Cinderella (Disney character)
Cinderella (Disney character)
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Cinderella (Disney character)

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Cinderella (Disney character)

Cinderella is a fictional character who appears in Walt Disney Pictures' animated film of the same name released in 1950. Voiced by Ilene Woods, the character is adapted from the character from folk tales, primarily the French version written by Charles Perrault in 1697. For the sequels and subsequent film and television appearances, Woods was replaced by actresses Jennifer Hale and Tami Tappan, who provide the character's speaking and singing voices, although Hale later assumed the singing role in both Sofia the First and Disney's centenary short film Once Upon a Studio.

In the wake of her father's untimely demise, Cinderella is left in the care of her cruel stepmother and jealous stepsisters, who constantly mistreat her, forcing Cinderella to work as a scullery maid in her own home. When Prince Charming holds a ball, the evil stepmother does not allow her to go. Cinderella, aided by her kind Fairy Godmother and equipped with a beautiful silver gown and a unique pair of glass slippers, attends, only to have to leave at midnight when the Fairy Godmother's spell is broken.

Reception towards Cinderella has been mixed, with some film critics describing the character as much too passive, one-dimensional, and less interesting than the film's supporting characters. Other critics found her endearing, charming, and timeless. Woods' vocal performance has also been praised. Cinderella has nonetheless become one of the most famous and recognizable princesses in the history of film. She is also the second Disney Princess. With her iconic glass slippers, silver gown, hairstyle, and transformation, one of the first on-screen makeovers of its kind, the character has been established as a fashion icon, receiving accolades and recognition from InStyle, Entertainment Weekly, Glamour and Oprah.com, as well as footwear designer and fashion icon Christian Louboutin, who, in 2012, designed and released a shoe based on Cinderella's glass slippers. Lily James played a live-action version of the character in the 2015 live-action adaptation of the original film. Brandy Norwood portrayed her in the live-action films Descendants: The Rise of Red and Descendants: Wicked Wonderland, with Morgan Dudley playing her teenage self in The Rise of Red.

The Disney version of Cinderella was based on the French version of the tale by Charles Perrault, Cendrillon written in 1697 in Histoires ou Contes du Temps Passé.

The script for the original film went through revisions by various writers, sometimes with different interpretations of the character. Maurice Rapf tried to make her a less passive character than Snow White, and more rebellious against her stepfamily. Rapf explained, "My thinking was you can't have somebody who comes in and changes everything for you. You can't be delivered it on a platter. You've got to earn it. So in my version, the Fairy Godmother said, 'It's okay till midnight but from then on it's up to you.' I made her earn it, and what she had to do to achieve it was to rebel against her stepmother and stepsisters, to stop being a slave in her own home. So I had a scene where they're ordering her around and she throws the stuff back at them. She revolts, so they lock her up in the attic. I don't think anyone took (my idea) very seriously."

The character was animated by Marc Davis and Eric Larson, but the two animators did not have the same perception of the character, accentuating the elegance of Davis and Larson's opting for simplicity. As with other Disney films, Walt Disney hired actress Helene Stanley to perform the live-action reference for Cinderella and the artists drew animated frames based on the movements of the actress. This technique was also used for the characters of Princess Aurora (Mary Costa) in Sleeping Beauty and Anita Radcliff (Lisa Davis) in 101 Dalmatians. Inspiration for Cinderella’s facial features were said to have been inspired by Ingrid Bergman.

According to Christopher Finch, author of The Art of Walt Disney:

Disney insisted that all scenes involving human characters should be shot first in live-action to determine that they would work before the expensive business of animation was permitted to start. The animators did not like this way of working, feeling it detracted from their ability to create character. However, they understood the necessity for this approach in retrospect and acknowledged that Disney had handled things with considerable subtlety.

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