Three Wishes for Cinderella: Fitting a Czech shoe to a Norwegian foot

Abstract

In this article, the authors outline arguments explaining the lasting success of the Czechoslovak and East German film Three Wishes for Cinderella (1973). Drawing on newer theories of adaptation, the article addresses the following questions: what mutation did the Cinderella narrative undergo and how did it influence the acceptance of the film adaptation in the Czech and Norwegian context? Are there any non-adaptive explanations for changes in the narrative that can be perceived as a ‘random drift’? How is the persistence of this particular adaptation supported in various cultural contexts? Can we speak about cross-cultural indigenization in the case of Three Wishes for Cinderella? The aim is also to explore the factors that contributed to this cultural phenomenon and to map the journey the adaptation underwent, including the role of NRK public TV and the role of the voice-over. Finally, we discuss whether this adaptation is truly a timeless phenomenon.