Alice in Wonderland (1933)

Simply Perfect

Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Alice in Wonderland (1933): Dir: Norman Z. McLeod / Cast: Charlotte Henry, Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, W.C. Fields, Edward Everett Horton: Early version of the famed tale of imagination, rabbits, Mad Hatters, evil Queens, caterpillars, and the reality that home isn't as far as one thinks. Directed by Norman Z. McLeod with an imaginative production that matched the time period. Charlotte Henry plays off the wonderment of Alice who goes through the looking glass to the enchanted world on the other side. She encounters brief but intriguing characters including Gary Cooper as the clumsy white knight who is totally accident prone. Cary Grant as the saddened mock turtle is another brief appearance as well as W.C. Fields as Humpty Dumpty who will obviously tumble off the wall and won't be put back together anytime soon. Edward Everett Horton plays an early version of the famous Mad Hatter character. This is a massive cast of impressive names, all of whom will become noted for greater film appearances but are together here in small roles. Production and special effects were imaginative for the time of released although may be seen as corny to modern audiences. Many more adapted variations will follow, many of which improve on visual technology while maintaining the story. This version is hokey but entertaining in its regard to reality and fantasy. Score: 9 / 10

This is my favorite film version of the story that made me a tea-drinker in childhood.Charlotte Henry is the perfect Alice. She really looks the part and is believable as a much younger girl. William Cameron Menzies' art direction is superb. The sets are wonderful. The special effects are amazing for 1933 and still hold up. The music is engaging. This was the second film scored by Dimitri Tiomkin who would go on to win many Oscars, Golden Globes, and Grammys. More than a few people seem to think that the decision to costume most of the actors in masks that obscure their identities was a bad one. I disagree. Menzies wanted the characters to look the way they do in the original versions of Lewis Carroll's books and they really do. In particular, the frog and fish footmen, mock turtle and gryphon look EXACTLY like Sir John Tenniel's illustrations. I can't recall ever seeing another (non-animated) movie based on a children's book where the characters looked so much like the way they do in the book. I think many modern-day viewers are just annoyed at not getting to see a recognizable, young Cary Grant or W.C. Fields. Purists may not like that screenwriter Joseph L. Mankiewicz combined Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass (didn't Disney do that too?), simplified some of the dialogue, changed the order of some scenes, and omitted others. There's no caucus-race, visit to the rabbit's house, recitation of Father William, story from the Dormouse, Lobster Quadrille or trial. The dodo recites the "dry" history speech that's spoken by the mouse in the book. The Walrus and the Carpenter is very cleverly rendered as a cartoon by Harman-Ising (not Fleischer) studios. Despite the changes, the film does remain faithful to the spirit of the books. If you like the books and can deal with the altered chronology you should like the movie too.Another reviewer here made an interesting point that modern audiences, who grew up watching only the Disney version of "AIW", might not like this because they expect "AIW" to be cute and colorful. I'm pretty sure I saw the re-release of the Disney version as a child but I also loved the books and always thought of Tenniel's depiction of Alice as the true Alice. The fact is, Lewis Carroll didn't do cute. About half the characters Alice encounters are at least somewhat antagonistic towards her. The last scene of the film set in Wonderland is a complete departure from the books. It goes pretty dark for a kid's film. When this aired on TCM recently, as part of a spotlight on Menzies, film historian James Curtis pointed out the similarity between this scene and another from the 1945 horror film "Dead of Night." I've heard this movie described as a flop which is very unfair. It was only released for one week around Christmas 1933. We'll never know if it would've found a wider audience if given more of a chance.

I remember this movie fondly watching it as a young girl in the 60's and will never forget it...I'm obsessed with viewing this film again...I searched video stores in the Twin cities...searched the internet... talked to anyone who would listen...and finally, sadly, found out that Paramount and another corporation are fighting over the rights to the movie (read that on the internet)... Please resolve your differences so we can all enjoy the classic again..It was aired on TMC to honor W.C. Fields I was told by co-worker...which I didn't see my heart just sank at the thought I missed it...All the baby boomers would love to see it on DVD...HELP

I was lucky enough to watch this movie on television a couple of times. The first time was as a child in the early 60's. I was totally fascinated. I think it introduced me to the pleasures of black and white film. The second time I saw it was about 20 years later. I was traveling and had just checked into a wonderful old hotel. I turned on the vintage television to entertain myself as I unpacked. To my amazement there it was. The original Alice in Wonderland! What a marvelous afternoon treat to watch this classic in such a perfect setting.I am so enchanted with this film and so frustrated that such a classic seems to have disappeared entirely. Though I'm sure the animated versions are good, this version is fantastic. For as old as the film is the surreal settings were incredible! I can't imagine this gem is locked away, collecting dust. Its just a shame. It would become a cult classic like Wizard of Oz.