The Glass Slipper (1955)

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

In an European town, the folks eagerly await the return of the Duke's favorite son, Prince Charles (Michael Wilding). On the other hand, everybody dislikes Ella (Leslie Caron). She's dirty from cleaning soot and is derided as Cinder-Ella. She claims to one day live in the palace which only embitters the town. She lives under the rule of her stepmother Widow Sonder with her mean-spirited stepsisters Birdina and Serafina. She is befriended by Mrs. Toquet. Next, she encounters Prince Charles and his friend Kovin (Keenan Wynn) but he tells her a false identity as the palace cook's son. Charles is taken with her and invites her to the ball. With help from Toquet, she goes to the ball expecting to meet the son of the cook.With Leslie Caron as the star, there should be more dancing right from the start. It's almost an hour before Charles is teaching Cinderella how to dance. It's also odd that the dancing are mostly ballets done in dreamscape. Caron should just dance in the story itself. She should be dancing in the town, at the pond, or at home. Charles should be enchanted by her dancing. It's a missed opportunity.Another problem is that Ella is a slightly unpleasant character. She should probably be more demure. Most of the other adaptations are fair although it would be nice to have more humor. In the end, this pales in comparison to the Disney animated classic from five years earlier.

Actress Estelle Winwood embodies "Cinder" Ella's fairy godmother Mrs. Toquet as an apparent victim of early-onset Alzheimer's Disease. Her brain gets stuck like a scratched vinyl record on nonsense syllables, including "elbow" and "pickle relish." Since Ella doesn't have any other well-wishers, she tries to grin and bear Toquet's Tourette's-like outbursts of "apple dumplings" and "windowsills." This character's brain malfunctions seemingly infected the rest of the cast, as well as the crew, with ballet tights being slapped on Mr. Elizabeth Taylor (Michael Wilding) every other scene, partly to facilitate occasional ten-minute ballet movements randomly inserted here and there. It's said that "If the shoe fits, wear it," but Ella seems far better suited to hoofing it barefoot rather than in THE GLASS SLIPPER. Ella enchanted seems bound for a worse disaster than the carriage wreck portrayed in this film. Princess Grace of Monaco and Princess Di of Wales found royal conveyances to be no bed of roses. Since Ella is by disposition suicidal ("I wish I were dead" is her favorite expression), it does not look like her "Prince Charles" is in for a happy union.

***This comment may contain spoilers.*** One of the best versions of "Cinderella" that has ever been filmed. Leslie Caron gives a splendid performance as Ella. Michael Wilding also does a good job as Prince Charming. Estelle Winwood is hilarious as a kleptomaniac "fairy godmother". Elsa Lanchester does a fine job playing the wicked stepmother. The supporting cast gives good performances also, including Keenan Wynn as the prince's valet, and Amanda Blake and Lisa Daniels as the wicked stepsisters. This version is also highly original. Caron's Cinderella tries to make friends, but is laughed at. Winwood's godmother is a bookish and well-read person. Superb direction by Charles Walters (LILI, also starring Caron), and includes two fantasy ballet scenes! A film for the whole family! Recommended. 10/10.

I can't remember when I first saw this movie, but it was one of those movies that you can remember somewhere in the back of your mind. Then someone gave me a copy of it years later and it all came back. In terms of scripts, well, it's not the best written movie there is. Some of the actors seem a little out of place, including Leslie Caron. Although she's adorable, and can dance like no one else can, she is difficult to understand. And though the story of Cinderella is a french tale, and the story is set in France, Caron is mixed in with English and American actors, and sometimes has difficulty getting the words out. And the character actor Keenan Wynn, while not offensive seems an odd choice as a French Duke. But the musical numbers are spectacular, not to mention the ballgown that Ella "borrows" for the ball. This is such a good movie and I can't wait for it to come out on DVD. It's magical, colorful and makes you believe in fairytales..