“Three hazelnuts for Cinderella”
5 exciting facts about the popular Christmas classic
Libuše Šafránková (†) and Pavel Trávníček in the classic Christmas film “Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella”
© dpa / DB WDR / Degeto / Picture Alliance
As soon as Advent begins, the country turns into one Christmas fairy tale. Undisputed number one on the list of Christmas classics: “Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella”. We’ll tell you five exciting facts about the cult film.
A prince looking for the perfect bride. A sad orphan who is maltreated by his evil stepmother and equally nasty stepsisters. Three magic nuts grant three wishes. And in the end there is: the big happy ending.
The story of Cinderella, Cinderella or Cinderella is known all over the world. Young and old alike are excited about the romance, which has already been adapted into several films. But did you know that the most famous version holds some exciting secrets?
“Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella”: 1. Who is the perfect Cinderella?
Anyone who has the choice is spoiled – we all know that. For This is particularly true for Václav Vorlíček, the director of “Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella”. No fewer than 2,000 applicants competed for the leading role. Libuše Šafránková, who was only 19 years old at the time, was able to prevail and is still the personification of the famous fairy tale today.
2. Cult status, not just in Germany
“Three hazelnuts for Cinderella” is not only a cult in Germany. Although it is a Czech film production, the film was never able to achieve the success in the Czech Republic that it enjoys in Germany. But there’s another country that’s crazy about the Christmas classic: Norway.
In Scandinavian countries it is not common to dub films completely into the local language. This is often only done in children’s films. For the Norwegian version of “Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella” there was a strange interim solution. Not every character was dubbed individually in Norwegian, but rather a speaker recorded all the texts and thus spoke all the roles. He also acted as the narrator of the story.
3. Smelly snow
Tons of snow were necessary for the atmospheric shots of the fairy tale. But during filming in the winter months of 1972/1973 there was hardly any natural snow. The film crew quickly resorted to a trick and used artificial snow. Unfortunately, there weren’t any really good props back then, so the white miracle was recreated with smelly fishmeal.
4. Unplanned a Christmas film
The fact that “Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella” was filmed in winter and became a classic of the Advent season is pure coincidence and was never planned. Because the film studios in Prague were already fully booked in the summer of 1972, director Václav Vorlíček quickly moved filming to the winter months. It is only because of these scheduling difficulties that we see Cinderella and her prince riding through snow-covered forests and meadows today.
5. Costume theft
Every film fan wants to be a part of the magic of fairy tales. Visits to Moritzburg Castle near Dresden, which served as a backdrop for many scenes, are among the most popular fan experiences. All the better that Cinderella’s famous pink and white ball gown could be admired at an exhibition in the same Moritzburg. But in 2014 there was a scandal: the dress was stolen. For a long time, people searched feverishly for the perpetrators – in vain. Not even when a mysterious package arrived The headquarters of the State Palaces, Castles and Gardens in Dresden, where the stolen dress was located.
It was only much later that the traces led to a couple from Saxony-Anhalt. According to the perpetrators, it was a spontaneous act; they wanted to take the opportunity to fulfill a childhood dream.
Broadcast dates for “Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella”
December 16th, 2:40 p.m.: NDR
December 17th, 3:50 p.m.: MDR
December 24th, 1:15 p.m.: ARD
December 24th, 3:15 p.m.: NDR
December 24th, 8:15 p.m.: WDR
December 25th, 9:40 a.m.: ARD
December 25th, 4:40 p.m.: MDR
December 25th, 11 p.m.: SWR
December 26th, 4:35 p.m.: RBB
December 31st, 12:00 p.m.: KiKa
December 31st, 8:15 p.m.: MR
January 6, 2024, 11:15 a.m.: BR