Coming up next is that family favorite classic "Sleeping Beauty", released in 1959. The saga of Sleeping Beauty is perhaps one of the best known fairy tales. A princess pricks her finger on the spindle of a cursed spinning wheel and falls into a deep sleep until true love's kiss awakens her. The films voice cast includes Mary Costa, Bill Shirley, Eleanor Audley, Verna Felton, Barbara Jo Allen, Barbara Luddy, Taylor Holmes, and Bill Thompson.
The story begins when a princess, Aurora, is born in the kingdom and everyone comes to pay homage to her. King Hubert and Prince Philip of a neighboring kingdom come as well. So do the three fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather.
The fairies present gifts to Princess Aurora. Flora gives her the gift of beauty. Fauna gives her the gift of song. Just as Merryweather begins to give her gift, something happens to shock the assemblage.
The doors of the castle fly open and a mighty wind blows through the great hall, stunning all in attendance.
The King and Queen are shocked at the events taking place.
Whom should appear but Maleficent, very upset and distressed at not having received an invitation. Maleficent curses the princess to prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die on her sixteenth birthday. As King Stefan orders his men to seize her, Maleficent vanishes.
Merryweather gives her gift. That instead of death Aurora will sleep until true love's kiss wakes her. To keep her safe, the King and Queen give her to the three fairies to hide her until she turns sixteen. They take her to a cottage in the forest, disguised as peasant women.
The fairies rename her Briar Rose. On the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Aurora opens the windows and burst into song while she's doing her dusting. (Isn't that how everyone dusts?)
After they send her out to pick berries, the three fairies get to work on a birthday surprise. Two make the dress, one makes a cake.
Of course, once the wands come out...it's all out war. No one can decide the right color for the dress and it ends up in a mess.
Meanwhile, as she is out gathering berries and singing "Once Upon A Dream" while dancing with animals (again, isn't this something everyone does?), she meets Prince Philip. She doesn't tell him her name. He falls madly in love with her.
Of course, the music is timeless, and the song is iconic. Take a moment to listen to it and go back to your childhood.
After she leaves Philip, Aurora returns to the cottage where the fairies tell her who she really is. The dress her to look the part of a princess before taking her back to the castle and her parents.
Of course, Maleficent has been biding her time for sixteen years, waiting for the right moment to strike. When the fairies leave Aurora alone, she takes the opportunity to put her in a trance and lead her deep into the castle.
A spinning wheel appears and a voice commands Aurora to touch the spindle. She hesitates, but ultimately pricks her finger.
By the time they catch up with her, Aurora has fallen into a deep sleep, and Maleficent disappears into the night.
The fairies bring Aurora to the highest room of the tallest tower to await true love's kiss.
They put the entire kingdom to sleep until Aurora awakens. Just as King Hubert (Philip's father) falls asleep, he mentions that Prince Philip fell in love with a peasant girl "once upon a dream". The fairies race to find him, but Maleficent got to him first and has imprisoned him in her dungeon.
Maleficent is, of course, waiting for someone to spring Philip from the dungeon. (This happens to be my favorite image of the film). The fairies release him and he rides away on his horse in the direction of the castle where Aurora lies.
Maleficent causes a great bramble of thorns to grow up along the path to the castle, nearly impenetrable.
But the fairies equip him with the tools to get the job done. At last he is ready to enter the archway.
Maleficent transforms into a fire-breathing dragon, saying "Now you shall deal with me, O Prince, and all the powers of hell!"
The fairies enchant Philip's sword as a last resort. "Thou sword of truth fly swift and sure that evil
die and good endure!" Maleficent is defeated and Philip can go to Aurora.
Philip finds her and gives her true love's kiss.
Aurora awakens and the first thing she sees is Philip.
They make their way down the grand staircase to the great hall to greet Aurora's parents for the first time since she was a baby.
Parents and daughter are reunited after their long separation. (I also take note that the King and Queen haven't changed their clothes since the day Aurora left them.)
Aurora and Philip the begin to dance again. Everything seems right, until one of the fairies notices the blue dress and starts that war again.
Which do you think, blue or pink? I'm not at all sure I like the pink. Blue suits her much better. And they lived happily ever after. Cast rundown:
Mary Costa...............................................Princess Aurora
Bill Shirley................................................Prince Philip
Barbara Jo Allen........................................Fauna
Barbara Luddy..........................................Merryweather
Taylor Holmes...........................................King Stefan
Bill Thompson...........................................King Hubert And that's all for Sleeping Beauty. In 2019, the Library of Congress selected this film for preservation in the National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant", a well-deserved honor. As always, if you wish to leave a message, please remember our posting rules.
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