The Slipper and the Rose: The Story of Cinderella (1976)

Director:

Bryan Forbes

Writers:

Bryan Forbes (screenplay) and
Robert B. Sherman (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

11 April 1976 (UK)

Genre:

Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

You'll forget every other love story you ever saw . . . or sang to.

Plot:

In the tiny kingdom of Euphrania, the King and his court are most anxious to get Prince Edward wed. But Edward wants to marry for love...

Plot Keywords:

Prince | Cinderella | King | Fairy Godmother | Love

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 8 nominations

Cast

Sherrie Hewson	...	Palatine
John Turner	...	Major-Domo
Rosalind Ayres	...	Isobella
Keith Skinner	...	Willoughby
Polly Williams	...	Lady Caroline
Christopher Gable	...	John
Margaret Lockwood	...	The Stepmother / Stepmother
Julian Orchard	...	Montague
Annette Crosbie	...	Fairy Godmother
Edith Evans	...	Dowager Queen
Kenneth More	...	Chamberlain
Lally Bowers	...	The Queen / Queen
Michael Hordern	...	The King / King
Gemma Craven	...	Cinderella
Richard Chamberlain	...	The Prince / Prince
Norman Bird	...	Dress Shop Proprieter
Roy Barraclough	...	Tailor
Elizabeth Mansfield	...	Lady in Waiting to the Queen
Peter Graves	...	General
Gerald Sim	...	1st Lord of the Navy
Geoffrey Bayldon	...	Archbishop
Valentine Dyall	...	2nd Major Domo
Tim Barrett	...	Minister
Vivienne McKee	...	Bride
André Morell	...	Bride's Father (as Andre Morell)
Myrtle Reed	...	Bride's Mother
Ludmilla Nova	...	Lady in Waiting to the Queen
Peter Leeming	...	Singing Guard
Marianne Broome	...	Princess
Tessa Dahl	...	Princess
Lea Brodie	...	Princess (as Lea Dregorn)
Eva Reuber-Staier	...	Princess
Ann Rutherford	...	Princess
Suzette St. Clair	...	Princess (as Suzette St.Claire)
Jenny Lee Wright	...	Milk Maid
Patrick Jordan	...	Prince's Guard
Rocky Taylor	...	Prince's Guard
Paul Schmitzburger	...	Cow Herd
Robert Arditti	...	Dancer
Adrian Barnes	...	Dancer
Wendy Barrie	...	Dancer
Tony Bateman	...	Dancer
Nicky Benton	...	Dancer
Michael Buchanan	...	Dancer
Reg Bundy	...	Dancer
Susan Claire	...	Dancer
Ina Clare	...	Dancer
Rosalind Cole	...	Dancer
Michael Coleman	...	Dancer
Lesley Collier	...	Dancer
Michael Darbyshire	...	Dancer
Anna Delaney	...	Dancer
Bill Drysdale	...	Dancer
Stanley Fleet	...	Dancer
Neil Fitzwiliam	...	Dancer (as Neil Fitzwilliam)
Joyce Graham	...	Dancer
Johnny Heawood	...	Dancer
Deanne Horsham	...	Dancer
Jerry Hunt	...	Dancer
Sheila Humphreys	...	Dancer
Janie Kells	...	Dancer
Lorna Kelner	...	Dancer
Jimmy Land	...	Dancer
Maurice Lane	...	Dancer
William Lawford	...	Dancer
Adrian Le Peltier	...	Dancer (as Adrian Lepeltier)
Susan Lockwood	...	Dancer
Vince Logan	...	Dancer
Connel Miles	...	Dancer
Thorey Mountain	...	Dancer
Connie Paull	...	Dancer
Terry Rendle	...	Dancer
Wayne Sleep	...	Dancer
David Shelmerdine	...	Dancer
Stuart Saunders	...	Dancer
Arthur Sweet	...	Dancer
Jessica Swift	...	Dancer
Petra Siniawski	...	Dancer
Jacquie Toye	...	Dancer
Hilary Tickner	...	Dancer
Domini Winter	...	Dancer
Fred	...	The Dog
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bryan Forbes	...	Herald (uncredited)
Emma Forbes	...	Bridesmaid (uncredited)

Directed by
Bryan Forbes

Writing credits
Bryan Forbes		(screenplay) and
Robert B. Sherman		(screenplay) &
Richard M. Sherman		(screenplay)
Charles Perrault		(story "Cendrillon") uncredited

Produced by
David Frost	....	executive producer
Stuart Lyons	....	producer

Original Music by
Angela Morley		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Tony Imi		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Timothy Gee

Casting by
Michael Barnes

Production Design by
Ray Simm		(as Raymond Simm)

Art Direction by
Bert Davey

Costume Design by
Julie Harris

Makeup Department
Eithne Fennel	....	hairdresser (as Eithne Fennell)
Basil Newall	....	chief make-up
Paul Rabiger	....	makeup artist
Barbara Ritchie	....	chief hairdresser
Joan White	....	hairdresser

Production Management
Peter Manley	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Causey	....	assistant director
John Downes	....	assistant director
Leonhard Gmür	....	assistant director (as Leonhard Gmur)
Richard Jenkins	....	assistant director
Andy Armstrong	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Paddy Bennett	....	props
Harry Parr	....	production buyer
Jack Stephens	....	set dresser
Bill Waldron	....	construction manager
Brian Ackland-Snow	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
John Naulin	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bill Daniels	....	sound recordist
Janet Davidson	....	sound editor
Peter Desbois	....	sound camera operator
Gus Lloyd	....	boom operator
Gordon K. McCallum	....	sound mixer (as Gordon McCallum)
Robert Taylor	....	sound maintenance (as Bob Taylor)
Graham V. Hartstone	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Ray Caple	....	special effects (as Ray Capel)

Stunts
Vic Armstrong	....	stunt double: Richard Chamberlain (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Beaumont Alexander	....	clapper/loader
Bert Bosher	....	electrical supervisor
Colin Manning	....	camera grip
George Courtney Ward	....	still photographer
George Watts	....	focus puller
Tony White	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Brenda Dabbs	....	wardrobe supervisor
Arthur Davey	....	costumes
John Hilling	....	wardrobe master
Jean Hunnisett	....	costumes
Ken Lawton	....	wardrobe assistant
Jo Osmond	....	wardrobe assistant
Shirley Reid	....	costumes
Eileen Sullivan	....	wardrobe mistress

Editorial Department
Graham Farrow	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Robert Hathaway	....	music editor (as Bob Hathaway)
Angela Morley	....	conductor
Angela Morley	....	music arranger
Ken Ross	....	assistant music editor
Richard M. Sherman	....	music & lyrics
Robert B. Sherman	....	music & lyrics
Eric Tomlinson	....	music mixer
Jim Walker	....	vocal coach

Other crew
John Asprey	....	production coordinator
Naim Attallah	....	production coordinator
Marc Breaux	....	choreographer
John Collingwood	....	production accountant
Penny Daniels	....	continuity
Robert Ellis	....	titles drawn by
Suzanne France	....	assistant choreographer
Geoff Freeman	....	publicist
Ian Goddard	....	location manager
John L. Hargreaves	....	assistant to producer
Dietmar Siegert	....	location manager
Ann Thrift	....	production secretary
Jean Walter	....	production secretary

Production Companies

• Paradine Co-Productions (presents) (as Paradine Co-Productions Limited)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1976) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1981) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Daily Mail Newspapers (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• DiscoVision (USA) (laserdisc)
• Image Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2010) (Australia) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Administrator of the Royal Ballet, London, The  the producers wish to acknowledge with thanks the help and co-operation received from (as The Administrator of the Royal Ballet, London)
• Anvil Studios  music recorded at (as Anvil Studios, Denham)
• Aspreys of Bond Street, London  jewellery by
• Authorities and people of the City of Salzburg, The  the producers wish to acknowledge with thanks the help and co-operation received from (as The Authorities and people of the City of Salzburg)
• Berman's and Nathan's  costumes by (as Bermans and Nathans)
• Fred Hift Associates  publicity (as Fred Hift and Associates)
• Provost of Southwark Cathedral, London, The  the producers wish to acknowledge with thanks the help and co-operation received from (as The Provost of Southwark Cathedral, London)
• Simon Wigs  wigs created by (as Simon Wigs Limited)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

146 min | USA:127 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | 4-Track Stereo

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:G

Filming Locations:

Anif Castle, Anif, Salzburg, Austria

Company:

Paradine Co-Productions

Trivia:

Over 300 costumes were made for this film.

Quotes:

The King:Oh Lord, who let him in?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Frost/Nixon (2008)

Soundtrack:

I Can't Forget The Melody

A Childhood Treasure rediscovered

My parents taped this movie from TV for me when I was young, and it has always remained one of my favorites. I've worn the tape out over the years, because even now that I'm a (supposed) grown up, I still get the urge to go back and watch again and again.

The film is beautiful, filmed on location in Europe (Austria, I think?) with a whimsical and richly romantic air. What I love most about this movie is that it makes the effort to flesh out the characters into three dimensional figures and to set against an (at least plausible) historical backdrop, while still maintaining a tiny bit of tongue-in-cheek self-awareness--a live-action period piece that enjoys the fact that it's really a fairytale and a musical. I've always thought that gave it just a hint of sophistication. The movie also explores more of the complexities of the stories and the characters' motivations. It carries us past the classic "slipper" moment and allows for a more complete ending, which I found more fulfilling.

As for the characters themselves, I loved Cinderella, neither the modernized girl-power of "Ever After" (which I loved, by the way) nor the blank goody-goody-ness of the Disney classic, but a very human and lovely blend of the two--with a gorgeous voice thrown in for good measure. Prince Edward, played flawlessly by Richard Chamberlain, gives us a hero to root for, in addition to our traditional heroine. You don't just wait for her to be found, you cheer for each of them to find the other. The rest of the cast is filled in with real people that the viewer comes to care for and value in the story almost as much as the main pair. You are not left with the typical stock characters that you see so often in fairy tales. I especially loved the Fairy Godmother, the Prince's Companion, the Chamberlain, the senile King, the Dowager queen...okay, I really love them all. Even the dog. :)

I despaired of every finding a "real" copy on VHS until recently. The VHS retained a few scenes that were edited from the TV version (I assume) for time, and I have to say I think that I liked the short version better. I thought that the it flowed more smoothly, and I found that I did not miss the musical numbers they cut. I was especially disappointed with "Find a Mate" (yes, they're serious) and the scene in the Fairy Godmother's house...very contrived and corny. They really don't equal the rest of the film. Although the Prince's prayer at the end is wonderful, and was cut from the TV version.

All in all, I just have to say that I love this movie, and always will.