Disney’s ‘Cinderella’ Is 70 Years Old: Your Inside Look at the Magic Behind the Movie

CLOSER: What impact did ‘Cinderella’ have on the studio at the time?

Mary Walsh: In the canon of all of the films that we’ve released so far, Cinderella is definitely one of classics; it being brought into the National Film Registry says a lot to that as well. From an audience point of view, there are millions of people around the world who have seen the film and have been impacted by it one way or the other. I think a lot of that has to do with just the basic human connection that people can make to the characters. Cinderella was challenged, to say the least. She was in an environment she didn’t necessarily want to be in or didn’t have control over. And yet she always found a way to be positive and to treat everybody else with kindness and respect, even if that wasn’t something she was being treated with at the time.

I would argue from a Disney legacy point of view, it’s one of those films with the artistry that went into the creation of it, that still today can inspire young artists coming into Walt Disney Animation Studios for what they’re doing now and in the future. You know, there’s artwork from that film, early concept drawings and sketches that artists today still look back on, and looking at the execution, the craftsmanship, the talent, the design that went into it. I think all that put together really helps support the theory that it is a timeless classic. And that when you look at the film today, it still stands the test of time just from the combination of the overall storytelling, the relatability from a human point of view with the characters, and then just visually how stunning it all looks. So I think it had an impact in lots of different areas since it was released in 1950.

How importantly did Walt Disney view this film?

It was released in 1950, but they probably started production on it at least six years prior to that. So that would’ve been, you know, at the end of World War II. The studio would have been in a transition phase from the work they were doing during the ’40s and trying to now rebound and redirect their creative efforts towards a more global audience that’s going to open up to them, and the domestic audience as well. I wasn’t there, but looking back at the history and from what I know and what I assume to be true, it would have been really important to what Disney was going to continue to do and how they were going to progress in the ensuing decades.

What’s surprising is that the world in many ways is more cynical, yet people are still able to latch on to Cinderella and recognize the joy it brings.

That’s a really good point. I was thinking about that the other day when I was in preparation. I was going to do some interviews surrounding this and looking at the resiliency and the perseverance that Cinderella as a character really exudes in the film. I think those qualities are really important. You could even say today maybe more so than ever. That’s probably one of the reasons it does still resonate with audiences. It’s one of those things that it doesn’t have to hit you over the head with, but it’s obviously very apparent. For me, it comes back to what were the basic human qualities imbued in these characters that audience members today can still relate to? Two very important characteristics of Cinderella was her ability to still be kind and respectful to people around her even if she wasn’t being treated that way.

Is it a tough line to walk between creating sequels while not damaging the integrity of the classic originals?

That’s tough. The original Cinderella, the animated classic that we’re talking about here, is my personal favorite from that perspective. I understand that artists are inspired by films and stories that come before them and a lot of times they want to look at those and maybe bring their own take to it. And there are times when a remake or sequel is successful, and sometimes they’re not. But can you really go to an artist and say, “Oh, that’s not a good idea,” if they feel that they can tell that story differently in a way that perhaps may be better or resonate more with modern audiences? I know that’s a very creative decision to make and I think you have to have a very strong point of view to be able to tell those stories. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t.

How much fun is something like ‘Ralph Breaks the Internet’ where all the Disney Princesses are brought together?

It was really interesting, because when that concept got pitched for that sequence to actually incorporate all of the princesses into that film and have that interaction with Vanellope, it was something everybody thought could be really cool, but we had to be very careful with it too. But the fact that the animators, the directors and the story artists were so enthusiastic about it, and then to see the sequences they put together, it really goes back and reflects on what are the characteristics of those individual princesses reflected back in today’s society? So Cinderella being somebody who, you know, went through life, she had some challenges and in her own way pushed back against what the societal norms were that she was in, I think reflects back to how those characters were used with a bit of tongue-in-cheek. I thought it was really fun,  really well done and we had a great time, because we got to provide animation references for the CG animators. We got to work a lot with them and provide them with artwork and pencil tests. So it was just so much fun. And then to see all that kind of come to fruition in the film and how it was handled was just so gratifying.

How would you describe the Disney Animation Research Library?

It’s the repository of all the original artwork that was produced for both the short- and feature-length films produced at Walt Disney Animation Studios from the 1920s until present day. We have a really high-end, secure, environmentally-controlled facility here and we we have over 65 million pieces of physical objects and artwork in our collection. Just think about that for a moment. So like any world-class museum that has a collection similar to ours, you know, which is mostly works on paper, we care for that artwork. We make sure it is archived and appropriately organized so that it can be accessible. We are not open to the public, but we are open to anybody in the Walt Disney company who needs access to those assets for any projects they’re working on, whether it’s consumer products, theatrical stage plays, things that go on in the parks, or inspiration for current Disney artists who are creating new characters or telling extension stories on some of these characters.

So our prime goal and motivation is to ensure the integrity and safety and accessibility of all that art for generations to come. That’s our day job — and it’s a really cool day job. We’re surrounded by beautiful art day in and day out, and it is not lost on us that that art is the legacy of the original IP of this company. Without all these great animated films, a lot of the other divisions of this company wouldn’t be here or may not be as successful. So we take that responsibility and that partnership with all of our divisions very seriously.

The Signature Collection edition of Cinderella is available on Blu-ray and for digital download.