Cinderella is a popular fairy tale embodying a classic folk tale myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known about the world.Jack Zipes, The Great Fairy Tale Tradition: From Straparola and Basile to the Brothers Grimm, p 444, ISBN 0-393-97636-X The earliest version of the story may have originated in China around A.D. 860 — Ye Xian appeared in Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang by Tuan Ch'eng-Shih, a book which dates from the Tang Dynasty. The best-known version was written by the French author Charles Perrault in 1697, based on an earlier literary fairy tale written by Giambattista Basile as La Gatta Cenerentola in 1634, but, especially in the English speaking world, the animated film from Walt Disney Productions has become the standard contemporary version.
Cinderella is a 1950 animated feature produced by Walt Disney, and released to theaters on February 15, 1950 by RKO Radio Pictures. In the film, a young girl abused by her stepmother and step-sisters is still able to go the ball and win her prince with the help of a a pumpkin, half dozen mice, and a fairy godmother. The evil stepmother Lady Tremaine and her malevolent cat Lucifer make foils for Cinderella and her allies in this musical version of the fairy tale.