The History of Cinderella

Written by: Anna Pafenberg

When you think of Cinderella, you probably think of a blonde haired princess in a silver dress. In reality, she wasn’t always a product of Disney’s imagination. The story of Cinderella is thousands of years old and dates back to an Egyptian story told by Greek geographer Strabo.

Like most fairy-tales, Cinderella was told orally until documented by the Brothers Grimm. It was also similar to other fairy tales in the way that the original story was darker than the Disney Version. Their version included Cinderella’s bird’s attacking her evil stepsisters for their ill will. Like the movie and musical Into the Woods, her sisters resorted to desperate measures to make the glass slipper fit on their feet. This version was based off of the Brothers Grimm. There are other supposed origins of this tale. The earliest known one was called Cendrillon by French author Charles Perrault. His story was most similar to the Disney one. He had a transformed pumpkin and the familiar glass slippers that we know and love.

Cinderella’s glass slippers are probably the most iconic part of the story. After all, that is how her prince charming finds her of course! In the Brothers Grimm story, Cinderella has gold slippers with a matching gold dress. The princess has had red satin slippers and in some stories her slipper is replaced by a ring. Cinderella has also been described with velvet slippers, but ultimately was known for her delicate glass ones. 

The story that most of us have grown up with is Walt Disney’s 1950 Cinderella. Walt was pushed to release a story that would cheer up people after WWII that was similar to hits like Snow White (1937) and Bambi (1942). The film was extremely successful, earning $8 million. This movie inspired dozens of modern adaptations, from classic depictions to funny comedies. Cinderella was voiced by Ilene Woods, a 19 year old who announced on the radio that she would be playing Cinderella in Disney’s new movie. Cinderella was released on February 13th, 1950. This movie made more than all previous Disney films combined and was a huge economic success for Disney. 

All in all, Cinderella has become an iconic Disney character and princess. She influences young kids everywhere to be kind and follow their hearts. From her humble beginnings of ancient folk tales, to her most recent adaptation in the musical, Bad Cinderella, our beloved princess will help many follow their dreams for years to come.