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| Genre: | Animation - Family |
| Year: | 1964 |
| Rating: | G |
| Length: | 1h 23mins |
| Cast: | Charles S. Dubin, Lesley Ann Warren |
Fittingly enough, among Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's stage and screen musical triumphs -- including The Sound of Music, South Pacific, The King and I, and Oklahoma! -- the 1964 curio Cinderella is like a stepsister. A modest effort, relatively speaking, it is nonetheless a masterpiece from these giants of musical theater. Buoyed not just by the wonderful lilt and sway of their waltzes, some of which are as affecting as "My Favorite Things" or "Hello, Young Lovers" -- this made-for-TV special also showcases the ethereal debut of Lesley Ann Warren, who reprises a role originated by Julie Andrews in a much-watched but long-lost 1957 live broadcast. As executive producer of this version, Rodgers also saw fit to dust off an enchanting song cut from South Pacific for the occasion, "Loneliness of Evening," a sublime little tune that Stuart Damon (later of General Hospital fame) handles fabulously. But it's the luminous ing‚nue Warren who carries the show, showing off the canny talent that had already garnered her raves on Broadway. Never letting the starkly realized pastel sets take over, she grounds the show beautifully while pulling back from any trace of treacle. Her version of the somewhat dark "In My Own Little Corner" is full of a verve that belies her 18 years. Flecked with near-standards -- "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful" and "Impossible" -- and sterling support by Celeste Holm, Ginger Rogers, and Walter Pidgeon, the production has scarcely aged. This broadcast proved so popular that it was rerun eight times between 1964 and 1974, and was later retooled skillfully in 1997 for Brandy, with Whitney Houston playing the Fairy Godmother. Eddy Crouse
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