Poor Cinderella

The first entry in the Color Classics series, Poor Cinderella was Fleischer Studio’s first color film, and the only appearance of Betty Boop in color during the Fleischer era. The short utilized the two-strip Cinecolor process. Betty’s hair was colored red to take advantage of this. The short also used Fleischer Studio’s Tabletop process, in order to provide some scenes with additional depth of field.

In this retelling of the Cinderella story, Betty is the title character, a poor young woman forced to be the virtual slave of her two ugly stepsisters. Betty/Cinderella is visited by her fairy godmother, who grants her wish to attend the prince’s ball, giving her beautiful clothes, a carriage, and the traditional glass slippers. When midnight strikes, she rushes out of the ball, leaving behind her shoe. The prince searches the land for the woman whose foot fits the slipper, and finds his “poor Cinderella.” The two are married, and the ugly step-sisters are left to argue with each other until the credits smack their heads together.

tags: betty boop, cinderella, color classic, mae questel, max fleischer, paramount