Spic-and-span ‘Cinderella’ comes to the ball

With his studios millions in debt after World War II, Walt Disney decided the only way to save his company was to spare no expense in bringing “Cinderella” to the big screen.

Released in 1950, “Cinderella” was a big hit both commercially and critically, and revitalized Disney and his studio. Newly restored, “Cinderella” makes its DVD debut ($30) with a lovely two-disc set filled with documentaries and rare footage and audio tapes.

“The Cinderella That Almost Was” examines the various concepts Disney and his animators toyed with over the years, and “From Walt’s Table” features a round-table discussion with contemporary animators, such as Oscar winner Brad Bird, about their memories of Disney’s Nine Old Men, the studio’s legendary animators.

There are also still and slideshow galleries; reconstructions of two deleted songs, “The Cinderella Work Song” and “Dancing on a Cloud”; Disney’s 1922 Laugh-o-gram cartoon short of “Cinderella”; an excerpt from a 1956 episode of “The Mickey Mouse Club” featuring Helene Stanley, who was the model for Cinderella; an excerpt from a 1950 episode of “The Perry Como Show” with songs from the movie; three vintage radio programs; new music videos; and audio of seven unused songs from the film.

Also new this week

“The Alfred Hitchcock -- The Masterpiece Collection” (Universal, $120): Fourteen films by the master of suspense that have all been previously released on DVD, including “Shadow of a Doubt,” “Rear Window,” “Vertigo,” “The Man Who Knew Too Much,” “Psycho” and “The Birds.” A special bonus disc includes excerpts from the “AFI Salute to Alfred Hitchcock,” a delicious interview with Hitchcock from the early 1970s and well-crafted retrospectives on “The Birds” and “Pyscho.”

“Alfred Hitchcock -- Season One” (Universal, $40): At the time Hitchcock was making some of the most creative films, including “Rear Window,” he decided to explore the world of television. In 1955, he became the acerbic host of this long-running anthology series. The first season set features all 39 episodes, including the ironic “The Orderly World of Mr. Appleby,” the ghost story “The Gentleman From America” and even a sobering tale of an alcoholic, “Never Again.” The set includes a retrospective documentary with interviews with Hitch’s daughter Patricia Hitchcock O’Connell, producer/director/actor Norman Lloyd and assistant director Hilton Green.

“The Interpreter” (Universal, $30): Oscar-winning director Sydney Pollack scored box-office gold with the thrillers “Three Days of the Condor” (1975) and “The Firm” (1993). But his latest journey into the genre fails to ignite even with the presence of Oscar winners Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn. Extras on the DVD are worthwhile, including a powerful alternate ending and discussions with the erudite Pollack on pan-and-scan versus widescreen and his editing techniques.

“Kolchak -- The Night Stalker” (Universal, $40): ABC’s new version of this 31-year-old series premiered last week. Though “Kolchak” influenced such TV producers as Chris Carter of “The X-Files” fame, it lasted only one season (1974-75). Darren McGavin, who originated the role of the rumpled, wisecracking reporter Carl Kolchak in the hit TV movies “The Night Stalker” and “The Night Strangler,” stars in this supernatural series that is still a lot of fun. David Chase, the creator of “The Sopranos,” was one of the writers.

“The Warriors -- The Ultimate Director’s Cut” (Paramount, $20): This action-packed youth film put director Walter Hill on the map back in 1979 and caused considerable controversy. Critics said that its highly stylized depiction of gang violence spurred real gangs to war. Michael Beck and James Remar are among the stars. Besides an introduction by Hill, the extras include four decent featurettes on the production, which includes the film’s original opening.

“Mail Order Wife” (Visual Entertainment, $25): Blackly comedic mockumentary about one of life’s losers (Adrian Martinez) who gets more than he bargains for when he decides to send for a mail-order bride (Eugenia Yuan) from China. Extras include a featurette and commentary with directors Andrew Gurland (who also stars) and Huck Botko.

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DVD sales

Here are the 10 top-selling DVDs for the week ending Sept. 25. Rankings are compiled from a variety of major retailers, including Amazon.com, Best Buy, Blockbuster, Circuit City and Tower.

1. “The Longest Yard”

2. “Desperate Housewives: Season 1”

3. “The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl”

4. “The Hitchhicker’s Guide to the Galaxy”

5. “Fever Pitch”

6. “Crash”

7. “Sahara”

8. “Sin City”

9. “Lost: Season 1”

10. “Monster-in-Law”

Source: DVDExclusive.com