A lot of you have probably seen the live action version of Cinderella that came out in 2015. Well long before Lily James took on the role, another actress played Cinderella at the Walt Disney Studios, Helene Stanley.
Stanley was a live action reference model for the animated 1950 film of Cinderella. She, along with several other models, acted out the entire film in costume in front of cameras so the animators could study the footage when drawing the animated characters. This technique was not a new one, but it was one that was integral to the making of Cinderella in a way it never had been for any Disney film before, or really ever would be again.
Here, Helene Stanley doing live action reference for Cinderella, with Jeffrey Stone as Prince Charming, Mary Alice O’Connor as the Fairy Godmother, and Eleanor Audley as Lady Tremaine. Helene also did live action for one of the stepsisters, Anastasia, alongside Rhoda Williams who modeled for Drizella.
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