"Cinderella at 75: How a Princess and Glass Slippers Revived Disney"

Just as Cinderella's dream was set to vanish at midnight, The Walt Disney Company faced a similar fate in 1947, grappling with a staggering $4 million debt after the financial flops of Pinocchio, Fantasia, and Bambi, exacerbated by World War II and other challenges. Yet, it was this beloved princess, with her iconic glass slippers, who saved Disney from prematurely concluding its animation journey, allowing the company to continue enchanting audiences worldwide.

As Cinderella celebrates its 75th anniversary of its wide release on March 4, we spoke to several Disney insiders who remain inspired by this timeless rags-to-riches tale. It's a narrative that echoes Walt Disney's own journey, offering not just hope to the company but also to a post-war world yearning for something to believe in once again.

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—it was the highest-grossing film until Gone with the Wind surpassed it two years later—enabled Disney to establish its Burbank studio, still its headquarters today, and embark on a path of creating more feature-length animated films.

However, Disney's next venture, 1940's Pinocchio, despite its critical acclaim and Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song, incurred a loss of about $1 million due to its $2.6 million budget. This pattern of financial underperformance continued with Fantasia and Bambi, largely due to the outbreak of World War II when Germany invaded Poland in September 1939, causing Disney's European markets to collapse.

“Disney's European markets dried up during the war, and the films weren’t shown there, so releases like Pinocchio and Bambi did not do well,” explained Eric Goldberg, co-director of Pocahontas and lead animator on Aladdin’s Genie. “Disney was then co-opted by the U.S. government to produce training and propaganda films for the Army and Navy. Throughout the 1940s, the studio focused on 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.”

For those less familiar, Package Films were compilations of short cartoons assembled into feature 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.' Good Neighbor Policy aimed at curbing Nazism's spread in South America. While these films recouped their costs and reduced the studio's debt from $4.2 million to $3 million by 1947, they also delayed Disney's return to feature-length storytelling.

“I wanted to get back into the feature field,” Walt Disney expressed in 1956, as cited in The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney by Michael Barrier. “But it required significant investment and time. A good cartoon feature demands both. My brother Roy and I had a heated discussion... It was one of my big upsets... I insisted we move forward, get back in business, or consider liquidation or selling out.”

Facing the possibility of selling his shares and leaving Disney, Walt and Roy chose the riskier path, betting everything on their first major animated feature since Bambi. This decision was pivotal; failure could have marked the end of Disney's animation studio.

"At this time, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and Cinderella were all in development, but Cinderella was prioritized 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 remarkable film, it lacks the joyfulness of Cinderella. The world needed the belief that beauty could emerge from ashes, and Cinderella was the perfect story for that moment."

Cinderella and Disney’s Rags to Riches Tale

Walt Disney's connection to Cinderella dates back to 1922 when he created a Cinderella short at Laugh-O-Gram Studios, his venture before starting Disney with Roy. This short, adapted from Charles Perrault’s 1697 version of the tale, encapsulated themes of good versus evil, true love, and dreams coming true, deeply resonating with Walt.

“Snow White was a kind and simple little girl who believed in wishing and waiting for her Prince Charming,” Walt Disney remarked in Disney’s Cinderella: The Making of a Masterpiece. “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 through numerous failures to achieve his dream. This story stayed with Walt, and by 1933, he attempted to revive it as a Silly Symphony short, which eventually evolved into a feature film by 1938. The project, delayed by the war and other factors, took over a decade to complete but became the beloved film we know today.

Disney's success with Cinderella lay in transforming traditional fairy tales into universally appealing stories. “Disney took these age-old tales and infused them with his unique touch, adding heart and passion that made audiences care more deeply about the characters and stories,” said Goldberg. “These tales, often grim cautionary narratives, were modernized by Disney to be enjoyable for all audiences, ensuring their lasting appeal.”

Cinderella's animal friends, including Jaq, Gus, and the birds, provided comic relief and allowed Cinderella to express her true self, while the Fairy Godmother, envisioned by animator Milt Kahl as a bumbling grandmother rather than a regal figure, added relatability. The iconic transformation scene, where Cinderella's belief in her dream manifests through the Fairy Godmother, remains one of the most celebrated moments in cinematic history.

The animation of Cinderella’s dress transformation, credited as Walt’s favorite, was meticulously crafted by Disney Legends Marc Davis and George Rowley. “Every sparkle was hand-drawn and painted on each frame,” Cranner marveled. “There's a subtle moment during the transformation where the magic pauses briefly before completing, creating a magical effect that captures the audience's breath.”

Another Disney innovation was the breaking of the glass slipper, symbolizing Cinderella's agency and strength. “Cinderella isn't just a passive character,” Goldberg emphasized. “She's strong and resourceful, as seen when she produces the other slipper after it breaks, demonstrating her control over her destiny.”

Cinderella premiered in Boston on February 15, 1950, and enjoyed a wide release on March 4, becoming an instant hit. It earned $7 million on a $2.2 million budget, marking Disney's best box office performance since Snow White and the sixth-highest grossing film of 1950, with three Academy Award nominations.

“When Cinderella was released, critics celebrated Walt Disney's return to form,” Goldberg recalled. “It was a huge success because it was a narrative feature like Snow White, which the public adored. The studio regained its confidence and went on to produce classics like Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, 101 Dalmatians, The Jungle Book, and more, all thanks to Cinderella.”

75 Years Later, Cinderella’s Magic Lives On

Today, Cinderella's legacy continues to thrive within Disney and beyond. Her castle stands as a symbol on Main Street, U.S.A. at Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland, while her influence is evident in modern Disney films, such as the iconic dress transformation scene in Frozen, animated by Becky Bresee and effects artist Dan Lund, which pays homage to Cinderella.

The contributions of the Nine Old Men and Mary Blair were instrumental in bringing Cinderella to life with its unique style and character depth. Eric Goldberg aptly summarizes Cinderella's enduring message: “It's about hope. It shows that perseverance and strength can lead to dreams coming true, no matter the era.”