Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time
The original one-sheet poster
Directed by	Roberto Gavioli, Rolf Kauka
Produced by	Rolf Kauka
Written by	Roberto Gavioli, Rolf Kauka
Music by	Peter Thomas
Release date(s)	1973
Running time	83 min.
Country	Germany
Language	English

Once Upon a Time is the English title of the 1973 animated musical film Maria d'Oro und Bello Blue written and directed by Roberto Gavioli and Rolf Kauka. Other titles used for the film include Der Zauberstein (The Garnet Stone) and Cinderella's Wonderland. The film was originally released in German, but has been dubbed in various other languages, including English. The story is based on the German fairytale "Frau Holle", or "Mother Hulda". A comic book adaptation, drawn by Gino Gavioli (the director's brother), was published in Kauka's magazine Fix und Foxi shortly before the film's release. The film itself was initially accompanied by the Fix und Foxi short Symphonie in Müll (Symphony in garbage).

Plot

Maria is the only daughter of wealthy widower Mr. Bottle, and her only companion is her dog, Bello Blue. Maria is a kind-hearted, gentle-natured girl who always helps others and is well-loved.

One day a girl named Mary-Lou and her con artist mother arrive in town. Mary-Lou is the exact opposite of Maria, in that she is nasty, spoilt and selfish. Mary-Lou's mother poses as a fortune teller to tell people their future. She then meets Mr. Bottle, and tells him that great fortune will befall him if he gets married. Mary-Lou offers herself, but her mother stops her and marries Mr Bottle herself. Mary-Lou and her mother torment Maria, treating her like a servant. Maria's father is helpless to stop them, and Maria copes as best as she can, because she does not want to bother her father.

One day during a royal hunt, the prince of their kingdom separates from his fellow hunters as he chases after a white stag. Eventually he loses sight of the stag, but catches sight of Mary-Lou bathing in the woods and bullying Maria with her bossiness, eventually slapping her. When Mary-Lou stalks off to change, the prince approaches the crying Maria to comfort her. Mary-Lou reappears, and thinking that the prince is just a common hunter, tries to ruin things by pretending to have a broken ankle, but then just steals his horse and rides off. The prince and Maria spend some time alone together and fall in love. The prince gives Maria a garnet stone necklace, telling her that it will bring them together again. They part ways.

One night Mary-Lou sees Maria admiring her garnet stone necklace by a well. Jealous, Mary-Lou grabs the necklace and drops it into the well, leaving Maria to cry over the loss.

In the royal castle, the king gives the prince his approval to marry a common girl. A proclamation is made to the people that the "girl with the garnet stone" has to go the castle, where she will wed the prince. All the girls of marrying age quickly find garnet stone necklaces and rush to the palace. Mary-Lou and her mother manage to get a garnet stone from the local cobbler, who is in love with Mary-Lou, but when they go to the palace Mary-Lou realises that the prince is the hunter from the woods, and the necklace she needs to become queen is the one that was given to Maria.

Maria herself is unaware of the proclamation. Mary-Lou slyly offers to help Maria retrieve the necklace from the bottom of the well. When Mary-Lou reveals her intentions, the two girls struggle and fall into the well. There they meet a Frog King, who tells them that the necklace has been taken by the magical Mrs. Holle.

The two girls end up in the magical realm of Mrs. Holle. They make their way to Mrs. Holle's house, along the way encountering various magical creatures and things in need of help. At each point Maria happily helps the creatures, while Mary-Lou refuses. When they end up at Mrs. Holle's house, Mrs. Holle explains that they have to stay a while, because the door leading to their world is closed. Maria agrees to stay and help Mrs. Holle with her chores, but Mary-Lou leaves to find her own way back. Maria gets help from Mrs. Holle's little girl servants, while Mary-Lou runs into all amount of trouble. In the end Mary-Lou reluctantly returns to the house, and Mrs. Holle sends both girls back home.

The entire village watches as the two girls are magically returned from the well. Mrs. Holle appears in the sky and says, "What you have done of your own accord, you both shall receive your just reward." Maria's clothes transform to a beautiful gown, and the garnet stone necklace appears around her neck. As for Mary-Lou, pitch falls on to her clothes. The prince arrives, and is reunited with Maria, taking her to the castle to be married. Mary-Lou reluctantly agrees to marry the cobbler.

List of releases

- Original Black and White German release by Gamma Films in 1973 in theatres
- Colour version Released in West Germany and Italy in 1975
- First release in the US by G.G. Communications in 1976
- Several version were released in France during 1980
- A NTSC French-dubbed version was released by Prima Vidéo inc. on VHS in the 80's
- The English-dubbed version of the film was released on DVD on November 7, 2006.

External links

• The Garnet Stone (Der Zauberstein) - a review of the film (with thumbnail screenshots)
• Once Upon a Time - An English review of the film
• Once Upon a Time at the Internet Movie Database

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