Even though it is “Three hazelnuts for Cinderella“ is a Czech production, the film is probably as well known and popular all over the world as it is in Germany. Every year in December, the fairy tale is broadcast not once, but several times on television by different TV channels. In 2023, for example, no less than 16 (!) times!
If you want to watch the film at another time, you can currently do so with a Netflix subscription or put the DVD on your shelf:
The many TV dates illustrate how important the film is for many people: quite a few people only really get into the Christmas spirit after seeing ‘Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella’ at least once. Time to revisit the holiday classic – and gather some interesting facts you probably don’t know!
1. Finding the right Cinderella
In the fairy tale, it is the prince who invites several dozen women who want to get married to his castle in order to find the right one. But in real life, the candidates also lined up to dance at the ball – in the role of Cinderella, who is held back by his scheming stepmother and equally deceptive stepsisters until the magical hazelnuts grant him three wishes.
Before he was 19 years old at the time Libuše Šafránková Finding the perfect Cinderella had a director Vaclav Vorlicek the choice between 2,000 (!) actresseswho applied for the role – what a casting effort, but in the end it was totally worth it.
2. Not only the Germans love Cinderella, but also…
…the people of Norway! Although the film never achieved a similar cult status in the Czech Republic, it has also long been a Christmas favorite in Norway. But there is a crucial difference: unlike in Germany, it is not common for cinema films to be dubbed in the Scandinavian country. An exception is only made for children’s films, because viewers under the age of 6 can hardly be expected to read subtitles.
In the case of ‘Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella’, however, a seemingly strange workaround was chosen: instead of synchronizing each character individually, all the characters are spoken by a single speaker, who also acts as a kind of narrator. The scene with the killed fox is missing from the Norwegian television version.
3. Mysterious clothing theft
Cinderella’s famous pink and white ball gown was later displayed in the baroque Moritzburg in Dresden, where “Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella” was partially filmed. But in 2014, the costume suddenly disappeared without a trace. For a long time there was no evidence of the perpetrators, even when suddenly a mysterious package without a return address was delivered to the headquarters of the State Palaces, Castles and Gardens in Dresden. The contents: the stolen dress!
It later turned out that a couple from Saxony-Anhalt was responsible for the theft. The crime was not planned in advance; one of the thieves simply saw an opportunity to fulfill a childhood dream – and spontaneously took advantage of it. However, surveillance cameras recorded that the two’s bags were significantly fuller when they left the museum than when they entered. And so it was only a matter of time before the police found out…
4. It just happens to be a Christmas movie
Originally, ‘Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella’ was not a winter fairy tale, but rather a summer film. Cinderella must not ride through the snowy winter forest, but across a blooming summer meadow. The reason why the sunshine was finally exchanged for cold winter weather: The studios in Prague were busy during the summer months, so Vorlícek made the rather pragmatic decision to move filming to the winter. This allowed the film to become the Christmas classic that it is today.
5. Smelly snow
Speaking of snow: ‘Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella’ was filmed in winter, but in the winter of 1972/1973 hardly any white flakes fell from the sky. So the film crew used a trick: Artificial snow was used for the outdoor shots, although it was partly made of fishmeal. You can imagine what it must have smelled like on set…