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Richard Madden on ‘Cinderella,’ the Red Wedding, and His Sci-Fi Fantasy (EXCLUSIVE)

Chances are you know Game of Thrones.” As one of the members of the besieged Stark clan, Madden stood tall while facing certain death. That’s a tough thing to play, especially when you’re so handsome.

Madden is bringing his handsomeness and his history with fantasy to Disney’s new, live-action “Cinderella,” directed by Kenneth Branagh, and co-starring Lily James and Cate Blanchett. In this version, Madden plays a kinder, gentler Prince Charming, one that Cinderella actually meets before the ball. Yes, there are complex new dimensions to this “Cinderella.” And it is glorious.

We got on the phone and spoke to Madden about what it was like going from dark fantasy to light fantasy (and what the reaction was to “Game of Thrones’” infamous Red Wedding), whether or not it was fun to play with fairy tale conventions, and grill him on his jock strap (he recently went on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” to discuss). He also tells us that he’s dying to be in a movie with spaceships or dinosaurs or both. Struggling Hollywood screenwriters, you have your newest assignment.

Moviefone: What was it like going from the dark fantasy world of “Game of Thrones” to the much happier, cheerier fantasy world of “Cinderella”?

Richard Madden: It was a relief. It was nice to be a part of something with a happy ending, where I’m not constantly worried that somebody is going to slaughter my family.

While we’re on the subject, were you taken aback by how people responded to The Red Wedding?

Absolutely. I’m always surprised. Because for me I just shot this TV show in Ireland and suddenly it’s this massive TV show and people really care about it. It’s quite wonderful, actually, because it means you’re doing something right if that many people watch it and care about it and get upset when characters die.

Were you a fan of the original animated “Cinderella”? And what’s your favorite Disney animated movie?

My favorite one is “Aladdin.” But I grew up with two sisters so I watched all of these movies and knew them inside out and knew all the songs. But I loved the original animated “Cinderella.” I love our version much more though because of the modernization and the message that we’re giving. It’s a message that she isn’t just a damsel in distress who needs a man to save her from her life. She’s an independent, brave woman, and the Prince and Cinderella bring out the best in each other. I think that’s a much better story than the original animation.

Was it fun playing with these conventions?

Absolutely. I just love to be able to actually build a character. In the original animation he’s maybe in two or three scenes. You don’t even get to know his name whereas in this story you get to see him as a son and a soldier and as a friend as well as a Prince to Cinderella. It was really fun to build a character from scratch.

I imagine every actor wants to work with Kenneth Branagh.

Absolutely.

What was that experience like?

He’s inspirational. It was like taking a master class every day in acting and just how to conduct yourself and me and him and Lily have a great chemistry together, and a great working relationship and we’re working together in 2016. Lily and I are playing Romeo and Juliet on stage, and Kenneth is directing on the West End in London. Doing Shakespeare on stage with Kenneth Branagh, I don’t think it gets better than that.

Did he push you as an actor?

Oh, he pushed me every day. He would give me books on a weekly basis to read and he was always pushing to get the best out of me. He’s super intelligent and also a total gentleman.

The costumes in this movie are incredible.

Yeah, I get to wear some cool stuff. It was great because I had these conversations with [costume designer] Sandy Powell where I wanted to retain the masculinity for the Prince and I thought the costumes were a great opportunity to do that even though they’re really decadent costumes. I went slightly white when I saw the ball outfit because it’s very white with sequins and glitter and I was going, “This isn’t very masculine.” But it actually makes you feel very regal and empowers. It’s really very special.

You were on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” the other night talking about how hard it was to find the right jock strap for your character. Was Branagh involved in what underwear you guys were wearing?

Yes! Branagh is involved in every detail. He’s got such an eye for detail for things right down to the jock strap, where we had to get it right. So a lot of time and thought went into it, and Sandy Powell was such an extraordinary costume designer; you’re in safe hands.

What was it like working with Cate?

Well, not only is she stunningly beautiful but she’s also a proper movie star in every sense of it. The way she conducts herself on set is just a joy to watch. It’s like a master class, every day, being on set.

Did you go to drama school coming up?

Yeah, I went to drama school in Scotland.

So this was drama graduate school?

Yes! Exactly!

You’re now a famous Disney character. How would you feel about the Richard Madden version of Prince Charming walking around Disneyland?

A-ha! That would be quite cool! I could go and see him. That’ll be me if I don’t get another job lined up.

And your next movie, “Columbus Day,” is a modern thriller, right?

Yes. I actually get to wear jeans and a T-shirt for a change, instead of armor, like I’m used to.

What can you tell us about that?

It’s a thriller and it’s action and it’s me and Idris Elba, which I think is funny because it’s such an odd pairing as a couple of actors. But it’s hopefully got a bit of humor and tension and drama and it’s got some exciting pieces. And it was just a thrill to be able to do something that is so different than anything I’ve ever done before.

Is “Romeo and Juliet” going to be traditional period as well?

That will all be revealed in time.

Is there a genre you’re particularly looking to tackle next?

Sci-fi! I’m dying to do something sci-fi! I would love to be on a spaceship and firing a laser gun! Something like that would be really awesome. Or something with dinosaurs. Or preferably both at once.

They’re restarting “Jurassic Park” and “Star Wars.” You could get into one of those movies.

Yeah, well… Maybe a “Star Wars”/”Jurassic Park” mash-up is something I could do in the future.

“Cinderella” is in theaters March 13th.
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March 11, 2015
Kenneth Branagh on ‘Cinderella,’ the Torturous ‘Wild Wild West,’ and Making Another Marvel Movie (EXCLUSIVE)

Talking with Kenneth Branagh, the legendary director of “Hamlet,” “Frankenstein” and “Thor,” is such an effervescent, invigorating experience that the moment I got off the phone with him, I started imaging a vivid fantasy scenario where he taught me, “Kingsman“-like, how to become a proper English gentleman. He’s that kind of classy.

I was talking to Branagh about his work as director of “Cinderella,” a job that he got after the original filmmaker, Mark Romanek (known mostly for his visionary music video work), departed the project, leaving no one to locate Cinderella’s lost glass slipper. In recent years, Branagh has gone from the director of Shakespeare adaptations to a hired gun for blockbusters like “Thor” and “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.” It’s been a fascinating and surprising career turn, which I talked to him about.

Branagh also addressed similarities between his film and the original animated Disney classic, why he thought he was right for this project, whether or not he’d return to the Marvel fold, his upcoming stage production of “Romeo and Juliet” (set to feature “Cinderella” stars Lily James and Richard Madden), and I even get him to tell me a story about “Wild Wild West,” the infamous Barry Sonnenfeld-directed bomb that starred Will Smith (Branagh played a legless Confederate bad guy). Yes, I went there.

Moviefone: When you became involved in the movie, did you look at any of the stuff Mark Romanek had been developing and did you incorporate any of that into the new movie?

Kenneth Branagh: I was approached about it after they had parted company and really what I responded to was the screenplay that Chris Weitz had sent me, which was really excellent. I thought I saw a way through that. The next process was to meet with Dante Feretti, the production designer, who was already working on it and Sandy Powell, the costume designer, and with those three people see whether my instinct about where the script could go could meet where they were. And it seemed like a pretty organic thing. So I never referred to where it had been, I just sort of landed where I was and said, “Here’s where I’d like to take it.” It was at a moment when it was all quite malleable so it was fluid and they were very open to the direction I wanted to go in.

You’re primarily known for the Shakespeare adaptations. But was a fairy tale something you had always wanted to tackle?

Well, it hadn’t occurred to me, to be perfectly honest. But I was very enticed by the surprise of it. And also to do something that was such a woman’s story was very enticing too. I felt that this was all new territory to me and the invitation to maybe be evoking these great set pieces, the pumpkin transformation, the runaway from the ball, et cetera, these are very exciting cinematic possibilities. So I was excited by that and also the possibility of reinventing the character from the inside by making her someone who was no longer passive and waiting for a prince but rather someone who is her own person and understand why the stepmother was the way she was.

Was it fun to try to figure out what to maintain from the original animated Disney classic and what to reinvent?

It was a fun process, yes. We abandoned a lot of singing and a lot of animal material although everyone I talked to said, “Oh, leave the mice in, leave Gus Gus in.” The world was telling me. So let’s not alienate the mouse population. But I felt that I really wanted to give people what they wanted, because I wanted it — that classical framework to this story. I wanted to feel that kind of opulence and flamboyance and really wanted to immerse myself in the world. I wanted it to be something you could smell and taste and smell the natural world and the beauty of the ballroom and everything. And occasionally, with the odd shot, tip our hat to the 1950 animated classic. The world has moved on and it remains a slice of genius for that time but the story, which has been knocking about for the last 2,000 years was something that could bear reinvention.

Speaking of reinvention, you’ve had this amazing career renaissance in the past few years. What about that has surprised you the most?

It’s funny to be in rooms where you were originally referred to as “The Shakespeare Guy” and to suddenly be in the position where you’re “The Blockbuster Guy.” That’s a pretty unusual turnabout, I must say. So the kind of material that comes across my desk is pretty different. But it’s very varied, which continues to be a delight. Still, the small character-driven stories come my way as do now, increasingly, stories that feel like anything’s possible. You’d be amazed at the range of things that people send me because they seem delighted in the fact that they can’t quite put me in a box. The surprise factor is heavily at work.

I’m actually a really big fan of your performance in “Wild Wild West.” Can I get one crazy story from that movie?

Well, I’m very glad to hear you say that because I think that you, very sweetly, Drew, are in the minority about that and are possibly in the minority about having actually seen the film. I just remember the first time they put me in the chair and it was a kind of conversation about budget — how much would they be able to, through visual effects and blue-screen trousers worn by me, be able to take my legs away and make my incredible spidery machine work and how much they would do the old fashioned way. And Barry Sonnenfeld said, “Well, we’ll do some of the old-fashioned stuff.” And with that they put a plate over my knees and screwed me into the box, basically. My knees were tucked underneath me, and I remember thinking, Yeah, this is pretty old-fashioned. Basically, the lower half of my body is trapped in a box; I’m not in Vegas, and I thought they did these things with CGI. I certainly had a lot of stretching to do after that job.

A couple of years ago you directed “Thor.” Was that a good experience? Would you come back to the Marvel fold?

I’m very proud to be a part of that early part of the Universe, as it were. When I was working we were only the third part of that first phase. And we were definitely one where, tonally, everyone was so concerned with a blonde guy riding a horse across a rainbow bridge in space with a lot of equally suspect characters and we managed to give that a kind of framework that made you find it acceptable, gave me a real sense of pride. I’ve got a good relationship there, and I liked working with my colleagues very much. Whether another property like that comes up, I can’t say. We all still talk, so who knows?

Lily and Richard have talked about how excited they are to do your “Romeo and Juliet.”

Yes, that’s very exciting. We’re very excited to be doing that. When you look at “Thor” or indeed “Cinderella” you see this interplay of people who have been in my film life, people who have been in my theater life and I’m glad that that intermingling continues. It feels like an extension with two people who I feel like are fantastic talents and have a unique chemistry. I think it’s going to make a big difference to that great play, which is the first one I directed 30 years ago and didn’t do very well with. So I look forward to doing much better this time.

“Cinderella” is in theaters everywhere March 13th.
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March 11, 2015
Best of Late Night TV: New Bachelorettes Britt and Kaitlyn Dump Jimmy Kimmel, Kevin Spacey Does Impressions (VIDEO)

If you’re like us and value your sleep, you probably nodded off into your Ambien dreamland before the party started on post-prime time TV. Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered. Here’s the best of what happened last night on late night.

On Monday night, ABC revealed that “The Bachelorette” will have two rosemistresses for the first time in the show’s history. (There were two Bachelors at one time, on Byron Velvick’s season, and the women of the house voted early on to pick one to stay.) Jimmy Kimmel sat down with the two new bachelorettes: Kaitlyn Bristowe and Britt Nilsson. Jimmy grilled them on what will happen (they’re not sure of the details yet), and what happens if they like the same guy. Jimmy also had them practice dumping a guy. Love when Kaitlyn dumped Jimmy for Guillermo, and Britt pulled the Matt Damon card on Jimmy and slapped him. Bette Midler was also on JKL and tucked her feet up on the couch. She looks amazing. She talked about starting in radio, although she didn’t get to be on the air at first, and her career from there. She was fired from a bunch of retail jobs along the way. It’s a good thing she can perform! The stage is her home, she said, but she won’t do the huge stage shows anymore. However, she did sing Kim Kardashian’s tweets. It’s amazing. Watch.
Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and Conan O’Brien all had repeats on Monday, but David Letterman was up and running, and he talked to “House of Cards” star Kevin Spacey and the new Cinderella, “Downtown Abbey’s” Lily James.

Kevin and Dave talked about how, the last time they talked, Dave was confused about Twitter and thought you had to pay for it. Kevin wanted to make it clear that you don’t pay for Twitter but you do pay for Netflix. If you pay for Twitter, someone is ripping you off. If you don’t pay for Netflix, you’re ripping Kevin off. Haha. Kevin also talked about his theater project in the Middle East, working with young, emerging talent. He said you can sometimes accomplish things artistically and culturally that you can’t do politically. Interesting talk. Kevin also did his Jack Lemmon and Johnny Carson impressions. Jack was a huge mentor for Kevin, and they eventually worked on four projects together, including the amazing “Glengarry Glen Ross.” Kevin Spacey is everything. He should host one of these things someday. Lily said she’s only rarely recognized for “Downton Abbey.” She told the story of being stuck on a boat with a friend and she just said the words ‘Downtown Abbey’ and then it was chaos since apparently everyone wanted to hear about it. The video is too short – they don’t have enough from her.
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March 10, 2015
Lily James on ‘Cinderella,’ ‘Zombies,’ and Those Swarovski Slippers (EXCLUSIVE)

Disney’s “Cinderella,” opening this week, is a sumptuous period fantasy, full of dazzling costumes, eye-popping sets, and at one genuinely revelatory performance in the form of Lily James, who plays the title character, going from being a sooty nobody to, thanks to some magic slippers, the most sought-after maiden in the entire kingdom.

James’s performance is subtle but dynamic. She’s able to craft a character whose strength comes from within, whose life isn’t dictated by her wicked stepmother (played, gloriously, by Cate Blanchett) or the Prince himself (Richard Madden from “Game of Thrones”). She’s determined and self-sufficient even before her Fairy Godmother (Helena Bonham Carter) grants her one magical night out.

We got a chance to speak to James about how she was able to make the character her own, how she initially wanted to play one of the wicked stepsisters, what it was like working with Cate and director Kenneth Branagh, and what her role in the blood-soaked “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” looks like.

Moviefone: Were you involved with the Mark Romanek version?

Lily James: No, I came onboard the Branagh version. And, actually, I originally auditioned for one of the sisters.

Oh, so you didn’t think playing Cinderella was even a possibility?

Well, I don’t know. I got the call for the sister and I was actually really excited to play that part. I love playing the quirky or funny or offbeat characters where you don’t have to think about being pretty or nice and I was like, “Yay!” And then when I was there, the casting director was there and since I had blonde hair for “Downton Abbey,” and she said, “Oh, why don’t you read for Cinderella while you’re here?”

Did you always want to do a fairy tale?

I loved fairy tales growing up. So I had my dress-up costume with the little plastic royal slippers and thankfully I had two brothers who stopped me from being too princess-y. Belle was always my favorite. I loved her spirit of adventure. And, I think that, as the Disney princesses have progressed over the years, they’ve become really wonderful, spirited girls, and I liked that.

Was there any particular spin you wanted to put on the character to make her your own?

Well, I felt like they had already done it. When I read the script I was really moved and I was really taken aback by the fact that it was such a classical retelling but there were these differences that made it feel more modern and more relevant. I love that, in this version, Ella isn’t waiting around for the prince to save her. She’s a much stronger character. That was my spin. If I wanted to do anything with the part, it was that I wanted her to be a strong heroine and to be in charge of her own destiny.

Do you think that your Cinderella is a feminist?

I don’t know — what is a feminist? That would be a big, big answer. Do you think she’s a feminist?

She’s certainly empowered and never lets any man dictate her emotional state or agency.

Yeah, I agree. I feel like she, even at the end when the Prince comes to rescue her, she says, “This is who I am. I’m this girl. I have no dowry and I’m not a princess. And if you can love me, then fine. And if not, then that’s okay too.” She’s still in charge of her destiny, even in that moment. What’s amazing with what Ken has done is that the sequence still feels really romantic. I think she’s empowered and I think she rescues the Prince as much as he rescues her.

Can you talk about what it was like working with Cate?

Oh, just amazing. She’s an inspiration to me. I can’t even begin to tell you how exhilarating it was to work with her. Her stepmother is so rich and full and when I looked at her, it was so interesting to see what she did with her character and I think that, even though it’s a fairy tale, it was all a part of making her feel real and deep and multi-dimensional. She kind of forces you into the moment because she’s so bloody brilliant.

And what about Kenneth Branagh? I assume he’s someone every actor wants to work with.

Oh, yes. It completely excelled all of my expectations. He’s so kind and generous and he takes so much time with you and he’s got such a big heart. So to be directed by him is rewarding and so refreshing as an actor to completely trust your director. It was the best experience I’ve ever had acting.

You’re doing “Romeo and Juliet” with Richard for Branagh on stage next year, right?

Yes! I’m so excited! When all of this stuff is finished, it’ll be sometime next year before we start on the play, so I’ll miss him and I’ll be ready to work with him again.

The costumes in this movie are incredible, but obviously everyone is curious about were the glass slippers like? Were you actually wearing anything?

Well, the slippers were made of Swarovski crystal and they were so beautiful and valuable that there was not a chance in hell that I could actually wear them. So they were CGI’d in, onto my foot. I know that’s not very magical, but since I didn’t actually wear the slipper, we can say that Prince Charming is still out there searching for his Cinderella!

What if there’s a Lily James version of Cinderella that gets introduced into the theme parks?

I don’t know. The good thing is that even though I’ve worn this dress and stuff I already feel like it doesn’t feel like the character belongs to me. The character feels quite separate already. So, in some ways, I think like it’d be version of me walking around, which would be really weird.

What can we expect from “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies”?

I don’t know. I filmed it already and it was a really weird, wild, wonderful time. I have no idea what it’s going to be like. But what was really cool about it was it was such a different character from Cinderella. With Cinderella, all her strength came from within, but with Elizabeth Bennett, in our version, she’s a zombie slaying warrior. So I got to use all my strength, physically, so it was cool to get to do that right after Cinderella.

Would you like to do a full-on action movie?

I never thought I would say this, but I’m desperate to do an action film. I absolutely loved it.

“Cinderella” casts its spell in theaters March 13.
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March 9, 2015
Lily James Is Fairy Tale Perfection at ‘Cinderella’ Premiere (PHOTOS)

Lily James isn’t just playing the titular character in Disney’s upcoming live action adaptation of “Cinderella” — the actress took a cue from the fairy tale handbook and wowed on the red carpet at Monday night’s premiere in Los Angeles.

James was princess perfection clad in an elegant, ice blue Elie Saab couture gown, complete with delicate sleeves, netting, and intricate embroidery that would make any ball attendee swoon. The dress also sported a train fit for royalty.

The actress didn’t stop with the glamour there, though. James capped the look with some seriously funky shoes — not quite glass slippers, but still a statement piece — and a clutch featuring a clock, a nod to the timecrunch imposed on Cinderella’s transformation.

Overall, we’d say this ensemble is bibbidi-bobbidi-beautiful (sorry). Check out some photos below and see the gorgeousness for yourself.

“Cinderella” is due in theaters on March 13.

[via: Glamour]

Photo credit: Getty Images

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March 3, 2015
Best of Late Night TV: Margot Robbie’s Game of Flip Cup and Richard Madden’s ‘Cinderella’ Genitalia (VIDEO)

If you’re like us and value your sleep, you probably nodded off into your Ambien dreamland before the party started on post-prime time TV. Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered. Here’s the best of what happened last night on late night.

Time for a game of Flip Cup with Margot Robbie on “The Tonight Show!” First to chug their beer and flip their cups wins, and obviously Margot killed it. Her prize? Some toilet paper. Only the best from Jimmy Fallon!

Richard Madden showed up on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” to talk about being Prince Charming in “Cinderella,” and apparently with great power comes great responsibility. And tight leggings. And zero genitalia because this is Disney, which means that Richard had to spend hours trying on jock straps. Ken dolls feel your pain, buddy.

Viola Davis video-chatted with Jimmy Kimmel to discuss the “How To Get Away with Murder” finale, and he even whipped up a handy plot chart –– which is actually pretty helpful for those of you who are confused about how everyone’s getting away with murder on that show.

Of course the best part of “Kimmel” was when Jimmy weighed in on the vaccine debate. All of his musings are worth-watching, but some highlights include “parents here are more scared of gluten then they are of small pox” and “Jenny McCarthy popped up and she had clothes on so they listened to what she had to say.”

Finally, Ellie Kemper hit up “Late Night” to chat about how she was Jon Hamm’s theater student in high school (some people have all the luck), and revealed that everyone in St. Louis basically spends their time Hamm fan-girling all over the place.

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February 27, 2015
Get ‘Frozen Fever’ With This New Trailer (VIDEO)

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Good news for every parent or caretaker tired of hearing little voices sing “Let It Go”! From what we can glean from this first look at “Frozen Fever,” there will soon be a new song for young fans to obsess over. The catch is that you have to go see Disney’s “Cinderella” in theaters to see the entire animated short, which will run before each showing of the fairy tale retelling.

“Frozen Fever” chronicles the mishaps of Kristoff, Olaf, and Elsa as they try to organize a birthday party for Anna. The short reunites the entire team behind “Frozen,” from Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel to directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck.

Take a peek. [Via Movies.com]

February 25, 2015
Disney’s ‘Cinderella’: 25 Things You Didn’t Know About the Beloved Fairy Tale Classic

We never get tired of the story of Cinderella, and whether we know it or not, the version we never get tired of is the one put forth by Walt Disney 65 years ago. The 1950 animated feature, released 65 years ago this week (on February 15, 1950) was an instant classic, and its this version we think of when we imagine all the visual details of the story — the slipper, the pumpkin, the fairy godmother, the mice, and Cinderella and Prince Charming dancing all over the palace grounds.

Still, as many times as we’ve heard the story or seen the cartoon, there’s still more to be mined from the 17th-century fairy tale. (Indeed, Disney is releasing a new live-action retelling next month.) As many times as you’ve seen the 1950 classic, there’s plenty you may not know about it — how the actress who played Cinderella landed the part without even knowing she’d auditioned, how the movie was responsible for some musical innovations, and how close Disney was to financial ruin before “Cinderella” provided a fairy-tale ending. Here, then, are the secrets of “Cinderella” — just be sure to finish reading them before midnight.

1. Before “Cinderella’s” release, the Disney studio was $4 million in debt. Over the previous decade, such animated features as “Fantasia,” “Pinocchio,” and “Bambi” had been costly flops. World War II had cut the studio off from its lucrative overseas audience. The animated features it had released in the interim had been compilations of shorts, like “Fun and Fancy Free” and “Melody Time.”

2. The return to ambitious narrative features, then, marked both a creative and financial gamble for the studio, the first time in eight years it had made such an attempt. Had the film failed, it would have bankrupted the Disney company.

3. There are many versions of the Cinderella tale in European folklore, but Disney chose the one made familiar by French author Charles Perrault in 1697. He’s the author who introduced to the tale the key elements of the fairy godmother, the pumpkin-turned-coach, and the glass slippers. In his version, along with the small creatures turned into Cinderella’s driver and horses, there’s a group of lizards transformed into footmen. Alas, the Disney cartoon leaves the reptiles out — but the new, live-action version does not!

4. Ilene Woods landed the voice role of Cinderella without even knowing she’d auditioned. Her friends, songwriters Mack David and Jerry Livingston (part of the trio, along with Al Hoffman, who composed all the songs from “Cinderella”), had her sing on the demo recordings for the movie’s tunes “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo,” “So This Is Love,” and “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes.” They sent the demos to Walt Disney, who liked her voice so much that he cast Woods in the lead role without giving her a formal audition.

5. William Phipps provided the speaking voice of Prince Charming. His singing voice, however, came from Mike Douglas, the future daytime talk show host.

6. Eleanor Audley performed the voice of Lady Tremaine, the wicked stepmother. Later, she would also play the villainous Maleficent in “Sleeping Beauty.” Disney animators designed both characters to look like Audley as well.

7. Lucifer the cat was voiced by June Foray, the cartoon voiceover artist later best known for playing Granny in the Tweety and Sylvester cartoons, and Rocky the Flying Squirrel and Natasha Fatale in the Bullwinkle cartoons.

8. Verna Felton, who voiced the Fairy Godmother, was a frequent Disney player, having worked on “Dumbo” (as both Mrs. Jumbo and the elephant matriarch). She went on to voice the Queen of Hearts in “Alice in Wonderland,” Aunt Sarah in “Lady and the Tramp,” the fairy Flora and the queen in “Sleeping Beauty,” and another elephant, Winifred, in “The Jungle Book.”

9. Veteran Disney sound effects artist Jimmy MacDonald, who voiced Mickey Mouse for 30 years (the first man other than Walt himself to voice the iconic character), worked on “Cinderella” as the voices of mice Jaq and Gus and as Bruno the dog. He’d go on to make animal noises in “Alice in Wonderland” (the Dormouse), “Peter Pan” (the tick-tock of the clock-eating crocodile) “Lady and the Tramp” (the chorus of howling dogs), the Chip and Dale shorts (he was Chip), various Donald Duck and Winnie the Pooh cartoons (as buzzing bees), “The Jungle Book” (various animals), and “The Rescuers” (Evinrude the dragonfly).

10. As with many of the Disney animated features, actors were hired as visual models to act out the sequences as studies for the animators. Helene Stanley, who was the live-action Cinderella, went on to perform the same duties for Princess Aurora in “Sleeping Beauty” and Anita in “101 Dalmatians.” Jeffrey Stone was the visual model for Prince Charming.

11. Several sequences failed to make it into the final film. One early sequence had the prince hunting a deer (shades of “Bambi”!), only to reveal that the hunter and prey were pals playing a game.

12. In another unused sequence, Cinderella imagines herself as an army of identical young women, dispatched to finish her chores so that she can attend the ball. She was to sing a tune, called “Cinderella Work Song.” The song was scrapped but the title modified into “The Work Song” for the tune the mice warble when they’re creating her gown.

13. A third eliminated sequence had Cinderella eavesdropping on her stepmother and stepsisters gossiping about the mystery woman at the ball, with Cinderella showing amusement at their unawareness that she herself is the woman they’re talking about. Walt Disney had this sequence cut because he thought it made the heroine look spiteful and risk audience sympathy.

14. A cut version of the ending had the Grand Duke learning Cinderella’s identity and bringing her to the castle, where the prince expresses surprise but not disappointment that Cinderella is a servant and not a princess. Then the Fairy Godmother was to appear and restore Cinderella to her appearance the night of the ball. Walt nixed this sequence because he found it too long and argued that it denied viewers the emotional payoff of having the prince discover Cinderella’s identity himself.

15. With the hiring of David, Livingston, and Hoffman, “Cinderella” marked the first time Disney had turned to established professional songwriters from outside the studio. But Disney also kept the publishing rights on their compositions, with “Cinderella” also marking the launch of the Walt Disney Music Company, which introduced a new revenue stream from sheet music publishing and, later, soundtrack albums.

16. The soundtrack was also a trailblazer in its use of double-tracked vocals. Walt came up with the innovative idea of having Woods sing harmony with herself on a second and third vocal track on the song “Sing, Sweet Nightingale.” Woods recalled that, upon hearing the finished recording, Disney remarked, “How about that? All of these years I’ve been paying three salaries for the Andrews Sisters, when I could have only paid one for you!”

17. The film cost $3 million to make. Over the years, it has earned back more than $85 million, not adjusting for inflation.

18. As the biggest hit Disney had enjoyed in 13 years, since “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Cinderella” generated enough cash flow not only to save the studio, but to allow it to create its own distribution company (“Cinderella” had been distributed, like past Disney features, by RKO), finance several live-action and animated films, enter the world of television production, and build the Disneyland theme park.

19. “Cinderella” was nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Sound, Best Original Score, and Best Original Song (“Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo”).

20. David, Livingston, and Hoffman would go on to write the songs for DIsney’s “Alice in Wonderland.”

21. The studio re-released “Cinderella” in theaters six times: in 1957, 1965, 1973, 1981, 1987, and 2013.

22. In recent years, Disney has released two direct-to-video sequels: “Cinderella II: Dreams Come True” (2002) and “Cinderella III: A Twist in Time” (2007).

23. Cinderella Castle, the signature landmark at the Magic Kingdom park in Disney World in Florida, is designed to look like the palace in the movie, albeit with some modern amenities — elevators, a restaurant, a beauty salon (the “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boutique”) and a VIP hotel suite.

24. Along with the Sleeping Beauty Castle at the center of Disneyland in California, Cinderella Castle is the basis for the logo seen at the beginning of all Walt Disney Pictures films and home video releases, as well as Walt Disney Television productions and Disney Music Group projects.

25. Woods claimed Walt Disney once told her Cinderella was his favorite among his films’ heroines. “I think it was the rags-to-riches tale,” she speculated. “Of course, then I didn’t know how many times Walt had risked it all to realize his dreams.”
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