The original fairy tale by Charles Perrault (1697) and other folklore variants are in the public domain
Cinderella saved the studio. It reintroduced the world to the "Disney formula"—plucky heroine, lovable sidekicks (shout out to Gus and Jaq), and a villain so deliciously petty (Lady Tremaine) that you boo every time she smirks. cinderella 1950 internet archive
: A detailed look at story development, abandoned sequences, and the influence of WWII on the production. Walt Disney's Cinderella VHS (1995) The original fairy tale by Charles Perrault (1697)