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The Slipper And The Rose
The Slipper And The Rose “The King of Euphrania grows
  increasingly concerned that his son,
  the heir to the throne, does not seem
  interested in marriage, rejecting all
  the princesses his parents consider
  suitable; so he organises a ‘Bride
  Finding Ball’, much to the prince’s
  horror — but a surprise is in store for
  him in the much-loved light-hearted
  1976 British musical based on the
  Cinderella story, The Slipper And
  The Rose...”

OVERSHADOWED BY A NEIGHBOURING KINGDOM and desperate for the peace that has existed for centuries not to be disturbed by war, the King of Euphrania (Michael Hordern) is trying to arrange a marriage for his son Prince Edward (the dashing Richard Chamberlain: Dr Kildare) to a princess whose father has promised that the union will forge an allegiance between the two kingdoms, thus securing the safety of the realm.

“Cheery songs
and music, romance,
time out for frivolity
and a brilliant cast make
this a lavish period
musical piece
from the 1970s;
The Slipper And
The Rose
is a marvellous
journey into the world
of fairy tales...”
The King and his Queen (Lally Bowers) married for political reasons, although they seem happy enough together, but the heir to the throne is keen to marry only for love and he has yet to meet a woman of noble birth with whom he could fall in love. His servant and close friend John (Christopher Gable) is also suffering as he is in love with one of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting, who is socially beyond his reach.

Not far from the castle a young noblewoman, Cinderella (Gemma Craven: The Hole), whose mother had died some time before and now her father has also passed away, leaving Cinderella in the hands of her wicked stepmother (the wonderful Margaret Lockwood: The Wicked Lady), whose two daughters, Isabella (Rosalind Ayres) and Palatine (Sherrie Hewson), are also cruel to their stepsister. Cinderella is thrown into the role of servant and banished to the kitchens.

The King sanctions a 'Bride Finding Ball' so that the prince may have his pick of eligible princesses and noblewomen; and although Edward is scathing of the idea, he is delighted to meet a mysterious princess.

Cinderella's stepmother and her daughters have been invited to the ball and they delight in leaving poor Cinderella at work in the kitchen. That is, until enter the Fairy Godmother (the lovely Annette Crosbie: Dad's Army), who quickly uses her magic to rustle up a coach, horses and footmen from a pumpkin and an assortment of frogs and mice.

As soon as Edward's eyes alight upon Cinderella, who says she is Princess Incognita, he falls in love with her and is devastated when she disappears at midnight leaving only her elegant slipper. The Prince will search high and wide for the owner of the shoe, but all does not go according to plan and it looks as though the happy ending will fall wide of the mark.

Cheery songs and music, romance, time out for frivolity and a brilliant cast make this a lavish period musical piece from the 1970s; The Slipper And The Rose is a marvellous journey into the world of fairy tales. The musical earned an impressive audience score of 90 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes and is the perfect family film for Christmas and beyond.

Made at Pinewood Studios, London, England, and on location in Austria, primarily at Anif Castle, Salzburg, The Slipper And The Rose also features: Edith Evans as The Dowager Queen; Kenneth More as The Lord Chamberlain; Julian Orchard as Cousin Montaque; Roy Barraclough as The Tailor; Peter Graves as The General; Tessa Dahl as Princess; and Andre Morell as The Bride's Father.

Costume Designer is Julie Harris; Music Arranged and Conducted by Angela Morley; Director of Photography is Tony Imi, BSC; Choreographer is Marc Breaux; Music and Lyrics by Richard M Sherman and Robert B Sherman; Screenplay by Bryan Forbes, Robert B Sherman and Richard M Sherman; Executive Producer is David Frost; Producer is Stuart Lyons; and Directed by Bryan Forbes (Chaplin). The film was restored in 2013.

* The enduring tale of Cinderella comes to life as never before in the Oscar-nominated musical The Slipper And The Rose, which is brought to its first ever high-definition Blu-ray release in the UK by Second Sight on 20 November 2017. Certificate: U | Year; 1976 | Running Time: 143 Minutes Approximately | Catalogue Number: 2NDBR4076 | RRP: £19.99.

Special Features: The Making Of The Slipper And The Rose | The Fairy Godmother: An Interview with Annette Crosbie | The Naughty Sister: An Interview with Rosalind Ayres | Original Trailer.

"Cheery songs and music, romance, time out for frivolity and a brilliant cast make this a lavish period musical piece from the 1970s; The Slipper And The Rose, a marvellous journey into the world of fairy tales" **** — Maggie Woods, MotorBar
"A film for the whole family to enjoy and sing along" — Roobla

"A majestic re-telling of Cinderella" — DoBlu

"The Dr Zhivago of Fairy Tales" — The MovieScene
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