Cinderella
Plot
This 1907 adaptation of the classic Cinderella fairy tale follows the familiar story of a young mistreated girl who lives with her cruel stepmother and stepsisters. When the prince announces a royal ball, Cinderella is forbidden to attend but receives magical assistance from her fairy godmother, who transforms her rags into a beautiful gown and provides her with a pumpkin carriage. After dancing with the prince at the ball, she must flee at midnight, leaving behind a glass slipper that becomes the key to her identity. The prince searches throughout the kingdom for the mysterious girl whose foot fits the slipper, ultimately finding Cinderella and rescuing her from her life of servitude.
Director
Cast
About the Production
This film was produced during the golden age of Pathé Frères, when the company dominated global film production. Albert Capellani was one of Pathé's most prestigious directors, known for his elaborate productions and attention to detail. The film featured sophisticated sets and costumes for its time, including detailed ballroom scenes and magical transformation sequences that were considered technically advanced for 1907.
Historical Background
This film was produced during a pivotal period in cinema history when the medium was transitioning from novelty to art form. In 1907, the film industry was consolidating, with companies like Pathé Frères establishing global distribution networks. France was the world's leading film producer, and Paris was the center of cinematic innovation. The year saw the rise of permanent movie theaters and the development of longer, more sophisticated narrative films. This Cinderella adaptation emerged alongside other literary and fairy tale adaptations that helped legitimize cinema as a medium for serious storytelling. The film reflects the Belle Époque era's fascination with fairy tales and romantic stories, while also demonstrating the technical capabilities of early 20th-century filmmaking.
Why This Film Matters
This early adaptation of Cinderella helped establish fairy tales as a viable genre for cinema and demonstrated the medium's ability to bring beloved stories to life visually. The film contributed to the standardization of narrative techniques in early cinema, including clear storytelling arcs and character development. As one of Pathé Frères' many literary adaptations, it played a role in elevating cinema's cultural status from mere entertainment to art. The film's international distribution helped spread French cinematic influence globally and contributed to the universal appeal of the Cinderella story across different cultures. Its elaborate production values set a standard for fantasy films that would influence subsequent adaptations of fairy tales and fantasy literature.
Making Of
The production of this 1907 Cinderella took place during a period of rapid innovation in French cinema. Albert Capellani, working for Pathé Frères, was known for his meticulous approach to filmmaking, often spending considerable time on set design and costume preparation. The transformation scenes would have required careful planning and execution using primitive special effects techniques. The film was likely shot on Pathé's studio sets in Paris, where the company had constructed elaborate indoor stages. Child actress Louise Lagrange would have worked under the challenging conditions of early filmmaking, requiring long takes and multiple takes for complex scenes. The production team used hand-tinting processes to add color to key sequences, with artists carefully painting each frame by hand. The ballroom scene required coordination of numerous performers in period costumes, demonstrating Capellani's ability to manage complex crowd scenes.
Visual Style
The cinematography for this 1907 production utilized the techniques common to Pathé Frères productions of the era. The film was shot in black and white with selective hand-tinting to add color to important scenes, particularly the magical elements. The camera work was static, as was typical of the period, with the camera positioned to capture the full scope of the elaborate sets. The cinematographer made use of multiple exposure techniques to create the magical transformation effects, a sophisticated approach for 1907. Lighting was carefully controlled to create dramatic effects, especially in the ballroom sequences where the cinematography aimed to create a sense of grandeur and romance.
Innovations
This film demonstrated several technical innovations for its time, including sophisticated use of multiple exposure effects for the magical transformation scenes. The production employed hand-tinting techniques to add color to specific elements of the film, creating visual emphasis for magical elements. The elaborate set construction and costume design represented significant technical and artistic achievements for 1907. The film's special effects, while primitive by modern standards, were cutting-edge for early cinema and required careful planning and execution. The production also demonstrated advanced techniques in crowd management and scene choreography, particularly in the ballroom sequences.
Music
As a silent film, this Cinderella would have been accompanied by live musical performance during theatrical exhibitions. The typical accompaniment would have included piano or organ music, with selections chosen to match the mood of each scene. For the ballroom sequences, popular waltzes and classical pieces of the period would have been appropriate. The magical transformation scenes might have been accompanied by more dramatic or mysterious musical selections. Pathé often provided suggested musical cue sheets with their films to guide theater musicians, though specific information about this film's original musical accompaniment is not documented.
Famous Quotes
No dialogue exists for this silent film
Memorable Scenes
- The magical transformation sequence where Cinderella's rags become a beautiful gown and the pumpkin transforms into a carriage, created using early special effects techniques
- The grand ballroom scene where Cinderella dances with the prince, featuring elaborate sets and numerous extras in period costumes
- The midnight escape where Cinderella flees the palace, losing her glass slipper on the stairs
- The final scene where the glass slipper fits Cinderella's foot, revealing her identity
Did You Know?
- This was one of the earliest film adaptations of the Cinderella story, predating the more famous 1914 Mary Pickford version by seven years.
- Director Albert Capellani was a pioneer of narrative cinema who helped establish many storytelling techniques that would become standard in film.
- Louise Lagrange, who played Cinderella, was only about 9 years old when this film was made, and she would go on to have a long career in French cinema.
- Pathé Frères was the world's largest film production company in 1907, producing hundreds of films annually for global distribution.
- The film utilized hand-tinting techniques to add color to certain scenes, a common practice in early cinema before color film was invented.
- The elaborate ballroom sequence required extensive set construction and featured numerous extras in period costumes.
- This version of Cinderella was distributed internationally, helping establish the fairy tale as a popular subject for early cinema.
- The magical transformation scenes were created using in-camera effects and multiple exposures, representing cutting-edge techniques for 1907.
- Albert Capellani would later move to the United States in the 1910s and direct films for major American studios.
- The film was part of Pathé's strategy to produce literary and fairy tale adaptations to appeal to middle-class audiences.
What Critics Said
Contemporary reviews of the film praised its elaborate staging and faithful adaptation of the beloved fairy tale. Film trade journals of the period noted the impressive special effects used in the transformation scenes and the quality of the set design. Critics recognized Albert Capellani's skill in bringing literary works to the screen and commended the film's entertainment value. Modern film historians view this Cinderella as an important example of early narrative cinema and a significant work in Capellani's filmography. The film is often cited in scholarly works about early French cinema and the development of fantasy films as a genre.
What Audiences Thought
The film was well-received by audiences of its time, who were fascinated by the magical transformation sequences and elaborate costumes. As part of Pathé's extensive distribution network, the film reached audiences across Europe and North America, where it was particularly popular with family audiences. The familiar story of Cinderella, combined with the novelty of seeing it brought to life on screen, made the film a commercial success for Pathé. Contemporary audience reports suggest that viewers were especially impressed by the ballroom scene and the fairy godmother's magical interventions, which represented some of the most sophisticated visual effects available in 1907.
Film Connections
Influenced By
- Charles Perrault's 'Cendrillon' (1697)
- Brothers Grimm's 'Aschenputtel'
- Stage adaptations of Cinderella popular in the 19th century
- Earlier French trick films by Georges Méliès
This Film Influenced
- Cinderella (1914) starring Mary Pickford
- Cinderella (1922) animated version
- Later fairy tale adaptations by Pathé and other studios
- Disney's Cinderella (1950)
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Film Restoration
This 1907 version of Cinderella is believed to be partially preserved, with some fragments or possibly a complete copy existing in film archives. However, like many films from this era, its preservation status is uncertain, and it may exist only in incomplete form. The film is held in various film archives, including the Cinémathèque Française, though access may be limited. Some sources suggest that only fragments of the film survive, while others indicate a more complete version may exist in European archives.