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In Disney Princess: Beyond the Tiara, longtime Rolling Stone contributor Emily Zemler takes a deep dive into how various beloved princesses became the cultural icons they are today, from Snow White’s lasting reign to newer, inspiring royalty like Moana.

The book weaves interviews with historians and those who helped shape the characters, including directors and voice talent, alongside concept art and memorabilia, and breaks down important themes integral to how the princesses serve as inspirations.

Music, of course, is a key element to the storytelling and what makes the characters resonate for decades,...

Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy can’t be a cheap show to make. This superhero story is based on an ambitious, colorful comic book series by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá and as such it features big action setpieces, depictions of superpowers, and even a talking chimp or two.

Still it’s hard to imagine any portion of The Umbrella Academy’s budget is larger than the music clearance department. The series features a moody score from Jeff Russo but also a truly stunning amount of pop hits. The Umbrella Academy made its musical intentions clear in its first episode with the now-beloved dance scene set to Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now.” And the show’s investment in soundtrack and music has only grown from there.

“Music is such an important thing to me and I really take time to pick the songs,” showrunner Steve Blackman says.

“We...

After five years of combining animated short subjects, and a combo live-action/animation feature, Disney dove into full feature animation fantasy again with the most basic of Fairy Tales. Just because he learned to create animation for a price doesn’t mean that the quality slacked off — the wondrous design and animation is augmented by terrific songs. Yes, half the picture is about cute mice and birds and other critters … which are done so well, the show is worth seeing multiple times. This handsome Signature Collection release follows earlier Diamond and Platinum releases … and don’t ask me to decode that classification system.

Cinderella

Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Code

Walt Disney

1950 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 75 min. / The Signature Collection / Street Date June 25, 2019 / 39.99

Voice Actors: Ilene Woods, Eleanor Audley, Lucille Bliss, Rhoda Williams, Verna Felton.

Songs: Mack David, Al Hoffman, Jerry Livingston

Directing Animators: Les Clark, Marc Davis, Norm Ferguson, Ollie Johnston, Milt Kahl,...

We never get tired of the story of Cinderella, and whether we know it or not, the version we never get tired of is the one put forth by Walt Disney 65 years ago. The 1950 animated feature, released 65 years ago this week (on February 15, 1950) was an instant classic, and its this version we think of when we imagine all the visual details of the story -- the slipper, the pumpkin, the fairy godmother, the mice, and Cinderella and Prince Charming dancing all over the palace grounds.

Still, as many times as we've heard the story or seen the cartoon, there's still more to be mined from the 17th-century fairy tale. (Indeed, Disney is releasing a new live-action retelling next month.) As many times as you've seen the 1950 classic, there's plenty you may not know about it -- how the actress who played Cinderella landed the part without even knowing she'd auditioned,...

By Anjelica Oswald

Managing Editor

Songwriter Diane Warren earned her seventh Oscar nomination this year for “Grateful” from Beyond the Lights. The song, which will be performed by Rita Ora at the Oscar ceremony, is Warren’s first nomination in 13 years. With a Grammy and a Golden Globe under her belt, she has yet to win an Oscar and is one of two Oscar-nominated songwriters to have at least seven nominations and not a single win. The other songwriter is Mack David.

Warren received her first nomination in 1988 for the song “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now,” which she co-wrote with Albert Hammond, from the movie Mannequin. The song was a No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 Hit in 1987.

She next landed four consecutive nominations nine years later starting with 1997’s nomination of “Because You Loved Me” from Up, Close & Personal. Though the song didn’t win an Oscar, it did score a Grammy.

By Terence Johnson

Managing Editor

One of the bright spots this past film year was the success of Disney’s Frozen. On the strength of it’s more modern princesses and an infectious score, the film set box office records and has garnered two Oscar nominations, Animated Feature and Best Original Song for “Let It Go”, its infectious hit. In honor of Frozen’s nomination, we figured it was time to take a look at the history of animated movies in Original Song.

The history of animated films picking up nominations and wins in Best Original Song is a tale as old as time (see what I did there?). Since the 1930s, animated films have won this award 13 times and over 50 nominations, which you can see below. This is an even greater feat when you think about the consideration that animated films get when lists of musicals are made (they...

Disney Legend Ilene Woods, who voiced Cinderella in the 1950 classic, has passed away at the age of 81. Woods was born on May 5, 1929 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, U.S.A. and was both a singer and actress. Woods started acting at two years old. When she was 14, she was given her own radio show on the new station called The Blue Network on ABC Radio during the summer of 1944. A lot of songwriters came on the show to present their music to her, which is how she became friends with Mack David and Jerry Livingston. David and Livingston asked her to record a few of their most recent written songs for a movie. They also wanted her not just to record them, but to sing them. Soon the songs were presented to Walt Disney so it could be used in the animated Cinderella . She won the role...

Dawn, Dirty Money attending the 2010 Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City.Photo copyright by Jerry Livingston / PR Photos. Rick Ross, Red Cafe attending the 2010 Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City.Photo copyright by Jerry Livingston / PR Photos. Cassie & Dawn attending the 2010 Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City.Photo copyright by Jerry Livingston / PR Photos. Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony attending the 2010 Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City.Photo copyright by Jerry Livingston / PR Photos. Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony attending the 2010 Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City.Photo copyright by Jerry Livingston / PR Photos. 06/13/2010 - Dawn & Busta Rhyme -...

Warner Bros will adapt the TV series "77 Sunset Strip" into a period feature, directed by Greg Berlanti, from a screenplay by Stephen Chin. Berlanti will also produce with A. Scott Berg and Kevin McCormick.

"77 Sunset Strip" starred actors Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Roger Smith and Edd Byrnes, based on novels/short stories written by creator Roy Huggins.

The show aired from 1958 to 1964, winning a 1960 Golden Globe Award for best TV series, revolving around La detectives, 'Stuart ("Stu") Bailey', a character Huggins originated in his 1946 novel "The Double Take" and 'Jeff Spencer', a non-practicing attorney. The duo worked out of an office at 77 Sunset Strip, between La Cienega Boulevard and Alta Loma Road on the south side of the Strip.

Comic relief was provided by racetrack personality 'Roscoe' and 'Gerald Lloyd "Kookie" Kookson III', a hipster and aspiring P.I. who worked as a valet parking attendant at Dino's, the club next door to the detectives' office.

Lil' Kim performs at the Hot 97 Summer Jam 2009 in East Rutherford, NJ. Photo copyright by Jerry Livingston / PR Photos. Lil' Kim performs at the Hot 97 Summer Jam 2009 in East Rutherford, NJ. Photo copyright by Jerry Livingston / PR Photos. Jay-z performs at the Hot 97 Summer Jam 2009 in East Rutherford, NJ. Photo copyright by Jerry Livingston / PR Photos. T-Pain performs at the Hot 97 Summer Jam 2009 in East Rutherford, NJ. Photo copyright by Jerry Livingston / PR Photos. 06/07/2009 - T-Pain - Hot 97 Summer Jam 2009 - Giants Stadium - East Rutherford, NJ, USA © Jerry Livingston / PR Photos 06/07/2009 - Jeremih - Hot 97...

Friends of The Abingdon Theatre present "It's The Talk Of The Town" a Musical Tribute to Jerry Livingston on Wednesday, March 25th at 7:30pm at The Triad Theatre, 158 West 72nd Street (between Broadway & Columbus). This original musical revue conceived and directed by David Flora with musical director Julie Bearden features performers Kyle Gonyea, Jennifer Houston, Holli Leggett, Karen Paulemon and Robert Vest.

UPDATE: THR has just confirmed that Johnny Depp will indeed play the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, which is currently in pre-production. Disney announced the news earlier today. Depp was rumored to be playing the role for a couple months now, and it definitely suits the actor. The film itself will combine live action and motion-capture animation, and it will be released in digital 3-D. Newcomer Mia Wasikowska has been cast as Alice. Additionally, it's now bring reported that Depp will also take on a role in The Lone Ranger (IESB says he'll be playing Tonto).

Good ol' Ben Affleck must have gone stir crazy. We haven't seen him on the big screen since 2006, and now he's got a bunch of projects on the way. Last week there was The Town, and now The Hollywood Reporter posts that he's in talks to star in The Company Men, with John Wells directing.