Admit it. You’ll never get fed up of Cinderella’s tale — from how she endured the mistreatment of her stepmom and three stepsisters to how she and Prince Charming fell in love after only one waltz at a party in the palace. Then, of course, there’s all that “living happily ever after” business. When we think of the classic story and the woman we adored (and still do!) while growing up, we think of Disney’s version the most, especially the important details that bolster the story, such as fairy godmother, the glass shoes, the pumpkin, and Cinderella’s mischievous yet cutesy little mice.
But in spite of watching it for the nth time throughout your life, we bet that many of you aren’t cognizant of the secrets that lurk behind the pretty surface of the animated film. Now an astonishing 65 years old, get set to hear the untold stories of the people who made it a success.
1. Prior to Cinderella’s release, Disney studio was on the edge of bankruptcy and had a debt of $4 million after losing connections due to the outbreak of World War II. Its previous motion pictures Pinocchio, Bambi, and Fantasia were flops that only became successful after their post-war re-release.
2. Returning to ambitious narrative features was both a financial and creative gamble for Disney. The painstaking process of creating Cinderella was the first attempt at such an endeavor in eight years. Had the animated film flopped like the others, Disney studios would have gone bankrupt.
3. Ilene Woods landed the role of Cinderella without even formally auditioning. She was friends with songwriters Jerry Livingston and Mack David, who were part of the trio with Al Hoffman who composed all the tunes for the film. Ilene was asked to sing on the demo recordings and Walt Disney loved her so much he instantly cast her as the voice of the Disney princess.
4. William Phipps was the speaking voice of Prince Charming, while the singing voice was from Mike Douglas, the well-known entertainer, actor, and television talk show host.
5. The making of Cinderella cost $3 million. Throughout the years, it has acquired beyond $85 million, sans the adjustments of inflation.
6. Cinderella received three Academy Awards nominations — Best Original Score, Best Sound, and Best Original Song for “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo.”
7. Ilene Woods revealed that Walt Disney once told her that Cinderella was his favorite among his other film heroines. Woods shared, “I think it was the rags-to-riches tale. Of course, then I didn't know how many times Walt had risked it all to realize his dreams."