Film

Cinderella

Name: Cinderella
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, TV Movie, Music
Released: 1965
Cast: Lesley Ann Warren, Stuart Damon, Ginger Rogers, Walter Pidgeon, Celeste Holm

Other titles called Cinderella: the 1950 film, the 1997 film, the 2015 film.

A luminous 1965 television Cinderella with Lesley Ann Warren's delicate performance and Rodgers and Hammerstein's soaring score. Faithful to the fairy tale while maintaining the elegance of classic musical theatre. Gorgeously shot in colour, it's a masterclass in restraint—magic happens through singing and set design rather than spectacle. Perfect for anyone who believes in the power of a great song to transform a moment.

TMDb rating

3.3

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you have a soft spot for old-fashioned stage musicals, where the songs carry the story and the storybook charm comes from theatre rather than effects.

Skip it if you tire of sugary sincerity in musicals, or want a sharper, modern take on the fairy tale rather than a faithful, earnest one.

What it asks of you: At seventy-eight minutes it is brief, with song after song and a sincere, unembarrassed tone that never winks at you.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

The King and I1956

Rodgers and Hammerstein at their most sophisticated. The romance between Anna and the King unfolds through music that builds from restraint to emotional devastation. Deborah Kerr is magnificent.

But The film's depiction of Siam feels dated and orientalist by today's standards, which creates real discomfort watching.

South Pacific1958

Another Rodgers and Hammerstein masterpiece with a similar lush orchestration and romantic sweep. Mitzi Gaynor and Rossano Brazzi navigate wartime love with real tenderness and humour.

But It runs nearly three hours and the pacing sags in the second half. Some of the comedy hasn't aged well.

The Music Man1962

Robert Preston's explosive energy and the score's infectious optimism make this irresistible. A musical about the transformative power of music, performed by people who clearly love every second of it.

But The romantic subplot feels thin compared to the townspeople's charm, and you may find the whimsy relentless.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Cinderella

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Phantom of the Opera1943

Both films use music and visual beauty to transform familiar stories into meditations on loneliness, desire and transformation. Both believe in the redemptive power of art and love.

A Universal gothic fantasy in glorious Technicolor, with classical music (no original score) and a similar tragic-romantic architecture to Cinderella. Claude Rains carries the film with extraordinary restraint and sadness.

But It's genuinely Gothic and sometimes grim—the Phantom is a tragic figure but his actions are predatory. Not as whimsical as you might expect from the title.

State Fair1945

Rodgers and Hammerstein's only original film score, full of Americana warmth and genuine sweetness. The musical numbers emerge naturally from small-town life, and the romance feels earned rather than imposed.

But The plot is genuinely slight—there's not much story underneath the charm and songs.

Carousel1956

Darker and more psychologically complex than most musicals of its era. The waltz sequences are breathtaking, and Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones navigate genuine emotional weight.

But The male lead's behaviour toward the female lead is controlling and abusive, which the film doesn't adequately critique. Hard to enjoy when the 'romance' is troubling.

The Unsinkable Molly Brown1964

Debbie Reynolds is a force of nature—funny, warm, and genuinely likeable. The score is bright and the film moves with genuine joy and energy.

But The story is scattered and the second half loses focus. Some of the period detail feels costume-box rather than lived-in.

Hello, Dolly!1969

A glorious explosion of colour, spectacle, and Barbra Streisand doing precisely what she wants. The choreography is inventive and the supporting cast is excellent.

But Streisand is vastly miscast as a widow in her twenties, and her manner can overwhelm everyone else on screen. The film's scale sometimes crushes its own charm.

Silk Stockings1957

A lesser Cole Porter film, but Cyd Charisse and Fred Astaire have genuine chemistry and the dance sequences are extraordinary. Light, witty, and beautifully composed visually.

But The Cold War politics feel simplistic and smug. The plot is thin even by musical standards.

The Harvey Girls1946

Judy Garland in a western musical with genuine warmth and unexpected depth about women making their own way. The ensemble numbers are joyful and the Johnny Mercer score is solid.

But The film moves unevenly and some sequences feel padded. Not Garland's best vehicle, though she's always worth watching.

EverAfter1998

Both grapple with how to tell Cinderella's story honestly. This film asks what Cinderella would need to be to survive her circumstances; the 1965 version asks what music can say about her interior life.

A live-action reimagining of Cinderella that keeps the fairy tale's emotional core but grounds it in Renaissance logic and feminist agency. Drew Barrymore is both vulnerable and resourceful, and the film is genuinely moving.

But The tone wavers between romantic fantasy and historical realism. Some will find it too earnest, others too arch—it doesn't fully commit to either register.

Pennies from Heaven1981

Both use integrated musical numbers to express emotional truths that dialogue cannot reach. But where Cinderella suggests music can transform reality, Pennies suggests it's the only escape from a reality that won't change. Opposite visions, same form.

A Depression-era musical with a completely different register—dark, desperate, and brutally honest about sex and disappointment. Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters are extraordinary, and the fantasy sequences are genuinely surreal.

But It's deeply cynical about romance and contains graphic sexual content. The film conflates fantasy with delusion in uncomfortable ways. Many find it bleak and depressing rather than cathartic.