In Their Own League#AnimatedApril Retrospective: The 75th Anniversary of Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland”
By Joan Amenn
If you have never seen this Disney feature length animated film, be warned. It takes visual imagery and cranks it up to eleven on the surreal Weird-o-Meter. It also features one of the most annoying earworms ever composed for Disney but set in one of the most charming scenes ever adapted from a book to the big screen.
Of course, the 1865 children’s book by Lewis Carroll included some rather nightmarish illustrations by John Tenniel which provided inspiration for Disney’s version. Just to ramp up the nonsense still further, the film takes pieces of the book’s sequel, “Alice Through the Looking Glass” and incorporates it into the narrative. In its initial release in 1951, “Alice” was an abysmal failure but built a following in the 1960’s when viewing certain kinds of films under the influence of certain substances came into vogue.
So, you know what you’re getting into.
Alice, who always reminded me of a somnambulant factory worker punch drunk from their fifth shift in two days from Tenniel’s illustrations, is much perkier and prettier as portrayed by Katheryn Beaumont. It helps a great deal that the genius of Mary Blair and her flair for color is used to smooth over some of Tenniel’s darker depictions of the characters. Indeed, all of the denizens of Wonderland became much more approachable, and the animated film has influenced future live action depictions.
Sadly, the Sherman Brothers did not compose any of the songs for “Alice,” but it did receive an Oscar nomination for Best Score. Musical highlights include the Chesire Cat (Sterling Holloway) humming verses from the poem, “Jabberwocky” and the song “Golden Afternoon” sung by some of the loveliest flowers ever animated. And then there is “A Very Merry Unbirthday to You” sung in the (in)famous Tea Party scene. You either love it or hate it but if you’re the parent of young children you are probably in the latter camp. It does have a way of working on your last nerve.
“Alice” is a reminder of Disney in its prime when taking chances on unconventional animation styles was still an option despite the risks to commercial success. It may not hang together well narratively but Alice’s adventures are memorable as innovative scenes of striking beauty if not downright oddball. You might find yourself reaching for the books to remember what it was like to first meet the Jabberwocky or paint a rose red before the Red Queen shows up.
#AliceInWonderland #AnimatedApril #Animation #BookAdaptation #ChildrenSCinema #Disney #KatherynBeaumont #MaryBlair #Musical #Retrospective #SterlingHolloway
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