Érase una vez (1950) - full transcript

An Estela films production

Once upon a time...

Version of Charles Perrrault's

fairy tale Cinderella

by A. Cirici-Pellicer Studios

Animation director: José Escobar

Music: Rafael Ferrer-Fitó

Orchestra Radio Nacional de España in Barcelona

Once upon a time there was a remote,

almost legendary country,

famous for its superb castles,

surrounded by high mountains,

place of indescribable beauty,

where fairies dwelled among the mortals

and generously lavished them with their history.

Surrounded by gardens,

lush valleys and picturesque hills,

proclaiming the empire of its lordship

over the whole region,

its arrogant silhouette in space,

the Castle of Aubanell.

The count had an affectionate

and humble daughter with big blue eyes

who due to her grace and beauty

could compete with the stars.

Since the death of his wife, he had made

his daughter the reason for his existence.

Life in the castle glided placidly.

The little countess had

a humility and freshness

that made her adorable to all who knew her.

Everyone loved the little countess

as the sky that saw her birth

and vied in attentions to make her happy.

Ulices, where are you?

You are very naughty.

Ah!

Stay, Ulices.

- Where are you?

- Countess!

Hello.

- Good morning.

- Good morning, Countess.

Hello.

Hello, Raul. How are you, Walterio?

And you, Lisardo and Bertolio? You look cheerful.

And very happy. What's up?

- Don't you want to tell me?

- Really, I'll tell you.

Bertolio has discovered that

winding up with the crank of the clock

the blue chair in the music room

its figurines dance like a wonder.

- That must be beautiful.

- We brought the chair for you to see.

- Where is it? - It's over there.

- Then they'll say I'm a fool.

- You'll like it. It'll make you laugh.

- Go on, you can start now.

That's nice! It's funny.

I like it very much.

Speaker, go downstairs and tell my daughter

I have to talk to her.

Right, sir.

Countess.

What?

Now? I'm coming.

- What's the matter?

- Nothing good, for sure.

We have to find out.

During the long journey I'm about to undertake,

I can't leave you alone in the castle.

Therefore, my daughter, I decided to give you

a new mother who will watch over you.

I want you to respect and love her

as much as you loved the one in heaven,

whose memory still lingers among us.

I will never forget my beloved mother.

Her memory will always remain with me.

- I heard nothing.

- I was not there.

They love my daughter very much.

Future countess,

tomorrow our ambitions will be fulfilled.

You will be the mistress of the castle

of Aubanell and its great domains.

But don't forget the promise you made

to your faithful servants,

your faithful and loyal servants

who contributed so much to your wedding.

And I, the great Scariot,

will be the general intendant

and master of ceremonies

of the castle of Aubanell,

the largest, the richest,

the most beautiful in the whole region.

No, I'll never forget it, Scariot.

I am mindful of your great services,

and when I become a countess

I will fulfill all that I promised.

Oh, I'll be a countess! What luck!

We'll be noble, sister.

- And now let's drink a toast.

- That's it.

I drink to the health of the great countesses.

To our health.

- What a bride!

- How ugly!

- What do you say?

- That the good count has lost his mind.

Elisenda, this lady countess is old,

fat and ugly, very ugly.

As beautiful as the deceased was!

Poor little countess!

And the pride she has!

Both mother and daughters.

Shorty.

That's right.

My wish is that you consider

my daughter as your own...

and that you take care of her during my absence.

I am soon to leave on the Aurora, and you will be

mistress of my house and my estate.

And from then on everything changed in the castle.

Get out of here!

Ouch!

It's that unfriendly cat's fault. Who gave you

permission to enter? Get out of here.

You nasty cat, leave me!

If you don't leave, I'll kill you.

Did you hear me?

Done.

Ulysses! Ulysses!

Where have you been?

Have you forgotten your mistress?

Do you know why they treat me like this?

Where are you?

I can't play with you.

I have to go feed the animals.

- It's the little countess.

- Poor thing.

You sound happy.

Fighting again? That's not nice, Pepito.

How are your little ones?

Hello.

Hello, mum ones.

Are you sorry to see me like this?

I can see you love me.

And I love you very much, too.

Don't think I'm sad because

they make me work all day long

and wear this torn dress. No.

It's just that I am so lonely

since my mother went to heaven....

From sunrise to sunset the wretched

little countess worked incessantly.

Ulysses was a very lazy kitten

but he loved his friend dearly,

and overcoming his heavy slumber

he would get up early to help her with her chores.

The generous heart of the sweet girl

suffered with resignation the life

imposed on her by her stepmother

and her envious daughters.

They did not forgive her

that she was beautiful and delicate

and they were extremely strict with her,

forcing her to do the roughest and heaviest work.

They stripped her of her rich dresses

and covered her with the oldest

and most patched up clothes they could find,

but still she did not cease to love them.

Their cruelty was ever increasing

until one day, while the poor child

was busily working

in front of her mother's portrait,

with a heart full of her memory and affection....

I have had enough

of seeing this lady all the time.

There is no other Countess

of Aubanell here but me.

Scariot, Scariot!

Command, madam.

Order that portrait to be removed at once.

I don't want to see it here.

To the cellar with it.

Yes, Countess.

Comrades, during the session

you may remove your cloaks.

Friends, a decision must be made.

That cruel stepmother, Dona Facunda,

and her foolish daughters

are mistreating our dear little countess.

They never tire of humiliating her.

They force her to do the hardest jobs.

They insult her, offend her, despise her.

She suffers it all with resignation.

Don't you think the intruders are guilty?

- Yes.

- We have to save her.

If not, the little countess,

so good, so affectionate,

won't be able to resist

so much grief and she'll die.

Are you all ready to do what I tell you?

Of course. Yes.

Agreed. Walterio, Lisardo,

Bertoldo, are you afraid?

No.

Come closer.

- Tonight at 12...

- Did he say 12 o'clock?

...sharp, after curfew...

# The fatal hour has arrived

# of the ghostly prose:

# To wander through the castle,

# to shake the whole castle. #

- Oh, my God!

- Thank you.

# I'm going for a walk now. #

- Are they goblins, Rebecca?

- No, they're ghosts.

Hail Mary Most Pure!

# Our ghostly prose

# has already ascended the castle

# to shake the whole castle. #

Courage, Scariot.

Are you hiding now? You'll be happy.

Hey, you don't know me, you don't know me!

You don't know me, you don't know me!

Snail face!

One, two, three, four... five.

Thank you.

Ah, walnut ravioli!

I'm not afraid of you.

Courage.

Go ahead.

Courage.

Hello, my friends.

- A real ghost!

- No, no.

Sir, sir...

I'll kill you all.

I don't understand.

But I'm Bertoldo!

May I continue?

I, the great Scariot,

with my victorious sword,

I chased away the crowd of ghosts.

They threaten me and beat me to a pulp.

No matter. Full of courage I chase

another one and an accurate blow:

"Halt!", and I cut them off so quick

that they suddenly run away. That's it.

Thank you.

Come in.

Countess, please pay attention.

To the Count of Aubanel:

His Majesty the King invites you...

The king invites us! What a joy!

...you, your wife and daughters,

to the great feast that

on the occasion of the coming of age

of his royal highness the crown prince

will be celebrated in the palace.

My dear daughters, rejoice.

One will be a princess of honor.

What happiness, Clorinda!

To be invited by the king...

What dress shall I wear?

Whatever you like, and I'll wear

the blue satin one with the long golden mantle

and my big belt of diamonds.

Well, I'll wear the red velvet

and the gold brooch with emeralds.

Although it's Cinderella's.

Not big deal, I'll suffer the humiliation

of wearing it since she doesn't need it.

She looks much better in the one she's wearing.

She looks beautiful in it.

And very happy to wear it.

You wouldn't change it for any other, right?

Would you like to come with us

to His Majesty's party?

And have the honor of dancing with the prince?

Oh, yes, very much!

Then why don't you go? As soon as the prince

would see you, he'd fall in love with you.

You'd be charming, delicious, covered in ashes.

- What pretensions!

- Cinderella in the palace! What a joke!

Insolent, your palace is in the kitchen.

Ignorant, shameless.

Do you think they'd let you in?

- Why do you treat me like this?

- Now a few tears, that's it.

What have I done to you?

I'll give you party, cockatoos.

Enough rest. We have to save the little countess.

Get down, you fool.

Speak. What do you want?

A drink to make the stepmother and her daughters

do a lot of foolish things at the ball.

Aurelia!

Thank you, Aurelia.

Cacaracá.

Cacocaí. Topi.

Cacaracá, ca.

Micatrá.

Micatarí cataré.

Mr. Bewitcher, those words are terrible.

Tantarantaina.

Tontaina.

Dividicu nosferiatu maximon.

Cacaracá.

Masastorum.

Torindorum.

Redetorum.

Ready.

Tatu, talatu.

- There you are.

- Thank you very much, sir.

Whoever ingests this drink will have

all his fantasies come true.

If they drink this liquor, will the stepmother

and her daughters do a lot of foolish things?

- Only nonsense. - Thank you very much.

- Wait a minute.

Here you are. Keep it.

- How much do I owe you, sir?

- Not much. An ounce.

Hold on, hold on.

Good.

One ounce! This brings luck!

Oh, my poor head!

I'll attract all the prince's looks.

I don't doubt it.

- I'll be the one who'll attract all his looks.

- What did you say?

Girls, our dear Scariot awaits you

to teach you a lesson in palace etiquette.

# Attention, ladies, the lesson is about to begin.

# You must know how to move in a royal salon.

# It is necessary

# to take care of the presentation.

# Keep your head stiff as if a beautiful brick

# you weared on your head.

But when I salute, should I not lower my head?

# Never, never.

# Not aching but rigid, the face goes;

# the waist forward, but the neck backwards.

The waist forward but the neck backwards?

# With the neck backwards and move to the beat

# one step at a time, one step, one step.

# One step, one step, one step.

# The brick should never fall.

And how can I dance if it falls on my foot?

# For those who want to show off

# it's necessary to suffer.

# But let's rehearse again,

# even if it's just to say hello. #

What happiness!

# Let's start, ladies,

# learning the language

# of the finest things.

# Have you seen that grace, that charm I say

# that is the deep grace when among friends

# the darker things are hidden,

# the darker things are hidden. #

Should it be held like this?

Is it like this?

# Of course. #

- Should we stare like this?

- Should we stare like this?

# Of course. Whenever you bring it

# close to your nose

# he'll be able to sense that you're inciting him. #

And it's not cheek?

No.

# And take it to the side

# and close it, sir, enough of this color.

# And you drop it and you don't know what to do

# and at the end he'll hear

# all the pipes singing. #

Bertoldo will pour the drink in the water

for the ladies on the way.

And when they drink it what will happen to them?

What will happen to them? That the stepmother

and the harpies of her daughters

will do the greatest follies

while they are at the ball.

Bertoldo, remember well what Raúl told you.

Don't make a mistake.

If the horses ask for water you give them ladies,

and if the ladies ask for the sorcerer's drink

you give them horses.

No, that's not what Raul told me.

I've already forgotten, and I knew it very well.

If the horses ask for water, you give them ladies.

Not that either. I must think.

Ah, I remember.

I'll be a fool! I almost made a mistake

and gave the drink to the ladies.

Clorinda, my daughter, how fat you are!

Watch my dress!

Bertoldo, to the palace.

- Good evening, godmother.

- Good evening, my daughter. Are you alone?

- Yes. - Tell me, where did they go?

- To the ball.

Then, since you're alone, I'll keep you company.

Would you like that?

Yes, godmother.

So they didn't want to take you to the ball

in honour of the prince?

I have a lot of work to do.

They ordered me to separate

all these lentils from the rice.

They're a lot, but don't worry,

everything will be all right. You'll see.

My daughter, have you ever been to the palace?

- No, Godmother, never.

- But you'd like to go, right?

Yes, godmother, very much.

Sometimes I get to thinking

about what a palace must be like,

with its towers of transparent glass and so high.

- What's the matter, Bertoldo? - What's up?

- Why have they stopped? - I don't know.

Giddy up!

See, see, see...

- I don't understand.

- Neither do I.

Bravo, bravo.

Quick, let's go.

Oh, they're crazy.

Are the palaces as beautiful

as I imagine them to be, godmother?

Do you want to see it with your own eyes?

Well, hold on. I'll fix it.

Put this plate next to the other one.

- There's nothing there, you fool.

- And now wait.

How cute!

They've separated the lentils from the rice.

How happy I am!

And now, as a reward for your kindness

and humility, let's go out to the garden

and you'll see what a surprise.

Bring the mousetrap. Come on.

- What do you think?

- They're beautiful, godmother.

And now bring the lizards

that are under that stone.

- How beautiful!

- Wait, the main thing is missing.

- How wonderful!

- Do you like it?

Now you have something to go to the ball in.

Yes, but having to go wearing this dress...

I've thought about that too.

This beautiful dress!

You have to be back at 12 o'clock.

At that time the carriage

will go back to being a pumpkin,

the horses mice, the footmen lizards,

and your costume will be

Cinderella's. Remember that.

Yes, godmother. I won't forget. Bye.

Goodbye, my child, goodbye.

Goodbye, godmother, goodbye.

And thank you very much.

- What a nerve!

- My dress!

He has covered us with dust.

It should be forbidden to ride at such speed.

Cinderella's carriage flew to the palace

over the bridge of honor

towards the light of the high golden towers

while the stepmother and her envious daughters...

You shouldn't have let him overtook us, you fool.

Fired with rage and jealousy,

they continued on their way

at a snail's pace and were the last to arrive.

and were the last ones to arrive.

The gardens of the palace

were profusely illuminated

and the party in all its splendor.

To the sound of the lutes played by the gondoliers

succulent delicacies and delicious beverages

were being served

in countless tents set up

on the shore of the lake.

The prince was riding along on his white horse

when he stopped in suspense

before the beautiful stranger

whose image got engraved in his heart.

For the greater amusement

of those attending the feast,

they enclosed big hunt pieces a game preserve

to be chased by brave horsemen

riding spirited steeds.

On the flowery slope of the palace

an artificial hill had been erected,

the top of which supported

the improvised castle of Amor

in which a graceful pantomime was performed.

Open the gates.

The gates of this castle

will not surrender without a fight.

Then we will beat you with cannon fire.

You won't be able to.

Amor doesn't surrender by force.

It only surrenders to grace.

Fire.

If you have not surrendered to force,

surrender to the grace of this maiden.

Come, unknown princess.

With you the triumph will be mine.

Surrender now, whim.

- Do you hear the music?

- Where can the dance be? I'm going to ask.

- No, they'll think we've never been there.

- It's that way.

Let's pretend.

The princess title will go to one of you.

- Oh, look!

- She's a princess.

She looks like our Cinderella.

- Oh, how well they dance!

- What a couple!

What a wonderful evening!

Your Highness, all my art and all my magic

will amuse you for a few moments.

Nothing in this hand, nothing in this hand.

# How beautiful was the night!

# How sweet was your voice beside me!

# Without it I was left so lonely

# that I can no longer live without you.

# You'll see my pain, branch of jasmine;

# my mother a humble star.

# And I'll never live in your garden again

# a night so beautiful.

# How short was the night!

# How sweet was your voice beside me!

# Without it I was left so lonely

# that I won't be able to live

# without you anymore. #

# How short was the night!

# How sweet was your voice beside me!

# Without it I was left so lonely

# that I won't be able to live

# without you anymore. #

Bertoldo.

Examine this shoe carefully. When I find out

who made it, I'll know who it belongs to.

# What a shoe!

# What a beautiful shoe, so rare!

# I've never seen anything like it in my life!

# We don't believe

# that anywhere in the whole world

# they make shoes like this. #

# I've never seen such a small shoe.

# You'd call it a children's shoe

# if it weren't for the heel, which is so high,

# if it weren't for the heel so gentle. #

# I, who worked 10,000 skins

# but no more golden skin I saw.

# Ouch, nor simil another, and of torn corner.

# I, who worked 10,000 skins,

# I have eyes like a lynx.

# My hand I see through.

# If it weren't the fifteenth century I'd say...

# What a shoe!

# What a beautiful shoe, so rare!

# I've never seen anything like it in my life.

# We don't believe

# that anywhere in the whole world

# they make shoes like this.

# The toe looks like the Turkish fashion,

# the heel has a Dutch style

# and the upper, Portuguese...

# or Breton.

# What a shoe!

# What a beautiful and rare shoe!

# I've never seen anything like it in my life!

# We don't believe

# that anywhere in the whole world

# such shoes are made. #

By order of his highness the crown prince

all the maidens of the kingdom

are obliged to try on this shoe.

As hard as all the shoemakers

of the kingdom strove

to find out where the little glass shoe

that the beautiful stranger lost

in her flight from the ball had been made

it was not possible to discover it.

But the prince, who felt himself

more and more caught up in the spell

of those eyes that had captivated him

from the moment he saw them

did not want to cease in his determination

to see again such an extraordinary creature

and he ordered a legion of heralds

to travel the world

until they found

the owner of such a beautiful foot

repeating this proclamation:

"By order of his highness, our prince,

"we are obliged to test this shoe

"on all the maidens.

"And the one who turns out to be the owner of it

"shall be elevated to the dignity of being

"the wife of the crown prince and royal princess.

"We shall give her from the most

"sumptuous palace to the humblest house

"not forgetting any court lady,

"nor princess, nor villein or farm wench."

She shall be the prince's wife

and a royal princess.

The one in the corner is missing.

What?

No, it can't be, this girl is the one

who takes care of the kitchen.

Maybe yes, maybe no,

maybe yes, maybe it was me.

We have orders to try it

to every girl in this country.

We have to find the unknown princess.

Cinderella, a princess?

Maybe yes, maybe no,

maybe yes, maybe it was me.

But Cinderella wasn't at the ball

in honor of the prince!

Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't,

maybe I was, maybe it was me.

Thank you, my God!

Godmother!

My daughter,

in reward for your kindness and humility

you will forever be

the most beautiful of princesses.

Oh!

And now farewell, my daughter.

And I, why not, shall better hollow my wing.

Oh, forgive us, forgive us!

Arise. I love you all.

All that day long the air vibrated over the city

with the music of festive bells.

From the countryside the towers and belfries

seemed more resplendent than ever before

haloed by the triumphal hymn

of a unique afternoon.

For Cinderella all suffering was over.

A long, shadowless happiness had begun for her.

With the reward for her goodness,

for the humility with which

she endured her adversities

ended the unparalleled adventure of our heroine

whose memory, from then on,

lives and will live forever

turned into an everlasting myth

in the memory of all men, of all women,

and of all the children of the world

like a light that fascinates us all

from the depths of our childhood.