THE SLIPPER AND THE ROSE - THE STORY OF CINDERELLA: Blu-ray (Universal/Cinema International, 1976) Shout! Factory

A little over two-and-a-half hours of grade ‘A’ Ziegfeld glitz went into director, Bryan Forbes’ The Slipper and the Rose - The Story of Cinderella (1976), a strictly-for-the-kiddies, lush but leaden retread of Charles Perrault’s timeless fable, Cinderella. In theory, this was a story that had always made money at the movies. But in Forbes’ case, the glitter turned to chalk almost from the outset, with Gemma Craven (who, in profile vaguely resembles a young Olivia de Havilland, minus de Havilland's grace and acting chops) and Richard Chamberlain, ill-fated and haplessly mismatched as the time-honored ‘happily ever after’ couple du jour. Not even Tony Imi’s breathtakingly plush cinematography of these cartoonish and bright sets, amplified by Ray Simm’s set design, Bert Davey’s art direction and Julie Harris’ gauche and gaudy costumes, could salvage the thoroughly forgettable songs supplied by Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman, or, do half-justice to an equally as half-baked, yet daftly embellished plot, co-authored by the Shermans and their director. The brothers Sherman, darlings of the Disney stable, writing memorable fluff for Walt’s timeless, Mary Poppins (1964) and later, Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), to say nothing of their formidable efforts on 1973’s indie-production, Tom Sawyer, herein appear to be aping their past with this (choke!) Oscar-nominated score. ‘Protocoligorically Correct’ is their ‘Supercalafragilisticexpialadocious’ moment without any of the pomp and panache associated in this previous effort. It is difficult to find a more hard-pressed example of the big and bloated 60’s road show musical gone to seed in the tough n' tumble seventies. This one, however, thoroughly misses its mark at virtually every juncture. The Slipper and the Rose has to be one of the worst examples of plunk peddled as art, defining precisely why musicals in general, and this one in particular, were more of a liability than sure-fire box office from 1969 onward.

Worse, the first half of the picture offers us no genuine surprises, instead to trundle out the tried and true with the heaviest slice of ennui. It’s still the tall tale of a woman of culture, reduced to a servant in her own home, and, at the mercy of a wicked stepmother (Margaret Lockwood) and her two dopey/deadly dull daughters, Palatine (Sherrie Hewson) and Isolbella (Rosalind Ayres). Cinderella (Craven) is better than her circumstances or her siblings however, and, after some finagling from a kind-hearted and bubbly Fairy Godmother (a modestly engaging Annette Crosbie), Cind’ lands herself a willing Prince Charming, named Edward (Chamberlain). Alas, at the stroke of midnight, this rom/com fantasy ends. Aside: a pity the picture did not! Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. But perhaps not, as the screenplay takes a few unexpected turns for the worst shortly thereafter. Unsuccessful at locating the girl of his dreams, Edward is informed by his father, the King (Michael Hordern) whatever his attachment to this girl in rags, it can never be. The prince must wed another ‘eligible’ maiden (Vivienne McKee) to affect the promise and procurement of a neighboring head of state (André Morell). Oh really?!? So, why the lavish ball, set up as the ultimate pantaloons and petticoats ‘Bachelor’ tryout. Hordern, it ought to be noted, gets the most plum part in this picture, playing kind-hearted, but doddering with celebrated aplomb. Cinderella is heartsore when the prince agrees to wed as his father wishes. But then, Fairy Godmother reappears, tooting a glass trumpet to herald the arrival of the real woman who occupies Edward’s heart. The bride faints in an overwrought heap and Edward embraces Cinderella for his own.

The Slipper and the Rose is lethally embellished to the point of absurdity. This is 2 ½ hours of my life I can never get back. And what a colossal waste of some excellent Brit-based talent to flank our American star. Chamberlain has done exceptional work elsewhere. Yet, despite possessing the stature and grace of a royal bloodline, the actor is given precious little to do, except to pontificate in song or worse, emote faulty emotions during the dramatic moments that make his Edward appear more the naïve fop than amiable heir apparent to the throne of this imaginary Euro-trash principality. Craven’s appeal begins and ends with her sharp eyes and pert smile. These portend of greatness, except Craven never plays her hand. So, we are left with Miss Bright Young Thing, all bubble and bounce, with only the occasional human emotion to recommend her otherwise decorous self.  Marc Breaux’s pedestrian choreography amounts to a few bell-kicks, some pseudo-chorus-line moments and one deftly executed waltz. For the rest, we have songs that flit in and out of our collective consciousness with zero staying power, showcased in static tableaus. At one point, director, Forbes tries to bring excitement to ‘I Can’t Forget the Melody’ (aside – yes, you can!) by placing Gemma Craven on an outdoor swing and enveloping the moment in a springtime array of lush foliage. But nothing helps. So. we are left with super-kitsch and a lot of gloss, and a bunch of stick figures with no soul. Ho-hum. The beat goes on. 

This is an odd duck for Shout! Factory to release on Blu-ray. I suspect they were enticed into a package deal to include the equally as inept musical, Can’t Stop The Music (1980). The Slipper and the Rose is not quite as tacky. But it creaks as an old hag with arthritis and lumbers along like a sleigh missing its rails. There is better news for the 1080p transfer - mostly, expertly remastered. Apart from dupes and opticals, which are soft, hazy and riddled in amplified grain, the bulk of the image here exhibits a refined sharpness with excellent detail, and bright/bold color saturation. Flesh tones tend to lean to the pink palette, but not egregiously so. Contrast is excellent and there is a light smattering of film grain looking fairly indigenous to its source. On occasion, we get some fairly ugly edge enhancement. It afflicts the worst during a fleeting shot of church stained-glass windows, but also crops up in background detail for the song, ‘A Bride-Finding Ball’. There is also some scattered image flicker, baked in. This too could have been corrected. We get 2 audio tracks – 2.0 DTS mono and 5.1 DTS based on the original 4-track magnetic stereo. Overall, it all sound about right, with a few strident spots, but otherwise clean and precise. Shout! favors us with a commentary from Forbes (terribly unengaging), a vintage ‘interview’ prepped for the long-ago defunct DVD release with the Sherman brothers, and, a nearly half-hour junket covering the making of this movie, produced in tandem with the original theatrical release. None of these extras are ‘award-winning’ and do absolutely nothing to amplify one’s appreciation for this movie. Bottom line: The Slipper and the Rose was billed theatrically as the Cinderella story to put all others to shame. It’s certainly a lavish affair. But it's also dated and dull. Stick with the Disney animated classic from 1950 and you’ll fare a lot better – even with the kiddies.  

FILM RATING (out of 5 – 5 being the best)

1.5

VIDEO/AUDIO

4

EXTRAS

1.5