Just as Cinderella's dream was set to end at midnight, The Walt Disney Company faced its own midnight hour in 1947, grappling with a $4 million debt following the financial setbacks of Pinocchio, Fantasia, and Bambi, exacerbated by World War II and other challenges. However, the beloved princess and her iconic glass slippers played a pivotal role in saving Disney from an untimely end to its animation legacy.
As Cinderella celebrates its 75th anniversary of its wide release on March 4, we've engaged with several Disney insiders who continue to draw inspiration from this timeless rags-to-riches tale. This story not only echoes the journey of Walt Disney himself but also rekindled hope within the company and a post-war world yearning for something to believe in.
The Right Film at the Right Time --------------------------------To understand the significance of Cinderella, we must revisit Disney's fairy godmother moment in 1937 with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Its unprecedented success, holding the title of the highest-grossing film until Gone with the Wind surpassed it, enabled Disney to establish its Burbank studio and embark on a new era of feature-length animated films.
However, Disney's next venture, Pinocchio in 1940, despite its $2.6 million budget and critical acclaim, including Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song, resulted in a $1 million loss. This pattern continued with Fantasia and Bambi, further deepening the studio's financial woes. The outbreak of World War II, triggered by Germany's invasion of Poland in 1939, played a significant role in these setbacks.
"Disney's European markets dried up during the war, and films like Pinocchio and Bambi couldn't be shown there, leading to poor performance," explained Eric Goldberg, co-director of Pocahontas and lead animator on Aladdin's Genie. "The studio was then commissioned by the U.S. government to produce training and propaganda films. Throughout the 1940s, Disney shifted to creating Package Films like Make Mine Music, Fun and Fancy Free, and Melody Time. These were excellent projects but lacked a cohesive narrative from start to finish."
Package Films were compilations of short cartoons assembled into feature-length films. Disney produced six such films between Bambi in 1942 and Cinderella in 1950, including Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros, which supported the U.S.'s Good Neighbor Policy to counter Nazism in South America. While these films managed to break even and reduce the studio's debt from $4.2 million to $3 million by 1947, they hindered the production of true feature-length animated stories.
"I wanted to get back into the feature field," Walt Disney expressed in 1956, as quoted in The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney by Michael Barrier. "But it required significant investment and time. A good cartoon feature demands a lot of both. My brother Roy and I had a heated discussion... It was one of my big upsets... I said we're going to either move forward, get back into business, or liquidate and sell out."
Facing the possibility of selling his shares and leaving the company, Walt and Roy chose the riskier path, betting everything on their first major animated feature since Bambi. The success of this film was crucial to the survival of Disney's animation studio.
"At this time, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and Cinderella were all in development, but Cinderella was chosen first due to its similarities to Snow White," said Tori Cranner, Art Collections Manager at Walt Disney Animation Research Library. "Walt recognized that post-war America needed hope and joy. While Pinocchio is a beautiful film, it lacks the joy that Cinderella embodies. The world needed a story of rising from the ashes to something beautiful, and Cinderella was the perfect choice for that moment."
Cinderella and Disney’s Rags to Riches Tale
Walt's connection to Cinderella dates back to 1922 when he created a Cinderella short at Laugh-O-Gram Studios, just before founding Disney with Roy. This short, and later the feature film, drew from Charles Perrault's 1697 version of the tale, which may have originated between 7 BC and AD 23. The story of good versus evil, true love, and dreams coming true deeply resonated with Walt.
"Snow White was a kind and simple girl who believed in wishing and waiting for her Prince Charming," Walt Disney remarked, as seen in Disney's Cinderella: The Making of a Masterpiece special DVD feature. "Cinderella, however, was more practical. She believed in dreams but also in taking action. When Prince Charming didn't come, she went to the palace to find him."
Cinderella's strength and resilience, despite her mistreatment by her Evil Stepmother and Stepsisters, mirrored Walt's own journey from humble beginnings, marked by failures and challenges, yet driven by an unwavering dream and work ethic.
Walt's early attempts to revive Cinderella as a Silly Symphony short in 1933 evolved into a more ambitious project by 1938, eventually becoming a feature film. Despite delays due to the war and other factors, the film's development over a decade allowed it to become the beloved classic we know today.
"Disney excelled at reimagining these timeless fairytales, infusing them with his unique taste, entertainment sense, heart, and passion," Goldberg noted. "These stories, often grim and cautionary, were transformed into universally appealing narratives, modernizing them for all audiences."
Cinderella's animal friends, including Jaq, Gus, and the birds, provided comic relief and allowed her to express her true self, while the Fairy Godmother, reimagined as a bumbling grandmother by animator Milt Kahl, added relatability and charm. The iconic transformation scene, where Cinderella's belief in herself and her dream culminates in a magical night, remains a highlight of Disney's legacy.
"Every sparkle in that transformation scene was hand-drawn and painted," Cranner marveled. "There's a perfect moment where the magic holds for a fraction of a second before her dress changes, adding to the scene's enchantment."
The addition of the breaking glass slipper at the film's end further emphasized Cinderella's agency and strength, showcasing her as the hero of her own story.
"Cinderella is not a cipher; she has a distinct personality and strength," Goldberg emphasized. "When the slipper breaks, she presents the other one she's been holding onto, demonstrating her control and resilience."
Cinderella premiered in Boston on February 15, 1950, and had its wide release on March 4, becoming an instant success. It grossed $7 million on a $2.2 million budget, making it the sixth-highest grossing film of 1950 and earning three Academy Award nominations.
"When Cinderella was released, critics hailed it as a return to form for Walt Disney," Goldberg recalled. "It was a huge success, and the studio regained its narrative focus. Following Cinderella, Disney produced films like Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, 101 Dalmatians, and The Jungle Book, all thanks to Cinderella's success."
75 Years Later, Cinderella’s Magic Lives On
Seventy-five years later, Cinderella's influence continues to grow, evident in the iconic castles at Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland, and in the opening sequences of Disney films inspired by her tale and that of Sleeping Beauty.
"When animating Elsa's dress transformation in Frozen, we wanted to pay homage to Cinderella," said Becky Bresee, lead animator on Frozen 2 and Wish. "The sparkles and effects around Elsa's dress directly reference Cinderella's transformation, honoring the impact of earlier Disney films."
The contributions of the Nine Old Men and Mary Blair to Cinderella's distinctive style and character development are also noteworthy. As we reflect on this milestone, Eric Goldberg's words encapsulate why Cinderella was the right film at the right time, saving Disney when it needed it most.
"Cinderella's biggest message is hope," Goldberg concluded. "It shows that perseverance and strength can lead to hope being realized and dreams coming true, no matter the era."
