‘Cinderella’ (1950) 4K UHD Blu-Ray Review – Perennial Classic Is Given The Ultimate Release

With a wicked stepmother (Wilfred Jackson) and two jealous stepsisters (Homer Brightman, Harry Reeves) who keep her enslaved and in rags, Cinderella (Clyde Geronimi) stands no chance of attending the royal ball.

For thoughts on Cinderella (1950), please check out our discussion on The Video Attic: 

[youtube https://youtu.be/-AF7quHixtY?t=75]

Video Quality

Cinderella comes to 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a 2160p/HDR10 transfer derived from a recent 4K restoration in which the restoration team scanned the Original Nitrate Negative in 4K and did an extensive cleaning pass to remove dirt and artifacts. This process received input from Disney Animation legends and authorities, including Michael Giaimo and Eric Goldberg, in order to preserve the detail and artistic choices of the filmmakers. The previous Blu-Ray from Disney first released in 2012 had issues with this as various artistic details were inadvertently painted over in the clean-up process of the time. This new restoration presents the film in its intended glory

This disc provides some substantial improvements over the older Blu-Ray in almost all areas including more vivid, natural colors, deeper black levels and the elimination of any digital artifacting. The Blu-Ray could not capture the pure nuance of various moments, but the 4K disc makes things a bit deeper with saturation in line with the original source material as intended. The Disney magic is on full display with vibrant hues radiating off the screen. This presentation handles the subtle gradients of the artwork in a way that is just excellent. This disc provides excellent line detail and more distinct shading, which gives the characters greater definition. 

The use of HDR yields some very pleasing enhancements to the wondrous colors on display such as in the costumes and scenery, and the disc provides much deeper black levels for a cleaner viewing experience free of black crush. As mentioned, the source elements have been cleaned up immensely with print damage or dust basically eradicated leaving nothing but the beautiful, refined natural grain on the screen over the flawless artwork. The Blu-Ray had numerous problems that most probably believed would never be corrected, but the good folks at Disney have saved the day with this one and given this title the 5-star treatment it deserves.

Audio Quality

This 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with a well appointed DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix that splits the difference between the previous DTS-HD 7.1 MA track and the DTS-HD MA mono track on the Blu-Ray release. While we do wish the original mono was included on this release, the implementation of the surround channels here are tastefully rendered. The stretch is mostly felt in the classic musical moments that permeate the room in a memorable way. The movie is largely dialogue driven, and clarity is never an issue from beginning to end. The track can sound a tad bit boxy, but this likely dates back to the quality of the source recordings. The channels all maintain a distinct fidelity and separation so that everything is even more precise. Overall, this track holds up as an excellent sounding experience. There are English SDH, French, Spanish, German and Japanese subtitles provided. 

Special Features

• Try This Trivia On For Size: A five-minute piece with Ruth Righi and Ava Kolker from Sydney To The Max in which the young ladies provide some trivia about the classic film. 

• Classic Bonus

• • Diane Disney Miller Cinderella Film Introduction: A minute-long intro from Walt Disney’s daughter who discusses the Disney Museum and Cinderella’s place in her father’s career. 

• • From Rags To Riches – The Making Of Cinderella: A 39-minute archival featurette in which various key figures discuss the rocky financial history in the early days of Disney, how Cinderella served as a lifeline for the company, the “nine old men” who defined the Disney animation style, the voice work, the classic tunes, the film’s premiere and more. 

• • The Cinderella That Almost Was: A 13-minute piece which tells the story about how Walt Disney almost made a very different version of the film as we know it complete with storyboards from the Disney archives. 

• • The Magic of the Glass Slipper – A Cinderella Story: A ten-minute short film which takes a look at the 2012 collaboration between Disney and Christian Louboutin to create an exclusive Cinderella slipper that would be used in an exciting worldwide contest. 

• • The Real Fairy Godmother: A 12-minute exploration of the woman who inspired the look of the Fairy Godmother and the real-life good she spread throughout the world. 

• • Alternate Opening Sequence: A minute-long look at some sketches that hint at a scene that may have served as an alternate opening to the classic film. 

• • Storyboard To Film Comparison – Opening Sequence: A seven-minute look at how the finished film compares to some of the storyboards from the Disney archives. 

• • From Walt’s Table – A Tribute To The Nine Old Men: A 22-minute featurette which takes a look at the pioneers of classic animation through conversation with modern animators who were mentored by them. 

• • The Art of Mary Blair: A 15-minute look at the unsung hero of Disney animation who brought a special vibrancy to her work. 

• • Behind The Magic – A New Disney Princess Fantasyland: An eight-minute piece with Ginnifer Goodwin from Once Upon A Time who takes viewers on a tour through the construction of the new Fantasyland in Orlando. 

• • 1922 Laugh-O-Grams – Cinderella: The original seven-and-a-half minute Laugh-O-Gram short is provided. 

• • Excerpt from The Mickey Mouse Club with Helene Stanley (Original Airdate: January 24, 1956): A four-minute excerpt with Helene Stanley who acts out one of the scenes from the film. 

• • Radio Programs – Original Radio Shows from the 1940’s/50’s: 

• • • Village Store Excerpt (Original Airdate: March 25, 1948) (2:35)

• • • Gulf Oil Presents Excerpt ca. 1950 (5:25)

• • • Scouting The Stars (Original Airdate: February 23, 1950) (4:25)

• • Theatrical Trailers: 

• • • 1950 Original Release Trailer (0:24)

• • • 1965 Reissue Trailer (2:21)

• • • 1973 Reissue Trailer (1:26)

• • • 1981 Reissue Trailer (1:32)

• • • 1987 Reissue Trailer #1 (1:57)

• • • 1987 Reissue Trailer #2 (1:25)

Final Thoughts

Cinderella is an absolute classic for a reason, even if it is a film that you almost take for granted due to it being so ubiquitous. The story has good moral values, the characters are endearing and fun, the animation is stunning and the music creates so many earworms it’s a bit overwhelming. Even all of these years later, it conjures the Disney magic that helped cement the studio as a powerhouse. Disney Home Entertainment has delivered a 4K UHD Blu-Ray that is dynamite in the A/V department along with a deep well of supplemental features. Fans of the film should consider this a must own if they want to see the film in its finest presentation. Highly Recommended 

Cinderella is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Digital. 

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Disney Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.