Ruth Leon recommends… Cinderella – TV 1957 – Julie Andrews
Ruth Leon recommendsCinderella – TV 1957 – Julie Andrews
My friend Carmen suggested this welcome memory for lovers of musical theatre – the 1957 made-for-television version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella starring (and introduced by) Julie Andrews, with Jon Cypher and Edie Adams.
More than 100 million viewers (in more than 60% of U.S. households) tuned in to CBS on the evening of March 31, 19
57 to watch Julie Andrews play the title role in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s TV adaptation of Cinderella — the only musical the pair ever wrote for television.
Terrible quality dress rehearsal video, (the performance itself was live) having been recorded what was known as a Kinescope but riveting all the same for those of us who remember when television was able to innovate in this way, even commissioning new musicals by top writers and composers.
There are three other versions of Cinderella, from Broadway to Disney, none are nearly as good.
TV fans might recognize Jon Cypher as “Chief Daniels” on the old hit show “Hill Street Blues.”