Artivels Undescribable Perfection

ThiefHott Too much of everything

Steineded How sad is this?

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Edgar Soberon Torchia This is a good lesson for filmmakers: if you are going to shoot a movie with songs, do not let your songwriters also write the script, because they would add a song into the story every five or ten pages. The worst part can be if their muse is on vacation or retired. This was the case of this lame version of Cinderella by Bryan Forbes. It is terrible and overlong! I give it a few points for the beautiful Austrian locations and because Forbes, in the last big opportunity that industrial cinema offered him after becoming an "international director", knew the trade and skillfully put the stories on screen, although it is merely academic, without any flight of inspiration. Richard Chamberlain and Gemma Craven look somewhat old for the roles of prince and orphan, poor Edith Evans is used as a clownish little old lady, the art direction seems to be the work of Margaret "Big Eyes" Keane, the choreography by Marc Breaux is mostly routine (and sometimes even ugly, as the dance in the royal mausoleum) and the songs by brothers Robert and Richard Sherman... oh, boy! Far are the days of "Chim Chim Cher-ee", "A Spoonful of Sugar", "Feed the Birds" or "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" (which were not wondrous either, but they accompanied very well the adventures of "Mary Poppins") and what we have instead are monotonous concoctions with lyrics about protocol, dead kings or royal weddings. Of the whole thing, I think the best are Annette Crosbie as the Fairy Godmother and Margaret Lockwood as the Stepmother, although you have to be a very bad actor to ruin these two stereotypes. So proceed at your own risk.

moonspinner55 The Cinderella tale retold, this time with as much emphasis on the prince as on the would-be princess. Setting this magical romance among the snow-covered mountains of Austria--in ancient castles with expansive, echoing rooms--and placing its older actors in white wigs and cumbersome costumes, the familiar fairy tale isn't so much transformed as it is embalmed. The chilly milieu is too realistic for a magical romance; Tony Imi's cinematography is coldly bright (with intrusive interior shadows). Working with director Bryan Forbes on the screenplay, songwriters and Disney mainstays Robert B. and Richard M. Sherman probably didn't expect such an impersonal treatment (the project certainly misses the mark of their previous studio); Forbes keeps the camera at such a distance from the merrily crooning actors that all we see are the half-empty rooms they're standing in. Juxtaposing the prince's romance-starved existence with Cinderella's troubles in dealing with her step-family was obviously meant to give Richard Chamberlain the same amount of screen time and substance as his romantic counterpart, but the wealthy royals are an ungodly bore (especially when they're 'dancing'). The picture simply does not look magical, with colors that are muddy or mildewy, and Forbes' stiffly-directed action exudes no personality. None of the Shermans' songs can give the narrative a lift and, instead of happily awaiting for this tale to unfold, one instead becomes anesthetized by the misjudged conception. *1/2 from ****

olszewsk This is a Hollywood musical. It is light and fluffy, a true fairy tale. I found the music to be more fun that the Rodgers and Hammerstein version. Richard Chamberlin is a standout as the prince. Deep drama (or rather, melodrama) is present, like a dash of salt in the stew. The King is a bit goofy, adding to the fun. A nice touch is the play of the fairy godmother, who assigns her dog to keep tabs on Cinderella. The plot device of having the royal family con Cinderella into giving up the prince for his own good is very reminiscent of the Bing Crosby vehicle of a few years earlier, "The Emperor Waltz," but does play guite well. It leaves some tension in the plot regarding the (inevitable) happy ending. Watch and enjoy!

drchazan This is the absolute worst Cinderella version ever made. The songs are sappy and unmemorable, the choreography tasteless - for instance there's a scene where Chamberlain dances on the coffins of his ancestors! What WERE they thinking? There's nothing unique or special about this in any way. Moreover Chamberlain can't sing or dance, so why did they cast him in the part? One would think that because of his looks, he'd make a good Prince Charming - and yes, he is charming, but that's where this ends. There are so many versions of this story out there that this one becomes totally forgettable, and I wouldn't even have written this review if I hadn't been suckered into seeing it in a theater back when it came out in 1979. There's a couple of hours of my life I'll never get back!Sorry, but if you want a good version, watch any of them, but not this one. Disney's old one is still the best, if you ask me. There's also a Hallmark production from a totally different angle, called "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister" which is marvelous with Stockard Channing.