Miss Cellania
The Late Movies: Alice in Wonderland
by Miss Cellania - March 19, 2010 - 10:00 PM
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Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was written by Lewis Carroll in 1865. The fanciful story was tailor-made for film adaptation, although Carroll had no way of knowing that in the 19th century! Here are ten film versions at which you can take a peek.

1903


The first movie version of Alice in Wonderland was filmed in 1903, only 37 years after Lewis Carroll wrote the story. Directed by Cecil Hepworth and Percy Stow, the film was twelve minutes long, but only eight minutes survive.

1931


The first film version with sound was made in 1931. It was not financially successful.

1933


Paramount Pictures staged a big budget version in 1933, featuring appearances by W.C. Fields, Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, and other stars of the day. The story covered both Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel, Through the Looking Glass. The entire movie is available at YouTube in ten parts.

1951


Disney’s animated version from 1951 is the movie that introduced more people to Alice than any other. Available in eight parts at YouTube.

1966


Jonathon Miller directed Alice in Wonderland for the “Wednesday Play” series on the BBC in 1966.

1983


This 1983 version was an episode of the TV show Great Performances. It starred Richard Burton, James Coco, Nathan Lane, and Eve Arden. Here you see Geoffrey Holder as the Cheshire Cat.

1985


In 1985, a two-part made-for-TV movie featured familiar names like Red Buttons, Sherman Hemsley, Donald O’Connor, Shelley Winters, Sammy Davis Jr., and Scott Baio. The second part follows the story of Through The Looking Glass. This movie can be seen at YouTube in ten parts.

1999


Hallmark presented a made-for-TV version in 1999 starring Miranda Richardson, Martin Short, and Whoopi Goldberg among others. This movie is on YouTube in 14 parts.

2009


The SyFy channel presented the story as a modern miniseries called Alice in 2009. Watch for appearances by Kathy Bates, Tim Curry, and Matt Frewer.

2010


Tim Burton’s vision of Alice is in theaters now.

Bonus: Betty In Blunderland


Bettty Boop visited “Blunderland” in this 1934 parody of Alice in Wonderland.

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Comments (25)

  1. These are great! I memorized “The Walrus and the Carpenter” for my 7th grade english class. I recited all of the stanzas flawlessly. :-) We also studied Jabberwocky, and wrote our own versions.

    For the Anime Fans out there, the show Ouran High Host Club does a whole episode dedicated to Alice in Wonderland. It’s a great episode! You can find the series on YouTube, put out by Funimation…the dubbing isn’t terrible either! (and I’ve watched it subbed and dubbed)

    posted by Meg on 3-19-2010 at 11:36 pm

  2. There’s also this one from 1988, by Jan Svankmajer. I haven’t seen it. I’m scared after watching his Little Otik.

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095715/

    posted by BadBandPhotos on 3-19-2010 at 11:49 pm

  3. Nice list. There’s one more though. Syfy’s ‘Alice’ is recent and a very good adaption.

    posted by JessyG on 3-20-2010 at 12:04 am

  4. Great list! I’ll have to check it out. I also EXTREMELY recommend the Alice movie that came out in two parts on Syfy. Great adaptation.

    posted by Jessy on 3-20-2010 at 12:08 am

  5. what about the TV series? It was in the ’90…

    posted by Jennmarie on 3-20-2010 at 12:13 am

  6. Aw. You should have included the SyFy (or however it is spelled now) two part Alice with the awesome British guy.

    posted by kishiki on 3-20-2010 at 12:56 am

  7. I saw the Svankmajer version years ago – there’s a bunch of scary stop-motion, and the White Rabbit is a googly-eyed taxidermy that comes back to life. If you wish to sleep tonight, avoid it. o_O!

    posted by VoldemortWWearsPrada on 3-20-2010 at 4:26 am

  8. Ask and you shall receive! I added the SyFy version.

    posted by Miss Cellania on 3-20-2010 at 7:59 am

  9. Did anyone else catch that the 1999 Alice is Deb from Napoleon Dynamite?

    posted by KerriD on 3-20-2010 at 8:49 am

  10. JenMarie- You mean from Disney? That’s first one I thought of.

    posted by Sara in Al on 3-20-2010 at 9:44 am

  11. I’ve been somewhat putoff from watching the new one, even though it has Johnny D in, and some other great actors. I’ve read some terrible reviews on it. Has anybody seen it with a great review?

    posted by Dave on 3-20-2010 at 10:44 am

  12. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133356/

    Alice at the Palace, Alice played by Meryl Streep.

    posted by nehalemn on 3-20-2010 at 11:50 am

  13. JenMarie and Sara in Al – I’m glad I’m not the only one looking for that one! I very distinctly remember that – it taught me what quiche was and, more importantly, that you use an apostrophe to replace the missing letter when you join two words together (so “you are” becomes “you’re” or “do not” becomes “don’t”). That’s a trick I still use when I’m trying to correct grammar for people.

    posted by Kate H on 3-20-2010 at 1:29 pm

  14. I’m with everyone else who mentioned the Disney live action Alice in Wonderland series. I grew up on it and it’s probably still my favorite version. I had begun to think I had dreamed it up because I haven’t been able to find anyone else who remembers it!

    posted by Mel on 3-20-2010 at 6:51 pm

  15. I remember the 90′s live-action version. “Adventures in Wonderland” I think it was? I loved that show almost as much as I loved Sailor Moon. Later in life I tried to talk to my friends about it but no one had a clue what I was going on about. hahaha Looks like I DIDN’T make it up! The joke’s on them!!

    posted by Gabbie on 3-21-2010 at 2:14 am

  16. I remember watching a live action version with what I believe was the Jabberwocky inside a house. I am not sure which of the above versions it was. If I had to guess, I would say that it was probably the two part made for tv movie. I do remember enjoying a lot as I am a big big fan of Alice in Wonderland.

    posted by Jason L on 3-21-2010 at 2:48 am

  17. Dave – I went and saw the new Alice in Wonderland and really enjoyed it. After checking out its score on Rotten Tomatoes, I was a little worried about it as well. I intentionally avoided reading the actual reviews; otherwise I knew I would be filtering the whole movie through the eyes of those reviewers.

    I have pretty much decided, if a film is in a genre I really enjoy (fantasy), negative reviews may not necessarily forecast my experience watching a movie. On the other hand, if reviews are not so great for a movie in a genre I am less fond of (romantic comedies), odds are I will not enjoy it.

    posted by Chris on 3-22-2010 at 10:16 am

  18. Wasn’t there an ABC TV animated version that starred Sammy Davis Junior as the Chesire Cat singing “What’s a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This?”

    posted by Zane on 3-22-2010 at 12:15 pm

  19. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0275070/

    1966 Hanna Barbara Production….

    posted by Zane on 3-22-2010 at 12:18 pm

  20. YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyFSHggHZME

    posted by Miss Cellania on 3-22-2010 at 12:53 pm

  21. OMG KerriD, it IS Deb!

    posted by Katie Rose on 3-22-2010 at 3:00 pm

  22. This is excellent! Thank you!

    This also reminds me of a the Mock Turtle’s words:

    “What is the use of repeating all that stuff, if you don’t explain it as you go on? It’s by far the most confusing thing I ever heard!”

    posted by onlywords2playw on 3-22-2010 at 3:09 pm

  23. How about the infamous X-Rated Fantasy Musical Adventures of Alice in Wonderland? For a porn movie, it’s pretty darn hilarious. :D

    posted by Jina on 3-22-2010 at 3:54 pm

  24. My absolute favourite is the ’85 made-for-tv version. My parents recorded it when it was initially on to keep me occupied while they were tending to my brothers, who had been born a week or two earlier. The tape finally gave up the ghost when I was in high school. :( Luckily, they released it on DVD a few years back, so now I am working on wearing that out. Unfortunately, my husband just doesn’t see the genius of Sammy Davis Jr. as the Caterpillar so I don’t watch it as often as I used to.

    posted by Katie on 3-23-2010 at 6:33 pm

  25. Cheshire cat at 1983 is great)))) look at his teeth)))

    posted by Dennis on 4-11-2010 at 9:15 am

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