Three Wishes for Cinderella (1973)

Tři oříšky pro Popelku (German: Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel, English: Three Nuts for Cinderella, Three Gifts for Cinderella [UK title] and Three Wishes for Cinderella) is a Czechoslovak/East German fairy-tale film from 1973.

It was directed by Václav Vorlíček in co-production between DEFA-Studio für Spielfilme and Barrandov Studios. The story was based on a fairy tale written by Božena Němcová (a Bohemian variation of the classic Grim brothers' Cinderella fairytale). The main roles were played by Libuše Šafránková and Pavel Trávníček. The film was shot at the DEFA studios in Babelsberg (Brandenburg), in the Barrandov studios in Prague, and various places in Bohemia in what was then Czechoslovakia, like the Švihov castle in western Bohemia, and the Bohemian Forest, as well as the Schloss Moritzburg in Saxony.

The film was released in a Czech and a German version. The ensemble was composed of Czech and German actors all speaking their native languages. In the respective editions, they were dubbed to Czech or German. The film had its international première in East Berlin in 1973.

The film has become, much like Dinner for One, a holiday classic in several European countries. It is shown on TV around Christmas time every year in the Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia, Switzerland, Norway, and sometimes Russia

Theodor Pištěk designed the costumes for the film.

Synopsis

The film stars Libuše Šafránková as the title character, a young woman who is put upon by her stepmother and stepsister. The film employs a twist, though, when a handsome prince comes knocking. Cinderella does not simply fall into the prince's arms. In this version, he must actively pursue the young woman who is a skilled sharpshooter prone to wearing hunting outfits. Cinderella also has three wishes at her disposal, gained from three magic nuts.

Actors