When you think about the glass slipper and that iconic blue ballgown, your brain probably jumps straight to Walt Disney. It’s natural. But if you're asking when was the movie cinderella made, the answer depends entirely on which "magic" you’re looking for. Most people are looking for the 1950 classic, but the story actually hit the silver screen decades before Walt was even a major player in the industry.
Honestly, the timeline is a bit of a mess. You’ve got silent films from the 1800s, a 1950s savior project that rescued a dying studio, and a 1990s TV event that broke the internet before the internet was even a thing.
The 1950 Animated Classic: Disney’s Big Gamble
The most famous version—the one with the singing mice and the "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" lyrics—premiered on February 15, 1950. This wasn't just another cartoon. It was a "do or die" moment for Walt Disney Productions.
By the late 1940s, the studio was drowning in over $4 million of debt. World War II had cut off European markets, and experimental films like Fantasia hadn't exactly been the cash cows Walt hoped for. They spent two years in heavy production starting in 1947. If Cinderella had flopped in 1950, Disney might not exist today. No theme parks. No Marvel. No Star Wars. Just a footnote in animation history.
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Instead, the movie became a massive hit. It was so popular that Disney re-released it in theaters six different times between 1957 and 1987. That’s why your parents, and maybe even your grandparents, all feel like it was "their" movie.
The Silent Era: Cinderella’s Real Debut
Long before the mice started singing, a French filmmaker named Georges Méliès decided to bring Charles Perrault’s fairy tale to life. He made the very first Cinderella movie in 1899.
It was a six-minute silent film. No voices, obviously. Just "trick" photography and hand-painted frames. It was revolutionary for the time because it used multiple scenes to tell a story instead of just one long shot. While we don't watch it on repeat today, it laid the groundwork for every special effect we see in modern blockbusters.
Other Notable Live-Action Milestones
- 1914: Mary Pickford starred in a silent version that was huge at the time.
- 1957: Julie Andrews played the lead in a live television musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein. Over 100 million people watched it live.
- 1965: Lesley Ann Warren took over the role in a color remake for TV that became a yearly tradition for families.
The 1997 Whitney Houston Version (The "Brandy" Era)
If you were a kid in the late 90s, the only version that mattered was the one that aired on November 2, 1997. Produced by Whitney Houston and starring Brandy as the first Black Cinderella, this movie was a cultural reset.
It wasn't a theatrical release. It was a "Wonderful World of Disney" TV movie, but it pulled in 60 million viewers. The casting was "colorblind" before that was even a common term in Hollywood, featuring a Filipino-American prince (Paolo Montalban) and a Black Fairy Godmother (Whitney herself).
Modern Remakes: From Lily James to Camila Cabello
Disney eventually realized they could make a fortune by turning their cartoons into live-action spectacles. In 2015, they released a lush, Kenneth Branagh-directed version starring Lily James. It stayed pretty close to the 1950 story but gave the characters a bit more psychological depth.
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Then came the 2021 version starring Camila Cabello. This one wasn't a Disney product; it was released by Amazon Studios. It tried to modernize the story by making Cinderella an aspiring fashion designer who cares more about her career than a prince. It received mixed reviews, but it proved one thing: we just can’t stop remaking this story.
Why the 1950 Version Still Wins
Despite the dozens of adaptations, the 1950 film remains the "definitive" answer for most people asking when was the movie cinderella made.
The animation was handled by the "Nine Old Men," Disney's legendary core team of animators. They actually filmed the entire movie in live-action first just so the animators could study how humans move. They didn't want it to look "cartoony"; they wanted it to feel like a dream.
A Quick Cheat Sheet of Key Dates
- 1899: The first-ever filmed version (Silent).
- 1950: The iconic Disney animated film.
- 1957/1965: The Rodgers & Hammerstein TV musicals.
- 1997: The Brandy and Whitney Houston landmark.
- 2015: The Disney live-action remake.
- 2021: The Amazon musical version.
If you’re trying to settle a bet or just looking for nostalgia, the 1950 version is likely the one you’re looking for. It’s the version that built the castle at the center of Disney World and defined what a "Disney Princess" actually is.
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Next Steps for Your Movie Night
If you want to experience the evolution of the story, start with the 1950 animated original on Disney+ to see the technical mastery of the hand-drawn era. Afterward, track down the 1997 Brandy version—it's also on Disney+ now—to see how a 90-minute TV special managed to change the face of diverse casting in Hollywood forever. These two films offer the most contrast in how we view the "traditional" vs. the "modern" fairy tale.