shame that the contents don't justify making it. From reading the other reviews, I have a feeling that most of the others who gave five-star reviews never saw the 1957 version; otherwise, they would never have praised this version so highly. There really is no comparison.

This production adds one song to the score -- a leftover song from South Pacific, Richard Rodgers explained, "Loneliness of Evening" -- but it added nothing to the rather sad-sack production. With the modern technology at the disposal of the producers for this version, there really is no excuse for having watered down the musical to such a level. I was left wondering if it were fair to be quite so caustic to the cast when clearly the producers were probably to blame for not doing justice to a musical that in its original version was truly excellent.

Rating:
Summary: The best of all "Cinderella"s
Review: This is such an amazing movie. It seems we all grew up watching this version of Cinderella. I am so glad to have finally found it. I can't wait to share this with my little girls and watch them dance around like I once did singing "In My Own Little Corner".

Rating:
Summary: the one and only
Review: Every time I watch this (and I have seen it at least forty times over the years), I am moved by the actors' performances. I fall in love with Lesley Ann Warren and Stuart Damon. I hold my breath as Cinderella enters the ballroom, and I'm always jolted when the clocktower's bell begins to toll. The set is obviously not a high-tech one, but it's hazy and beautiful and magical nonetheless.
Everyone in my family loves this cast. As kids, my cousins and I would watch this on rainy weekend afternoons at my nana's house. Even the boy cousins would be singing "Ten Minutes Ago" long after the tape ended! Everyone should have the opportunity to see this... and believe.

Rating:
Summary: LESLEY ANN WARREN: Cinderella Forever
Review: Magical, enchanting and superly cast LESLEY ANN WARREN's most memorable and definitive performance as "Cinderella" remains all at once heartwarming, sensitive, touching, charming, believable and innocently brilliant. Though the "sets" seem at times inappropriate, they never detract from the magnificent performances of all the cast. Mom used to have us children sit with her EVERY year for the yearly decade long television airings of this classic - it was her favorite and became a family treasure, and remains so. Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical remains one of their finest ever.

Rating:
Summary: My mother's longtime favorite
Review: Which she made us watch as children. As a young kid, I loved this tape. Rewatching it as an adult, some of the magic was gone but I could still sing along to most of the songs (thanks to my mother's repeat watching as a child). My mom seemed to enjoy watching it on dvd.
I didnt check the extra's but at least the show (which is what you should be paying for anyway) was of good quality. All the song's I forgot but remember my mom singing randomly over the years brought back lots of memories. And of course the "do I love you.." song.
Watch the version that came before the Brandy one.

Rating:
Summary: Cinderella One of the Best
Review: I don't know how you can say this is one of the worst versions, but of course, I grew up watching this every year when I was a little girl. It was shown every year just as the Wizard of Oz was. Maybe my opinion is partially based on the memories surrounding the movie, but I can't see how you can be so critical of this production.

Rating:
Summary: Against Julie Andrews this version is just not good.
Review: I remember trying to watch this several times over the years and never could.(Even as a kid I thought this was very dull.) The Brandy version was more watchable but NOTHING compares to the Julie Andrews version.
This cast is the worst of the three versions, Stuart Damon is laughable as the Prince and Leslie Ann Warren who've I've enjoyed in so many other shows is soo miscast. Yuck..
Wait for the 1950's cast DVD or buy the recently remastered CD.
Much mroe worth your money.

Rating:
Summary: DVD Release for Julie Andrews Version
Review: PBS will release the original Cinderella (1957) with Julie Andrews on the 7th December 2004 on both the DVD and VHS. There is absolutely no one comparable to Julie Andrews and I will definately preorder one. I'm saving the five stars for Julie Andrews.

Rating:
Summary: FAVORITE MOVIE
Review: THIS IS MY FAVORITE VIDEO IN THE WHOLE WORLD I JUST LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT JO VAN FLEET REALLY MADE THE MOVIE FOR ME AND LESLEY ANN WARREN AND STUART DAMON ARE THE PREFECT PRINCE AND HIS PRINCESS WHO WOULD THOUGHT YEARS LATER HE WOULD PLAY ONE OF THE MOST UNFORGETTABLE MEN ON DAYTIME SOAP OPERA.ALSO ANOTHER REASON IS BECAUSE MY GRANDMOTHER AND HER BEST FRIEND WERE NAMED BELIEVE IT NOT CINDERELLA I KID YOU NOT IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAS SOMEONE IN THEIR FAMILY NAMED CINDERELLA SEND A REVIEW IT WILL BE GREAT READING