Thick blankets of snow and winter landscapes – nature alone in Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella creates a Christmas atmosphere. It is not for nothing that the film is part of many households in Germany annual Christmas tradition. The cast and crew have hard earned their place in the hearts of fans. At least some of the exterior shots were actually shot in the snow.
Three hazelnuts for Cinderella: After a lot of artificial snow, finally a blessing – or not?
Initially there was little snowfall for filming in Moritzburg in 1973. As reported on the film’s official website, it was very cold this January, but the landscape was rather desolate. Artificial snow was used to help.
It wasn’t until February that the outdoor shots were possible take place in real snow. And in the end the snow cover was so deep that the crew had to shovel a path so that Cinderella (Libuše Šafránková) could run away from the prince. All of this was done with extremely flimsy costumes.
This is what the website says:
The thin costumes and leather boots don’t offer nearly enough protection against the sometimes icy cold, so many people still wonder how they endured it all.
It’s not a great idea to shoot like that. Even though the crew was worried about the actress in order to protect her from freezing to death:
When washing clothes in the stream, a change of clothes and hot tea are kept ready for Libuše and for the close-ups of the final scene, an orange blanket is placed around the actress, who has to smile in a low-cut dress at minus 20 degrees Celsius, at least below the frame
Next time you see the film, you might think about how cold it must have been during filming. This not only sheds a new perspective on the film, but above all shows how much Libuše endured for the role – and still played it brilliantly.
Where can you watch Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella?
If you want to watch the film directly, you can currently do so with a streaming subscription on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. MagentaTV and RTL+ also currently offer Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella as a flat rate.