Cinderella
Plot
In this classic fairy tale adaptation, Cinderella, a kind-hearted young woman played by Florence La Badie, lives a life of servitude under her cruel stepmother and stepsisters. When a royal ball is announced, Cinderella is forbidden to attend, but her fairy godmother magically appears to transform her rags into a beautiful gown and provide a pumpkin coach. At the ball, she captures the heart of the prince, played by Harry Benham, but must flee at midnight, losing her glass slipper. The prince searches the kingdom for the mysterious beauty, and when the slipper fits only Cinderella, they are reunited and married, ending her life of hardship.
About the Production
This was one of Thanhouser's most elaborate productions of 1911, featuring detailed costumes and sets. The film was notable for its minimal use of intertitles, relying instead on visual storytelling and the actors' performances to convey the narrative. The production utilized multiple sets including the Cinderella's humble cottage, the stepmother's elegant home, the fairy godmother's magical transformation scene, and the royal palace ballroom.
Historical Background
This film was produced during a pivotal period in American cinema history. In 1911, the film industry was transitioning from short novelty films to longer narrative features. Thanhouser Film Corporation, founded in 1909 by Edwin Thanhouser, was one of the most respected American studios of this era, known for producing high-quality films with literary and theatrical sources. The year 1911 saw the Motion Picture Patents Company (the Edison Trust) at the height of its power, though independent studios like Thanhouser were challenging its dominance. This period also saw the beginning of the star system, with actors like Florence La Badie becoming recognizable personalities to audiences. The film industry was rapidly moving from its New York-centered origins toward what would become Hollywood, though in 1911, New York and New Jersey were still the primary production centers.
Why This Film Matters
This Cinderella adaptation represents an important example of early American narrative cinema's embrace of familiar literary and fairy tale subjects. The film demonstrates how early filmmakers adapted well-known stories to the new medium, helping legitimize cinema as a form of artistic expression. The minimal use of intertitles shows the evolution toward more sophisticated visual storytelling techniques. As one of Thanhouser's most successful productions, it helped establish the studio's reputation for quality productions and contributed to the development of the American film industry's narrative traditions. The film also reflects the Victorian and Edwardian era's fascination with fairy tales and moral stories, which were considered suitable entertainment for all audiences.
Making Of
The production was filmed at Thanhouser's studio in New Rochelle, New York, which was one of the first purpose-built film studios in America. The studio was known for its progressive working conditions and professional approach to filmmaking. The costumes for this production were particularly elaborate for the time, with Florence La Badie's ball gown reportedly being one of the most expensive costume pieces the studio had created up to that point. The transformation scenes required careful choreography and camera work to create the magical effects without modern special effects technology. The fairy godmother scenes were achieved through careful staging, lighting changes, and camera tricks rather than post-production effects.
Visual Style
The cinematography, credited to Blair Smith, Thanhouser's chief cameraman, utilized the relatively sophisticated techniques available in 1911. The film employed careful lighting to create the magical atmosphere of the fairy godmother scenes and used soft focus effects for the romantic moments between Cinderella and the prince. The ballroom sequences featured multiple camera setups to capture the scale of the production, which was ambitious for a one-reel film of this period. The transformation scenes were particularly notable for their use of lighting changes and camera positioning to create the illusion of magical changes without modern special effects.
Innovations
For its time, this film demonstrated several technical achievements including sophisticated use of lighting for mood creation, elaborate set design that suggested multiple locations within a single reel, and innovative camera work for the transformation scenes. The film's minimal reliance on intertitles was technically ambitious, requiring more complex staging and acting to convey the story visually. The production also utilized multiple costume changes for the lead actress, which was logistically challenging for early film productions. The glass slipper effects and magical transformations were achieved through in-camera techniques rather than post-production, showing technical ingenuity within the limitations of 1911 film technology.
Music
As a silent film, the original production would have been accompanied by live musical performance in theaters. The score would have been selected from standard photoplay music catalogs, with pieces chosen to match the mood of each scene. Romantic themes would have accompanied the ball scenes, mysterious music for the fairy godmother's appearance, and dramatic music for the stepmother's cruelty. The exact musical selections are not documented, but theaters typically used compilations of classical pieces and specially composed photoplay music to enhance the viewing experience.
Famous Quotes
As a silent film with minimal intertitles, specific dialogue quotes are not documented. The story was told primarily through visual narrative and pantomime performance.
Memorable Scenes
- The magical transformation scene where Cinderella's rags become a beautiful gown and the pumpkin turns into a coach, achieved through careful editing and lighting effects
- The ballroom scene where Cinderella dances with the prince, featuring elaborate costumes and set design
- The climactic scene where the glass slipper fits Cinderella's foot, revealing her as the mystery woman from the ball
Did You Know?
- This was one of Thanhouser's most successful releases of 1911, receiving widespread distribution
- Florence La Badie was one of Thanhouser's biggest stars and this film helped cement her status as a leading lady
- The film was released during the height of Thanhouser's creative period, when the studio was competing with major players like Biograph and Vitagraph
- Director George Nichols was not only a director but also a prolific actor, appearing in over 300 films during his career
- Thanhouser was known for hiring Broadway actors for their film productions, bringing theatrical sophistication to their movies
- The film's minimal use of intertitles was unusual for the period, demonstrating confidence in visual storytelling
- Harry Benham was married to fellow Thanhouser star Muriel Ostriche during the filming of this production
- The glass slipper prop was reportedly made of actual glass, creating challenges during filming
- This was one of several fairy tale adaptations Thanhouser produced, capitalizing on the public's appetite for familiar stories
- The film's success led to Thanhouser producing more elaborate costume dramas and literary adaptations
What Critics Said
Contemporary trade publications praised the film for its elaborate production values and strong performances. The Moving Picture World noted its 'excellent photography' and 'artistic staging,' while The New York Dramatic Mirror commended Florence La Badie's 'natural and appealing' performance in the title role. Critics particularly appreciated the film's minimal reliance on intertitles, viewing it as evidence of cinema's maturation as a visual medium. Modern film historians consider this production a fine example of Thanhouser's output during their peak period, though like many films of this era, it is primarily studied by specialists rather than being widely known to general audiences.
What Audiences Thought
The film was reportedly very popular with audiences of its time, drawing good crowds in theaters across the United States. The familiar story of Cinderella, combined with the popularity of Florence La Badie, made it a reliable attraction for exhibitors. Audience reactions were generally positive, with many viewers commenting on the beauty of the costumes and the magical quality of the transformation scenes. The film's success helped establish Thanhouser's reputation for producing family-friendly entertainment that could appeal to both children and adults, a market strategy that would prove increasingly important as the film industry developed.
Film Connections
Influenced By
- Charles Perrault's fairy tale 'Cendrillon' (1697)
- Brothers Grimm version of Cinderella
- Stage adaptations of Cinderella popular in the 19th century
- Earlier French film adaptations of Cinderella (including Georges Méliès' 1899 version)
This Film Influenced
- Later Thanhouser fairy tale adaptations
- Subsequent American silent film versions of Cinderella
- The development of fantasy and romance genres in American cinema
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Film Restoration
This film is considered partially preserved. Some segments survive in film archives, but it may not exist in its complete form. The Library of Congress and other film archives hold fragments or copies of this Thanhouser production. Like many films from this early period, complete preservation was not guaranteed, and some reels may have been lost over time.