This 74-Year-Old Animated Classic Has Walt Disney’s Favorite Character & Animated Scene

Walt Disney oversaw the production of various animated movies that became classics, but only one has his favorite character and his favorite animated scene. Walt Disney earned a place in history thanks to the founding of Walt Disney Productions and his achievements in animation through it, beginning in 1937 with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This fairy tale movie was the first animated feature film produced in the United States and the first cel animated feature film, and it set the tone for subsequent animated movies at Walt Disney Productions, especially those starring female characters.

Since then, Walt Disney Pictures has made a variety of movies that cover animation, live-action, and a mix of both, and which address all types of topics, thus aiming at a wide audience. However, the Mouse House continues to be best known for its animated movies, mostly those based on fairy tales and starring female characters, of which many are now an official part of the Disney Princesses branch. One of these characters was Walt Disney’s favorite, and she was also the star of his favorite animated scene in all the movies he oversaw.

Cinderella Was Walt Disney’s Favorite Princess & Had His Favorite Animated Scene

Cinderella had a special place in Walt Disney’s heart.

Cinderella was released in 1950 and was directed by Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, and Clyde Geronimi. Based on Charles Perrault’s 1697 fairy tale of the same name, Cinderella introduced viewers to the title character (voiced by Ilene Woods), a young woman who, after her father’s death, is reduced to being a servant to her stepmother, Lady Tremaine (Eleanor Audley), and her spoiled and rude stepsisters Drizella (Rhoda Williams) and Anastasia (Lucille Bliss). When her stepsisters destroy the dress that her animal friends made for her so she could attend the royal ball, Cinderella is visited by her fairy godmother, who transforms her into a princess for one night.

At the royal ball, the Prince falls in love with Cinderella, but as she has to return home before midnight as the fairy godmother’s magic will end, she flees and loses one of her glass slippers. The Prince uses the shoe to find Cinderella, and at the end of the movie, they marry and live happily ever after. Cinderella was the second Disney Princess, but her story deeply resonated with Walt Disney, making her an instant favorite of his, as revealed by Ilene Woods (via D23)

Woods recalled that Walt Disney once admitted to her that Cinderella was his favorite Disney heroine, as there was “something about that story I associate with”. Woods added that she believed Walt Disney could relate to Cinderella’s “rags-to-riches tale” as he “risked it all to realize his dreams”. In addition to that, Cinderella has Walt Disney’s favorite animated scene, which is also one of the most iconic moments in Disney history: the transformation of Cinderella’s dress.

When the fairy godmother helps Cinderella, she transforms her destroyed dress into a beautiful, luxurious gown right in front of the eyes of Cinderella and the audience. According to the official Walt Disney website, this scene was Walt Disney’s favorite, with animator Marc Davis saying that it “shows a lot about Walt Disney himself” with its elements of magic and wishes coming true, as well as Cinderella’s strength.

How Cinderella Ended Up Saving Walt Disney Productions

Cinderella was key to Walt Disney Productions becoming what it now is.

Cinderella is a lot more than the movie with Walt Disney’s favorite character and animated scene, as it also saved Walt Disney Productions. After the release of the animated musical anthology movie Fun and Fancy Free in 1947, Walt Disney Productions’ bank debt declined, but they still needed to restore the studio’s financial health. To achieve this, Walt Disney decided to return to full-length animated movies, which they hadn’t done since 1942 with Bambi. At the time, they had three projects in development: Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan.

Walt Disney felt the characters in Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan were too cold, so he greenlit Cinderella as it was similar to Snow White (via Walt Disney: An American Original). Cinderella was a massive critical and commercial success, saving the studio and giving it a new sense of direction and more confidence in its next projects, which were Alice in Wonderland in 1951 and Peter Pan in 1953.

Why Cinderella Continues To Be One Of Disney’s Most Popular Princess Movies

Cinderella is one of the most beloved Disney characters.

According to Parade, Walt Disney said years after Cinderella’s release that he wanted the movie “to be hit right here in the heart” and for the audience to feel for her, and that’s definitely part of the character’s charm and long-lasting legacy. Cinderella was the model for other Disney movies about female characters who watch their dreams come true, giving a message of love and hope to generations of viewers. Cinderella’s impact goes beyond other Disney movies as she has been used as the model for other similar stories, as she’s a character who, despite everything she went through, her heart never hardened and she never lost hope.

Cinderella’s legacy is even more special when knowing that she was Walt Disney’s favorite heroine and her iconic transformation scene was his favorite animated moment, but also when seeing how it saved the studio, helping it become the powerhouse that it is now.

Sources: D23, Walt Disney, Walt Disney: An American Original, Parade.