Cinderella at 75: The Princess and Glass Slippers That Saved Disney

Just as Cinderella's dream was set to end at midnight, so too was The Walt Disney Company's, which found itself roughly $4 million in debt in 1947 after the financial failures of Pinocchio, Fantasia, and Bambi due to World War II and other factors. However, thanks to this beloved princess and her iconic glass slippers, Disney was saved from having to end its own animation story well before its time.

As Cinderella celebrates its 75th anniversary of its wide release today, March 4, we spoke to several Disney insiders who remain inspired by this timeless rags-to-riches tale. This story remarkably mirrors that of Walt Disney himself, giving hope not only to the company but also to a world rebuilding and seeking something to believe in once again.

To understand the context, we must revisit Disney's fairy godmother moment in 1937 with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The film's runaway success—being the highest-grossing film until Gone with the Wind surpassed it two years later—enabled Disney to build its studio in Burbank, where it remains headquartered, and embark on a new path that included more feature-length animated films.

Disney's next film after Snow White, 1940's Pinocchio, had a budget of $2.6 million—about a million more than Snow White—but lost around $1 million despite its critical acclaim and Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song. Fantasia and Bambi followed suit, underperforming and adding to the debt. This was largely due to Germany's invasion of Poland in September 1939, sparking World War II.

"Disney's European markets dried up during the war, and films like Pinocchio and Bambi didn't perform well," Eric Goldberg, co-director of Pocahontas and lead animator on Aladdin's Genie, explained. "The U.S. government then took over Disney to produce training and propaganda films for the Army and Navy. Throughout the 1940s, the studio produced what they called Package Films like Make Mine Music, Fun and Fancy Free, and Melody Time. These were excellent projects but lacked a cohesive narrative from start to finish."

For those unfamiliar, Package Films were collections of short cartoons combined into a feature film. Disney produced six such films between 1942's Bambi and 1950's Cinderella, including Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros, which were part of the U.S.'s Good Neighbor Policy aimed at countering Nazism in South America. While these films recouped their costs and Fun and Fancy Free reduced the studio's debt from $4.2 million to $3 million in 1947, they hindered the studio from producing true feature-length animated stories.

"I wanted to get back into the feature field," Walt Disney said in 1956, as quoted in The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney by Michael Barrier. "But it required significant investment and time. A good cartoon feature demands a lot of both. My brother Roy and I had quite an argument. It was one of my big upsets... I said we're going to either go forward, get back in business, or liquidate and sell out."

When it seemed Walt was ready to sell his shares and leave Disney, he and Roy chose the riskier path, betting everything on their first major animated feature since Bambi. If this failed, it could have meant the end of Disney's animation studio.

"I think the world needed the idea that we can rise from the ashes and create something beautiful," said Tori Cranner, Art Collections Manager at Walt Disney Animation Research Library. "While Pinocchio is an incredible film, it's not joyful like Cinderella. America needed hope and joy after the war, and Walt recognized that. Cinderella was the perfect film for that moment."

Cinderella and Disney’s Rags to Riches Tale

Walt's connection to Cinderella dates back to 1922 when he created a Cinderella short at Laugh-O-Gram Studios, two years before founding Disney with Roy. This short, and later the feature film, were based on Charles Perrault's 1697 version of the tale, which may have originated between 7 BC and AD 23 by the Greek geographer Strabo. It was a classic story of good versus evil, true love, and dreams coming true, deeply resonating with Walt.

"Snow White was a kind and simple girl who believed in wishing and waiting for her Prince Charming," Walt Disney once said, as seen in Disney's Cinderella: The Making of a Masterpiece special DVD feature. "Cinderella, on the other hand, was more practical. She believed in dreams but also in taking action. When Prince Charming didn't come along, she went to the palace and got him."

Cinderella's strength and resilience, despite her mistreatment by her Evil Stepmother and Stepsisters, mirrored Walt's own journey from humble beginnings through failures and challenges to achieving his unstoppable dream and work ethic.

Walt attempted to revive Cinderella in 1933 as a Silly Symphony short, but the project grew in scope and complexity, leading to a decision in 1938 to develop it into a feature film. Despite taking over a decade to reach the screen due to the war and other factors, this time allowed the film to evolve into the beloved classic it is today.

"Disney was exceptional at taking these long-standing fairytales and adding his own flair," Goldberg said. "He infused them with his taste, entertainment sense, heart, and passion, making people care about the characters and story more than in the original tales. These fairytales were often grim, meant as cautionary tales, but Disney made them universally enjoyable and timeless."

Disney enhanced Cinderella with her animal friends—Jaq, Gus, and the birds—providing comic relief and a way for Cinderella to express her true feelings. The Fairy Godmother, reimagined by animator Milt Kahl as a bumbling grandmother rather than a regal figure, added relatability and led to the iconic transformation scene, often cited as Walt's favorite due to the meticulous hand-drawn and hand-painted sparkles.

"Every sparkle was hand-drawn and hand-painted, which is mind-blowing," Cranner said with enthusiasm. "There's a perfect moment in the transformation where the magic holds for just a fraction of a second before her dress changes. That pause adds to the magic."

The addition of the breaking glass slipper at the film's end was another Disney innovation, highlighting Cinderella's agency and strength. "Cinderella isn't just a passive character; she's strong and in control," Goldberg noted. "When the slipper breaks, she presents the other one she's been holding, a powerful and clever moment."

Cinderella premiered in Boston on February 15, 1950, and had its wide release on March 4, becoming an instant success. Earning $7 million on a $2.2 million budget, it was the sixth-highest grossing film of 1950 and received three Academy Award nominations.

"When Cinderella came out, critics raved, 'Walt Disney's back on track!' It was a huge success because it returned to the narrative features like Snow White, which people loved," Goldberg said. "The studio regained its mojo. After Cinderella, Disney developed films like Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, 101 Dalmatians, The Jungle Book, and more, all thanks to Cinderella."

75 Years Later, Cinderella’s Magic Lives On

Seventy-five years later, Cinderella's influence continues to grow. Her castle inspires those at Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland, and her legacy is evident in modern Disney films, such as Elsa's dress transformation in Frozen.

"When we animated Elsa's transformation in Frozen, we wanted to connect it directly to Cinderella," said Becky Bresee, lead animator on Frozen 2 and Wish. "The sparkles and effects around Elsa's dress honor Cinderella's impact and the films that came before."

The contributions of the Nine Old Men and Mary Blair to Cinderella's characters and style are noteworthy, but perhaps Eric Goldberg best encapsulates why Cinderella was the perfect film at the perfect time to save Disney.

"Cinderella's biggest message is hope," Goldberg concluded. "It gives people hope that perseverance and strength can lead to dreams coming true, no matter the era."