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.
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.