Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella: The stepmother and stepsisters

Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella 1965

In 1965 the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical version of Cinderella began appearing on CBS television. This would be an annual treat for many years. Walter Pigeon (The king) Celeste Holmes (The fairy godmother) and Ginger Rogers (The queen) were already household names with impressive careers. Stuart Damon (Prince Charming) went on to portray Alan Quartermaine in the ABC soap General Hospital for 3 decades.

All have now passed away but Leslie Ann Warren (Cinderella) is still going strong at 75. Warren's movie and television career have spanned the decades and her last known role was in 2020 in Echo Boomers. Let's take a look at what happened to the women who portrayed the evil stepmother and two stepsisters. Jo Van Fleet, Pat Carroll, and Barbara Ruick were perfectly matched as a trio and audiences loved to hate them. Their lives and careers went in varied directions after Cinderella and only one of them is still living.

Jo Van Fleet: The stepmother

Jo Van Fleet was the right choice for Cinderella's evil stepmother. Her voice, body language and the way she sneered and turned up her nose are classic.

Catherine Josephine Van Fleet was born on December 30th 1914 and passed away at age 81 on June 10, 1996. After Cinderella, she was in the movies Cool Hand Luke and the Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight. Her television roles include Medical Center, The Wild Wild West, Police Woman, Bonanza, and Mannix. She was also the headmistress in the TV film Satan's School for Girls. Van Fleet can be seen on retro channels and streaming services in Route 66, Thriller, Sunset Strip and 3 episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

Barbara Ruick: Esmerelda

Ruick portrayed Esmerelda the stepsister who could not stop batting her eyelashes. It was hilarious when she tried to hold her eyes wide open but to no avail. The actress was born on December 23, 1930 in Pasadena, California, and died on March 3, 1974, at age 43 from a brain aneurysm. After Cinderella, Ruick is best known for her role as Carrie Pepperidge in Carrousel (1956) and multiple appearances on The Johnny Carson Show beginning in 1955. Her final role was in the film California Split which was released after her death. Although her life and career were brief Barbara Ruick made a lasting impression on her fans.

Pat Carroll: Drucilla

Pat Carroll is probably the most famous of the actors who were in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella. As Drucilla, Carroll's knees creaked whenever she bent down. The scene where the prince noticed while they were dancing was classic.

The actress was born on May 5 1927 and currently is 94 years of age. She is known for her loud infectious laugh and portraying Ursula the sea witch in the 1989 Disney Classic The Little Mermaid. Older fans will remember the actress for appearing in numerous television shows and films which include: The Ballad of Josie Wales, The Band Wagon, The Affairs of Josie Wales, Make Room for Daddy, The Red Skelton Show, Please Don't Eat the Daisies and many more.

Carrol voiced Ursula in two additional Disney cartoons which were in 2001's Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse And in 2002 for Mickey's House of Villains. Her last known roles were on Nancy Drew in 2007 and BFF's in 2014.

Cinderella can still be seen today

Van Fleet, Carrol, and Ruick can continue to be seen today as Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella has been uploaded to a number of YouTube videos. It can also currently be seen on the Tubi streaming service. Baby boomers who grew up anticipating the yearly showing of this classic musical can now view it anytime they desire thanks to modern technology.