How to get The Film
TV-Memories
BBC cut out important scenes
The Book

How to get The Film

This is the current situation on the international DVD-front

If you know anything or have made some experiences in trying to find a VHS in your country, please write to kathrincmiebach@web.de!

We are trying to convince Icestorm to try and get hold of the necessary rights to release a new DVD with all dubbings ever done and some bonus material. You could help us by

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TV-Memories

from USA, Great Britain and France (so far)

The film has been shown in the USA on CBS' Childrens' Film Festival in the 70ies and ran on CBC's "Peanuts and Popcorn" between 1975 and 1979 with English voiceovers. Similarly in the UK: "It's in 3 parts and was last shown on BBC1 the summer of 1979. It was presented by Peggy Miller and narrated in English by Gabriel Wolf", Andrew writes, "TGFC has to be the most beautiful of any childrens series I have ever seen and although I am a man not supposed to show feelings, I do at time feel very moved when watching it".

British fans surely share Dave's memories:

"Our version was never in English, it was narrated by some old actor, sounding like your Grandfather. He would play all the parts, just the way your Grandpa would if he was reading you a bedtime story. This was just a cheap alternative to dubbing the entire soundtrack and the BBC did it with all imported films. It seems ridiculous now of course, but back then it was just how things were done. It didn't seem so strange when we were kids.

The film itself has never been shown on British TV since the early 80's (boohoo) and I doubt it will ever be seen again because the children of today's world would never dream of sitting down to watch something so nice! It has to be violent these days, doesn't it? I keep hoping that some company will release it on VHS/DVD, but this seems unlikely.

There is a company called NETWORK VIDEO (owned by Virgin) that has been releasing old films from the 60's, 70's and 80's - some of these have been foreign imports such as THE TINDERBOX, SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARVES, RUMPLESTILTSKIN, and THE SINGING RINGING TREE (all German/Czech co-productions made by DEFA of course) and also other titles like BELLE et SEBASTIEN (France), THE FLASHING BLADE (France) and THE ADVENTURES of ROBINSON CRUSOE (Italy/France). All of these are usually the English dubbed versions, but when I say English I mean American English, naturally. Sometimes it's the original dialogue plus English subtitles.

I have contacted Network Video several times over the last couple of years with regard to Cinderella. I supplied them with all the alternative titles to assist them in their research. Eventually I received an e-mail from someone who told me that I was the only person EVER to enquire after Cinderella and they would only consider releasing it if more people were interested! You see, all the other films I mention above have all been requested by many people all over the UK so the demand must have been huge. As I appear to be the only little voice in the Kingdom crying out for an English release, it seems very unlikely to happen..."

BBC cut out important scenes

Fans from the U.K. may remember the 3-part miniseries - and may wonder about "new" scenes when watching the Czech DVD (with English subtitles) like Shao did:

"Guess what? I've watched the DVD and you know what? It paints a totally different picture to the U.K. version I watched all those years ago. I can't believe just removing some of the scenes makes such a big change in perception to the film!

Missing clips:

1) The prince messing around with his two friends in the snow doing the dance and one of them pretending to be a woman.
Omitting this scene in the U.K. version results in you having more respect for the prince and his companions because they are not impersonating women which makes them have a more clowny gay characteristic.

2) The Stepmother sending the horse and cart guy to market to pick up the silk to make clothes.
In the U.K. the film is split into 3 mini-episodes. The first episode ends with the King and Queen departing the village with the main U.K. theme tune and the Prince joining them after their fun in the woods. The second episode starts straight with Cinderella at the lake doing the washing with the other main theme tune in the background. The narrator explains the missing part of the story where the stepmother and her daughter are talking about silk and velvet etc.
Removing this clip results in you not having such a large opinion that the step mother is concerned quite so much with silk, finery and wealth.

3) The hunting competition.
The first scene where they kill the fox is totally cut out and only the kill of the bird of prey is left in. It makes the film look more gentle as you don't see a fox in pain. Also, it seems to fit in better in the U.K. version as there is a ring for the first person that brings down a bird of prey but there wasn't a ring for the fox event, making it seem a little odd and out of place.

4) At the ball where the Prince randomly chooses the fat lady to dance with.
Having the fat lady in the film dancing in the film is really ghastly. Especially that the Prince chose her to dance with. Gives a difference opinion of the Prince's judgement - even if he was doing this to show his Father that he couldn't care less about any of the girls.

Now these next scene cuts TOTALLY change my perception of the film:

5) Cinderella arriving at the Castle.
Cinderella ponders whether or not to go into the castle and asks her horse and also alternate counts the stair wall as to whether she should go in or not.
Everything up until this point showed Cinderella as an unbeatably strong character who knew what she set out to do. This is the first time you see hesitation in her. Very bizarre.

6) Cinderella going home just ahead of the Prince.
You see her closing one of the upstairs windows when the villagers were shouting for Cinderella. Most of the scenes after this are cut out in the U.K. version and rightly so. The step mother notices Cinderella closing the window and gets her daughter to follow her. She grabs a piece of rope and for a moment you might think she was going to go up and strangle Cinderella. She finds Cinderella upstairs and then the door closes on the three of them and you wonder what is happening. In the U.K. version, it goes straight to the scene where Cinderella is in her new set of clothes coming up the trapdoor to say Hi to her owl. I think that the U.K. cut was a good move. Because the next scene after catching Cinderella, the step mother disguised her own daughter as Cinderella in the horse and cart and played games with the prince. That was not a nice scene at all. The rope makes this scene very sinister. I really don't like it.

7) The scene where the stepmother disguised her daughter as Cinderella.
This scene is totally cut out of the U.K. version. The Prince does not go chasing after the step mother to retrieve the slipper. In the U.K. version, the Prince leaves the manor after not finding Cinderella and then you go straight to the scene where the owl tries to turn the Prince back. He then comes back in the hope that Cinderella was there waiting for him. This also cuts out the scene where the step mother and her daughter fall into the lake. There is a cheesy scene where the driver tries to rescue them and falls in as well.

I hate to say this, but with all the U.K. cuts, it makes for a much better film. I have to give credit for the U.K. production team - it was very well cut. Also by cutting out these scenes, the movie is a little more fast paced, which makes the movie a lot better as well."

Well, to speak with the Dude: "That's just like your opinion, man." ;-)

French version dubbed

Frédéric from France knows a lot about the French version: "In the mid seventies a french company called Franfilmdis bought the rights (the company does no longer exist). Unfortunately, it is very difficult for french fans to reach a french version of the movie. Since a few years now, there is no company who bought the rights to distribute or diffuse the french version of the movie (even for television) and the only thing we have are old VHS recorded on TV in the beginning of the eighties.

When the French rights were bought by "Franfilmdis" in the late 70's, they first planned to distribute the movie only subtitled, and it is the French TV which asked for a dubbed version. The French dialogues are very funny, I personally think there are clearly better than the German ones. I know that the original french version sound tape is back to Praha. But with no rights, no possibility to reach it..."

The Book of the film (in German only)

First we had the film, now we also have the book!

This is a German book for children, published by Eulenspiegel Verlag, and can be bought for only 8.90. (5.22 from www.amazon.de) The story has been adapted from the screen especially for children and is illustrated throughout, using stills from the film itself.

Editor's press release:

"Bozena Nemcova
Three Nuts for Cinderella

A new edition of fairytale books. The series starts with three books, an unprecedented combination of words and pictures. Well known, popular fairytales are illustrated with pictures from the DEFA classics, building the perfect bridge between the written and cinematic experience. The words are complimented faithfully with pictures, so as to draw the child into the fantastic fairytale worlds within, encouraging reading amongst today's TV & Video generation. THREE NUTS FOR CINDERELLA is one such beautiful tale, made in collaboration between DEFA and Studio Barrandov, it follows the familiar Cinderella motif (handed down over many generations), in this case from the pen of Bozena Nemcova, and recalls the poetic love story that still enthralls children of all ages."

That's it. In order to make the tale more accessible to children, Vincek becomes Valtin and the plot has been abridged (e.g. Little Rosie's overwhelming scene has been edited, though this will live on in children's memory).

Conclusion: whilst hardly an essential item where adults are concerned, this book is a nice souvenir for 3HFA fans and, of course, for the children who adore this film as much as their parents.