The Glass Slipper (1938) User Reviews

A Superior Terry Toon

[boblipton · 6/10 · 9 January 2009]

This better than usual Paul Terry cartoon is directed by Mannie Davis, brother of Termite Terrace's Art Davis and the best director that Terry managed to hang onto for a long time. It is, as you might guess from the title, a version of Cinderella. Besides the usual competently timed gags, it is rendered superior for the studio by better than usual sound design and voice choices: Cinderella sounds like a girl from the Bronx who needs to have her adenoids operated on, her fairy godmother looks like Mae West and as for whom Prince Charming is modeled on..... well, it's a fine, silly choice.

Davis' efforts are rendered superior by the fact that he throws out the gag, refusing to dwell on it. The lends a casual wackiness to his cartoons that other Terry directors like Rasinski rarely achieved.

Modern Cinderella

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 29 July 2018]

The Terrytoons are oddly interesting, mainly for anybody wanting to see (generally) older cartoons made by lesser known and lower-budget studios. They are a mixed bag in quality, with some better than others, often with outstanding music and with some mild amusement and charm and variable in animation, characterisation and content.

1938, like all the other years for Terrytoons, saw a hit and miss batch, more so than the other years even. Of which 'The Glass Slipper' is one of the better ones ranking it in correlation with the rest of the Terrytoons and one of the best 1938 cartoons. There are flaws but also a lot of strengths, and a few things done better than what was seen before. 'The Glass Slipper' is well worth watching as an above average watch with more to it than completest sake.

Best asset is the music, which predictably is incredible. It is so beautifully and cleverly orchestrated and arranged, is great fun to listen to and full of lively energy, doing so well with enhancing the action. The ambitious, elaborate detail in the backgrounds is still great to see, the 1938 Terrytoons onwards showed more fluidity in design than in previous years and some synchronisation is neat. The drawing is more fluid generally and the black and white is crisp. The sound has also gotten much sharper and clearer.

A fair share of amusing moments, with more gags than there can be usually found and they are all beautifully timed and funny (not always the case with Terrytoons), and there is a lot of zest and natural charm. Also a suitably strange and absurdist quality that was fun and endearing to watch. The characters are amusing and interesting and that the cartoon doesn't get saccharine is appreciated. There are imaginative visuals and moments and it was difficult to not have fun with the voices and recognise who was being caricatured.

On the other hand, there are occasions where transitions are not as smooth as they could have been.

Likewise, the story, while refreshingly wild and more original (actually taking an oft-told story and putting its own spin on it by giving it modern touches) for Terrytoons at this point, is thin and with not quite enough surprises. A few moments of staleness in humour though this was only occasional.

All in all, not bad at all, actually well worth watching. 7/10 Bethany Cox