User reviews

"Cinderfella" was Jerry Lewis' answer to the classic Cinderella story. And he intended it to be a masterpiece. To say that it fell somewhat short of it's goal is putting it mildly, but it's not bad. The plot is, of course the familiar story, with a few (expected) variations. When his father dies, poor Fella (Lewis) is left at the mercy of his snobbish stepmother (Judith Anderson) and her two no-good sons, Maximilian (Henry Silva) and Rupert (Robert Hutton). As he slaves away for his nasty step-family, Maximilian and Rupert attempt to find a treasure Fella's father has supposedly hidden on the estate. Meanwhile, hoping to restore her dwindling fortunes, the stepmother plans a fancy ball in honor of the visiting Princess Charmein (Anna Maria Alberghetti) whom she hopes will marry Rupert. Eventually, Fella's Fairy Godfather (Ed Wynn) shows up to convince him that he has a shot at winning the Princess himself. Lewis had big plans for the film's release. Although it was completed in January of 1960, he insisted it make it's debut that Christmas, complete with a holiday campaign and record album tie-in. In the meantime, he produced and starred in a low budget item called "The Bellboy" in order for Paramount to have a Jerry Lewis movie for summer release. "Cinderfella" was given a lavish production and a formidable supporting cast was recruited to co star with Lewis. He was indeed fortunate to obtain the services of Judith Anderson, who, while not a performer one would expect in a Jerry Lewis film, was nevertheless excellent as the stepmother, bringing just the right touch of arrogance to the part. Ed Wynn is reliably daffy as the Fairy Godfather,though, due to severe editing, he disappears before the climax, and is not seen again. Silva and Hutton do what they can as the stepbrothers, but the beautiful Alberghetti has nothing to do but fall hopelessly in love with the hapless Fella. The pace of the film is somewhat choppy, and several critics pointed out that the editing had left voids in the plot. The film originally ran 99 minutes, it ended up at 88. Sure enough, it was released at Christmastime, when it inspired some of the most scathing critical comment ever bestowed on a Lewis picture. Most of this was devoted to Lewis' own performance, and his frequent mugging, mixed with his pathetic attempts to play for sympathy. "Cinderfella" did just O.K. at the box office, and it ended up well behind the modest "Bellboy" which was a box-office smash. Thanks to handsome sets (with exteriors filmed at the "Beverly Hillbillies" estate in Bel Air, CA), costumes and a pleasant (if unmemorable) score, "Cinderfella" is entertaining enough to get by. But you'd better be prepared for a lot of "singing/mugging" from the Producer/Star, who fancied himself a brilliant vocalist. After all, though, this is SUPPOSED to be a fairy tale!

Cinderfella

The reason animals don't dress the men in fairy tales is they have appendages birds could mistake for an earthworm.

Fortunately, nothing is ripped from the body of the lowly wretch is this comedy.

After his mother's death, Fella's (Jerry Lewis) father remarries Emily (Judith Anderson), who has two sons (Henry Silva, Robert Hutton) as wicked as her.

When his father passes, Fella is renamed Cinderfella, and banished to an empty bedroom.

When a ball is held to find a suitor for Princess Charming (Anna Maria Alberghetti) everyone but Cinderfella gets to go. That is until his fairy godfather uses his magic to help him attract the Grand Ducy's eye.

By switching the genders of the main characters, this goofy slapstick version of the fairy tale manages to stand out from the throng of lesser Cinderella adaptations.

However, no princess is ever going to pick-up a man's abandoned smelly shoe.

Yellow Light

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As a pre-teen at a Saturday matinee I enjoyed this Jerry Lewis movie but watching it as an adult I realize it could have been much better. Jerry used Anna Maria Alberghetti as a mere character actress as the princess failing to use her talents to full potential making this a bit more of a musical comedy. In spite of a great cast Jerry could have produced something greater than a grade-B comedy more in a class with some of his better movies. Missed opportunities indeed!

I have nothing against Jerry Lewis - in fact, I've found several of his other movies funny. CINDERFELLA, however, was quite painful to sit through. The fault chiefly lies on Tashlin, who wrote and direct. He milks a gag endlessly, and there aren't very many humorous things in the movie in the first place. The music numbers consist of bad songs sung badly. Near the end of the movie, the movie looks like it went through some major editing, resulting in a number of things not explained or resolved. One good thing about the movie is the sets - they look lavish!

I hear they are planning to remake this movie. Though I usually balk at remakes, at least here they are planning to remake a BAD movie - which means there is plenty of room for improvement.

The old story told with a twist. The sexes are reversed in this one.

This time it's Jerry Lewis victimized by a wicked stepmother and her 2 hoodlum sons. Who else but Ed Wynn could play a fairy godfather?

Dame Judith Anderson, a veteran player of the wicked, is at it again but how can we expect this great lady to add comedy to spice up her performance. She needed to do her part with a comic twist as Jo Van Fleet did in the television version of "Cinderella." Sadly, that's missing. Playing the role straight is of no consequences in this farce. The sons come off like underworld hoods. It's a little too heavy for this film.

Jerry is funny but his attempts at singing fall quite flat.

Nice to show the kiddies that guys can be victimized too.

I can't believe this got made. I was very intrigued by the premise but the movie did absolutely nothing interesting with the material.

I can usually find something to enjoy in a Jerry Lewis movie but this felt extremely lazy. There were no good gags. Like they came up with a funny title but couldn't create a movie to justify it.

Tedious. Boring. Painful. Mediocre musical interludes. What's the joke here? That I wasted ninety minutes on this garbage.

With so many versions of the quintessential fairy tale, we forget which is which. This one casts Jerry Lewis as an abused young man whose life changes when he meets his Fairy Godfather (Ed Wynn). Personally, my favorite rendition of the story was the time on "Gilligan's Island" when Mrs. Howell dreamed that she was Cinderella and Gilligan was her Fairy Godfather.

Jerry Lewis does an OK job in "Cinderfella", but now that we know what a jerk he is in real life, it weakens the whole thing. And I don't know why they have to stock it with songs.

Weird to think that Fairy Godfather is the father of "Dr. Strangelove"'s Gen. Bat Guano.

Decades before there was a Jim Carrey, the movies unleashed another inspired nut case – Jerry Lewis – whose 50s and 60s Paramount Studio vehicles tended toward an oil-and-water mix of outrageous physical comedy and mawkish sentimentalism. 1960's "Cinderfella" is a casualty of that uneasy blend.

Taking the classic fairy tale and tailoring it to fit his talents, the stretch-faced, rubber-limbed comedian portrays "Fella," a poor, imbecilic, ostracized stepson who lives only to serve his cruel, absurdly wealthy stepmother (Judith Anderson) and her two greedy sons (Robert Hutton, Henry Silva) in their palatial mansion. The only reason they even allow Fella to still "bunk" at the mans (his bedroom is more the size of a closet) is that Fella's late father has hidden a vast fortune somewhere on the grounds of the estate and the step-kin think the dolt may know where it might be hidden.

Jerry is priceless when it comes to engineering clever, complex, high-energy sight gags. A testament to his versatility here is his miming flutist scene as he listens to a ditty on the radio in the kitchen (one of my all time favorite Lewis routines). The dinner scene where he caters to his family at an absurdly long dining table is another ingenious moment. Sprinkled throughout too are numerous well-timed bits, like the reading of the inscription off his father's ring, or (the frequently used) hair-combing bit, etc. But too much of the time, Jerry bogs the scenes down with cheap, slick, sentimental mush. He gets what I call "telethon tender" on us -- trying to work our heartstrings instead of our funnybones.

I remember the Marx Brothers having the annoying habit of breaking up their frantic comedy skits with "straight" musical numbers sung by some insipid ingenues that always took away from the fun. Same problem here...only worse! Lewis incorporates HIMSELF, a very mediocre singer, into these cloying musical numbers, and ten times out of ten they don't work. In "Cinderfella," he allows himself no less than FOUR soporific songs to indulge in, with one of those numbers, some silly nonsense about being a "people" instead of a "person", just unbearable. Jerry the Clown sells; Jerry the Lounge Lizard doesn't.

Judith Anderson is appropriately huffy and haughty and Henry Silva and Robert Hutton make a fine pair of oily villains, while proving good sports, too, as the unwitting victims of some of Jerry's mishaps. But the late, great Ed Wynn is wasted here as the "Fairy Godfather," mired in those gooey scenes I was talking about before. The demure, exceptionally lovely Anna Maria Alberghetti, who complements the lavish surroundings, appears too late in the proceedings to make any difference as the "Princess Charming" character who, for whatever reason, is smitten by the ungainly Fella. By the time she arrives, the film has lost its charm and humor, and we have lost our patience. It's too bad she didn't get to sing instead of Lewis.

I know it sounds like I'm not a fan at all of Jerry's, but I am! Like many producer/director/stars of his calibre, their egos get the best of them. Like Elvis Presley, most of his vehicles were not up to snuff. And in the case of "Cinderfella," Frank Tashlin may be credited with directing, but I think we all know who the director REALLY was on this set.

For those who appreciate Jerry as only the French can, I would suggest "The Disorderly Orderly," "The Ladies Man" and his most popular, "The Nutty Professor," to get a better feeling of this man's genius.

This updated comical parody of the Cinderella story is not only funny, but is also very touching and heart-warming. It followed so closely the fairy tale only this time it was the rejected stepson who is terribly mistreated by his stepmother and stepbrothers. Henry Silva and Robert Hutton were accomplished as mean stepbrothers, and it was easy to hate Judith Anderson, the horrible stepmother. The only things I did not like were the overdoing of Ed Wynn as the fairy godfather and the polo game: those parts were almost too ridiculous. Of course, as is almost always the case, Lewis was adept at causing a lot of laughs. I liked hearing Count Basie and his band, and Anna Maria Alberghetti was ravishing and so caring. As a rule, it is worth the viewing.

This should've been foolproof: Jerry Lewis playing a male variant of Cinderella, unloved and hoping to go to the ball. Talented writer-director Frank Tashlin allows Lewis to run rampant with the idea, which turns out to be a one-joke affair. Production is glossy, but the execution is enervated, overlong and fairly unfunny from the start. Jerry predictably mugs--he's never less than shameless--but with such weak material (and too much incidental chatter), he simply becomes a nuisance. His entrance in the ball sequence is, however, a wonderful bit, but it can't save the movie from being a huge disappointment. *1/2 from ****

My mom told my sister and I she saw this movie when she was very young and absolutely loved it. So, I did what my mom wanted me too, was to Netflix it, and when it finally came, we all sat down to watch it. And...it was so awesome! I love Jerry Lewis. I've never seen a movie by him, and he was hilarious. I loved his singing too. He was amazingly great. I wasn't expecting him to be terrible or anything, but you know. I loved all the things he did. Just some simple things made it hilarious. I loved it! I think any kid maybe about 4 or older will love this. I am 14, and I enjoyed it so much. It's a movie I'll definitely have my children watch! It's an amazing movie, that I think anyone will love. This movie is definitely recommended.

Cinderfella is Jerry Lewis's Cinderella story with role reversal. Jerry is once again a poor schnook living on an estate with his stepmother Judith Anderson and stepbrothers Henry Silva and Robert Hutton. All of them treat the furniture better than they do Lewis. Anderson is hoping to make a match for Hutton with Ruritanian princess Anna Maria Alberghetti as the family fortune is dwindling.

A tale as universal as Cinderella need not be repeated. We all know what happens in the end. Lewis is under the careful guidance of Frank Tashlin who knew how to get the best performances from him, especially as a solo artist.

Harry Warren and Jack Brooks wrote some rather serviceable but forgettable songs for Lewis though why Alberghetti didn't have a number who knows. I'll bet she did and it was cut.

Standing out in the supporting cast are Ed Wynn also restrained for him as he was one of the zaniest performers ever as Jerry's fairy godfather. Imagine if after Francis Ford Coppola's epics Cinderfella was made what The Godfather might have looked like. And Judith Anderson was properly sinister as the stepmother.

Jerry's fans will appreciate this and it's not bad. But personally the Rodgers&Hammerstein television musical is still best.

When you talk to many people about Jerry Lewis and his films, you often get extreme reactions. Some think he's a genius--one of the greatest film comics of all time. This is apparently true in much of the world outside the United States. Others think his films are terrible and would never watch them. Well, me being a compulsive nut about films, in the last couple years I have sought out his films and have seen most of them (a few, such as "The Day the Clown Cried" are not available). And, overall, I have come to feel that you cannot call his films good or bad--some are exceptional and some are terrible. This is true of most filmmakers and comics. So, when I say bad things about "Cinderfella", understand I am NOT anti-Lewis--I just think this film in particular is very, very weak. Why? Well, three main reasons sink this film--which I'll talk about below.

"Cinderfella" is a reworking of the traditional Cinderella story with a few big changes. Instead of women, it's a guy's story--with wicked step-brothers, a male protagonist and a fairy godFATHER. Another is that it's set in the present day--so you'll see cars, mansions in Beverly Hills and the like.

The film finds Jerry playing a person named 'Fella' (??). He lives with his nasty step-mother and step-brothers in a fancy mansion. Apparently, somewhere on the property some fortune is hidden--but no one knows where it is. In an odd (actually, BIZARRE) twist, Fella's dead father talks to him in dreams and tries to tell him where the money is hidden. This part of the story, to me, wasn't entirely necessary. Anyway, the rest is a lot like the original story--with a Ball, Fella working like a slave in his home and the rest.

So why was I less than thrilled with the film? The biggest problem was the singing. While Lewis' singing isn't bad, and occasionally pretty good in some films, here it is rather poor--and he does it many, many times. One song might have worked, but for a non-singer, four is too many and each time he sang, the film ground to a halt. Second, and it is also a biggie, is that the film just wasn't funny. Too few of the jokes worked and, frankly, there just weren't that many attempts at laughs. In contrast, in "The Bellboy" (which I really liked), the jokes came so rapidly that even if they didn't work each time, you kept laughing. Here, there were fewer attempts and too many serious moments. Finally, in too many scenes, the director (not Lewis in this case) overdid the scenes. For example, Jerry doesn't just comb his hair like a normal guy, he had to comb it 'wacky'--and took too long combing his hair! And, as Fella did his household chores, each time it was so overdone and overlong that it strained my nerves. Overall, a clear misfire and among Lewis' weakest films. Not terrible--just not all that good.

this is a sweet,warm and adorable film but i would feel better if jerry wrote it. taken from the fairy tale, jerry does it again by being funny and throwing in some cute gags! ed wynn was great as the fairy godfather and the rest of the cast made this a great, heart warming movie. but, of course, jerry really shined. as in the nutty professor, jerry belts out wonderful songs with his swinging voice. the story was written and flowed nicely, but if the ending explained fella's and princess charming's relationship together, it might of been for the better. wow! who knew jerry could dance so well! the scene when jerry turned a swinging dancer was one of the best scenes in the film! i recomend this movie for anyone looking for a cute and touching story with some jerry lewis charm!

While not among Lewis's best movies, Cinderfella does include a half dozen wonderful scenes. Fella repeatedly running up and down the length of an absurdly long banquet table as he snatches bites of his own meal while getting up to pass the sugar to, light the cigarettes of, and pour wine for his wicked step family; a poignant, lonely song sung in a long, dark hallway; a sweet moment at the very end with the coming together of Cinderfella and his princess; a miming scene with Lewis conducting an audible but unseen orchestra (the companion to a similar scene in The Bellboy, which was filmed the same year); the equally famous scene of Lewis saunter-dancing down the long staircase into the ball; Cinderfella Princess Charming's dance at the ball. The movie is worth watching for these moments, for Count Basie, a very brief appearance by Joe Williams with Basie's orchestra, and some wonderful set design.

There are two main issues that really take the movie down a notch. It is painfully sexist - misogynistic, really; even more so than a lot of other examples from that era. The very explanation of why Fella has been chosen to crash the ball forms the backbone of that misogyny. The entire scene is also far longer than it needs to be and just not funny. It's also sad to see Bacie's orchestra playing for an all-white audience of ball guests. There were already some good examples of Hollywood films that had begun to overcome that racist structure, so there's really no excuse for it here.

If you can get past all of that, the movie is well worth watching for the moments mentioned at the top of this review.

Let me begin by saying that along with a large number of other film genres that I enjoy very much, I am a huge fan of comedies, both light, silly, madcap, and especially dark. To the point that friends have refused to see comedies in the theater with me because my laughter is so loud and raucous that they miss the next four or more lines or gags because of my laughter. Even at home, I've been admonished for disturbing others with my uncontrollable excessively loud outbursts of laughter while I'm in another room with the door closed.

Second, when I was young, there was a movie theater within walking distance mere blocks from my home that seemed to show nothing but Jerry Lewis and Martin & Lewis movies, where we never missed a showing. And, at the time, I thought they were the funniest and most enjoyable films ever made.

However, now that I am grown and comedy in films and television has evolved a great deal, and I assume my taste in them has as well, before the 30 minute mark in this film, I haven't laughed or even cracked a smile even one time. In fact, I have been literally cringing repeatedly, and even fast-forwarded through the "musical number" with Lewis and Ed Wynn at the pool in order to save my sanity.

The strange thing is that of all the Jerry Lewis movies that I saw as a young child, this had been one of my favorites. But already, at this point in the film, I couldn't begin to remember or tell you why. What I CAN say is that it is obvious that the writer/director, according to Imdb, was in charge of many of what I consider to be the greatest cartoons ever made, Looney Toons. Because this film very much resembles a live-action cartoon. So far it is full of the most goofy mugging by Lewis, long, overdone gags, even Lewis' walk and other movements and mannerisms remind me of Daffy Duck or some other silly cartoon character. I'm waiting for an Acme anvil to drop on his head, followed by stars circling his head, as he mugs once again, and clumsily stumbles back to work. And don't get me started on his annoying, child-like voice.

I just don't get it, or why this film appealed to me as a child, being that, although my small family was dirt poor, in all humility, I considered myself to be a pretty sophisticated kid with sophisticated taste in all of the arts. Maybe once I get through to the end of this movie my opinion will have changed, at least a bit. But right now, exactly 32 minutes and 32 seconds in, I am doubtful. Especially after reading some of the other reviews. If so, I may update my review. But at this moment in the film, as they say, it is what it is.

The Jerry Lewis (solo) movie formula was a rather awkward mix of sticky romantic sentiment and wildly elaborate and catastrophic comic ballets and I have often wondered who Jerry himself thought was his target audience. His anarchic, destructive comedy seems aimed straight at 12 year old boys who would be little interested in icky girls, yet there was always a central romantic subplot. And the date crowd would have found his romantic chemistry with his female co-stars lacking and the overall atmosphere rather contrived and juvenile. Anyway, here Jerry does a spin on Cinderella, with Ed Wynn as his Fairy Godfather who uses wizardry to put the bungling Jerry in the path of a European princess. We all know how the story ends, but the difference here is that along the way, the princess has to wade through a succession of truly destructive comic disasters. I wondered why she stuck around with this guy all the way to the end. Any well-bred woman of her class would have gone to take a rest in Monte Carlo after the first one. Yet, contrived and formulaic as it is, the movie manages to still entertain almost 50 years later, largely on the strength of Jerry's comic and cinematic inventiveness. He was a master at staging destructive comedy sequences with few rivals at this. There are worse ways to spend 90 minutes.

The best part of this one from jerry lewis is Count Basie. here, Count Basie plays Count Basie. i was never a fan of those silly, pratfall, comedies where jerry lewis uses the voice of a five year old. i always had a hard time buying into those, where he drags every scene out way too long. there's a bit of that in this one. the awesome Judith Anderson, was so good in Rebecca (oscar nominated), but has a silly, cheezy part here. a pretty entertaining bit where Lewis mimes playing the piano and flute. the plot is pretty self-explanatory.... lewis is the outcast stepson, and Dad left all the money to the step-mom, which she is lavishing on her own sons. Lewis meets the girl of his dreams, but are they a good match? Written and directed by Frank Tashlin. he had worked with Lewis on a bunch of films, so they were old friends by this time. this one has strange timing. Lewis carries the whole thing, and not much magic between the stars. not my favorite.

After his father dies young Cinderfella (Jerry Lewis) is put into the care of his harsh and wicked step mother (Judith Anderson) and her two boys she dotes on (Henry Silva and Robert Hutton). Cinderfella meanwhile is treated like a servant. One day he is visited by his goofish Fairy Godfather (Ed Wynn) who promises to help him meet a girl.

This one joke twist on the Cinderella story grows tired and outstays its welcome very quickly. Produced by Jerry Lewis, it becomes an annoyance of a film, with the scene of Lewis miming playing the instruments to Count Basie as he washes up the only real highlight.

I thought this was the cutest movie I've ever seen. Jerry Lewis is absolutely hilarious. I was not a big Jerry Lewis fan when he worked with Dean Martin. I had a very hard time getting into his work. However, when he went out on his own, I really became interested in his work. I would like to make mention of some things I found very interesting and very funny in this movie. For example, instead of a fairy God mother (like Cinderella had), he had a fairy God father. He also read approx. 50 words when reading the inscription on the ring given to him by his deceased dad. Like Cinderella, Cinderfella was a loving, hard-working and honest person who was treated unfairly at first. He waited on his step mother and step brothers hand and foot. I happily remember when he went to the kitchen to make orange juice and proudly put his hand out the kitchen window, pulled in a tree branch, took a knife and cut off several very large orange to use in the juice. I thought it was creative to have him listen to the radio and act out playing the flute. I loved it. But, like Cinderella, Cinderfella was rewarded in the end for all his hard work. I waited with excitement to see how he would get to the ball and loved what the writers came up with.. And when he made his grand entrance into the ball, I couldn't help notice what a smooth dancer Jerry Lewis really is. I thought the music was beautiful. After I saw this movie I had such a warm loving feeling in my heart and I really thank God for this touching comedy. Jerry Lewis is the funniest actor in the world and his shoes (glass or leather that is) will be very hard to fill in the future. Thank You.

I wanted to like this movie soo bad. I had only seen bits and pieces over the years, yet only now am I watching it from start to finish.

Disappointingly, the movie does not really delve into the "Cinderella" nuts and bolts until literally 45 minutes into the film - after multiple long and drawn out tedious shtick pieces, most notably however is his iconic Count Basie music mime in the kitchen. There was an inordinate amount of "mugging" in this film - even for a Jerry Lewis film, which left me wondering whether they were simply padding out the thin plot to get to the lean 91 minute running time.

The Cinderella theme or "lore" - embodied by legendary Ed Wynn (who looks like he just stepped off the set of a 60's animated Christmas TV special) - involving apparently a distinction between "people" and "persons" was both convoluted and frankly incomprehensible.

Aside from the kitchen scene, perhaps the only other scene that you'll remember is the zany ballroom dancing - not unlike in Ladies Man.

The romance with the Princess was odd, forced, rushed, reconciled and "happy-ended" over no more than about 3 minutes, and in the end simply un-believable. The beautiful young starlet (an accomplished actress and singer in her own right) sadly was reduced to essentially a sight prop.

The stone-faced "evil" stepmother and stepbrothers have very little to do but whine and take up space.

It seemed like a lot of money and talent wasted.

The 1 flaw that made this better than other Lewis films is Henry Silva. Always have loved him. The scene where Lewis tries like 5x to light his cig is so funny. But other than that his skits are so long just move on. Move on to the next gag. Takes him forever to do anything. His movies are so slow. He tries way too hard to be funny. But could just be me. I hate dragging anything out.