Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland

Fans of Lewis Carroll's classic novel for children will be fascinated by this startling 1966 interpretation by Jonathan Miller, a noted British theater director. Influenced by surrealism and Victorian architecture, Miller's black-and-white version of Wonderland is a dour and creepy place, not the frenetic and charming bustle usually depicted. A brunette Alice (Anne-Marie Mallik) wanders like a sleepwalker, rarely looking anyone in the eye, and has fractured conversations with the likes of the Mad Hatter (Peter Cook, Bedazzled), the Caterpillar (Sir Michael Redgrave, The Lady Vanishes), the Duchess (Leo McKern, Rumpole of the Bailey), and the Mock Turtle (Sir John Gielgud, Brideshead Revisited, Arthur). The result is probably an accurate picture of the adult world seen through a child's eyes--an unsettling and intriguing vision. Also featuring Peter Sellers as the King of Hearts and music by Ravi Shankar. --Bret Fetzer

Director(s): Clyde Geronimi
Production: Film Chest
  Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 nomination.
 
IMDB:
7.4
Rotten Tomatoes:
79%
Unrated
Year:
1951
187
6,207 Views

[ALICE in WONDERLAND In adaptation of LEWIS CARROL'S The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass COLOR BY TECHNICOLOR]

Chorus:
Alice in Wonderland

Male Chorus:
How do you get to Wonderland?

Female Chorus:
Over the hill or Underland

or just behind the tree

When clouds go rolling by

Male Chorus:
They roll away and leave the sky

Female Chorus:
Where is the land beyond the eye

That people cannot see?

Where can it be?

Male Chorus:
Where do stars go

Where is the crescent moon?

Female Chorus:
They must be somewhere in the sunny afternoon

Chorus:
Alice in Wonderland

Female Chorus:
Where is the path to Wonderland?

Chorus:
Over the hill or here or there?

I wonder where...

[The Song's main title theme]

[First Lines]

Alice's sister:
[reading from a history book] "... leaders, and had been of late much accustomed to usurpation and conquest. Edwin and Morcar, the Earls of Mercia and Northumbria, declared for him: and even Stigand..." Alice? [camera zooms out to show Alice sitting in a tree, playing with Dinah and making a chain of daisies]

Alice:
Hmm? Oh, I'm listening.

Alice's sister:
"And even Stigand, the archbishop of Canterbury, agreed to meet with William and offer him the crown. William's conduct at first was moderate." [Alice laughs as her daisy crown falls on her sister's face]

Alice's Sister:
Alice? Will you kindly pay attention to your history lesson?

Alice:
I'm sorry, but how can one possibly pay attention to a book with no pictures in it?

Alice's Sister:
My dear child, there are a great many good books in this world without pictures.

Alice:
In this world, perhaps, but in my world, the books would be nothing but pictures.

Alice's Sister:
Your world? Huh! What nonsense.

Alice:
[getting inspiration] Nonsense?

Alice's Sister:
Once more, from the beginning.

Alice:
[to her cat] That's it, Dinah. If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrariwise, what it is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be it would. You see? [Dinah meows to her, shaking her head] In my world, you wouldn't say "meow". You'd say, "Yes, Miss Alice". [Dinah meows] Oh, but you would. You'd be just like people, Dinah. And all the other animals too. Why, in my world... Cats and rabbits / would reside in fancy little houses, / and be dressed in shoes and hats and trousers. / In a world of my own... / All the flowers / would have very extra special powers. / They would sit and talk to me for hours / when I'm lonely in a world of my own. / There'd be new birds, / lots of nice and friendly how-de-do birds. / Everyone would have a dozen bluebirds / within that world of my own. / I could listen to a babbling brook and hear a song that I could understand. / I keep wishing it could be that way / because my world would be a Wonderland.

Cheshire Cat: [singing] 'Twas brilig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe All mimsy were the borogroves, And the mome raths outgrabe.

Alice:
Now where in the world do you suppose that...?

Cheshire Cat:
Lose something?

Alice:
[turns around to find just the Cat's smile talking to her] Oh! Uh, hehe, I...I, no, no, I mean, I, I was just wondering...

Cheshire Cat: Oh, that's...quite all right. One moment please. [two eyes drop down on top of the mouth and the full cat form appears] Second chorus. [singing] 'Twas brilig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe.

Alice:
Why, why you're a cat!

Cheshire Cat:
A Cheshire Cat. [starts to disappear] All mimsy were the borogroves...

Alice:
Oh, wait! Don't go, please!

Cheshire Cat:
[reappears] There you are! Third chorus...

Alice:
Oh, no, no. Thank you, but I just wanted to ask which way I ought to go.

Cheshire Cat:
Well that depends on where you ought to get to.

Alice:
Oh, it really doesn't matter, as long as I...

Cheshire Cat:
Then it really doesn't matter which way you go. Oh by the way, if you'd really like to know, he went that way.

Alice:
Who did?

Cheshire Cat:
The White Rabbit.

Alice:
He did?

Chesire Cat:
He did what?

Alice:
He went that way.

Chesire Cat:
Who did?

Alice:
The white rabbit!

Chesire Cat:
What rabbit?

Alice:
But didn't you just say-? I mean- Oh dear!

Chesire Cat:
Can you stand on your head? If I were looking for a white rabbit, I'd ask the Mad Hatter.

Alice:
The Mad Hatter? Oh, no no no...

Cheshire Cat:
Or, there's the March Hare, in that direction.

Alice:
Oh, thank you. I think i shall visit him...

Cheshire Cat:
Of course, he's mad, too.

Alice:
But I don't want to go among mad people!

Cheshire Cat:
Oh, you can't help that. Most everyone's mad here. [laughs maniacally and begins to disappear] You may have noticed that I'm not all there myself.

Mad Hatter:
What's the matter, my dear? Don't you care for tea?

Alice:
Why, yes. I'm very fond of tea, but-

March Hare:
If you don't care for tea, you could at least make polite conversation!

Alice:
[frustrated] Well, I've been trying to ask you-

March Hare:
I have an excellent idea. Let's change the subject.

Mad Hatter:
Why is a raven like a writing desk?

Alice:
Riddles? [to herself] Let me see. Why is a raven like a writing desk?

Mad Hatter:
I beg your pardon?

Alice:
Why is a raven like a writing desk?

Mad Hatter:
[shocked] WHY IS A WHAT?!

March Hare:
[nervously] Careful! SHE'S STARK RAVING MAD!

Alice:
But it's your silly riddle. You just said...

Mad Hatter:
[nervously] Easy! Don't get excited!

March Hare:
[trying to make peace with Alice] How about a nice cup of tea?

Alice:
[angrily] "Have a cup of tea" indeed! Well, I'M sorry, but I just HAVEN'T the time!

March Hare:
THE TIME! THE TIME! WHO'S GOT THE TIME?

White Rabbit:
N-n-n-no time, no time, no time! Hello, good bye, I'm late, I'm late.

Alice:
The rabbit!

White Rabbit:
I'm so late! I'm so very late.

Mad Hatter:
[snatching the White Rabbit's Watch] Well, no wonder you're late! Why this clock is EXACTLY two days slow!

Rabbit:
Two days slow?

Mad Hatter:
Of course you're late! [chuckles as he dunks the watch in the tea] MY GOODNESS! We'll have to look into this. [places a salt shaker over his eye and uses it as a jeweler's eyepiece ] AHA! I see what's wrong with it! [starts to pry parts out of the watch with a fork ] Why, this watch is full of wheels!

Rabbit:
[shocked] OH, MY POOR WATCH!! OH, MY WHEELS! AND SPRINGS! But-but-but-but-but-but-

Mad Hatter:
BUTTER! Of course! It NEEDS some butter. BUTTER!!!

March Hare:
[shouts into Rabbit's ear] BUTTER!!!

Rabbit:
[confused] B-b-butter?

Mad Hatter:
Butter! Oh, thank you! Ha ha! Yes! That's FINE! Yes, thank you!

Rabbit:
Oh, no, no! No, no! No! You'll get crumbs in it!

Mad Hatter:
Oh, THIS is the VERY BEST butter! [throws butter in rabbit's face] What are you talking about?

March Hare:
Tea?

Mad Hatter:
Oh, tea! I never THOUGHT of tea before! OF COURSE!

Rabbit:
NO!

Mad Hatter:
TEA! HEHEHE!

Rabbit:
[shocked] NO! NOT TEA!

March Hare:
Sugar?

Mad Hatter:
SUGAR! TWO SPOONS! Yes, ha, TWO SPOONS thank you, Yes! (jams the spoons straight into the watch)

Rabbit:
[shocked] OH, PLEASE! BE CAREFUL!

March Hare:
JAM?

Mad Hatter:
JAM! I FORGOT ALL ABOUT JAM!

Rabbit:
NO! NO! NOT JAM!

Mad Hatter:
Yes, sure you want. It's nice to see.

March Hare:
MUSTARD??

Mad Hatter:
Mustard! yes...huh? MUSTARD?! DON'T LET'S BE SILLY!!! LEMON, that's different, that's... yes. THAT should work! Hahaha! [watch starts going crazy] LOOK AT THAT!

March Hare:
IT'S GOING MAD!

Alice:
OH, MY GOODNESS!

Rabbit:
OH, DEAR!

Mad Hatter:
I DON'T UNDERSTAND! IT'S THE BEST BUTTER!

March Hare:
IT'S GOING MAD! MAD WATCH! MAD WATCH! MAD WATCH!!!

Mad Hatter:
OH, MY GOODNESS! OH, DEAR, LOOK AT THAT!

March Hare:
THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY TO STOP A MAD WATCH! [smashes watch with a mallet; scene changes from color to black and white, then color again]

Mad Hatter:
Two days slow. That's what it is.

Alice:
Oh, dear. Now, I--now, I shall never get out. Well, when one's lost, I suppose it's good advice to stay where you are, until someone finds you. B-But who'd ever think to look for me here? [sigh] Good advice. If I listened earlier, I wouldn't be here. But that's just the trouble with me. I give myself very good advice. [sings] But I very seldom follow it. That explains the trouble that I'm always in. Be patient, is very good advice, but the waiting makes me curious. And I'd love the change. Should something strange begin? [begins to cry] Well... I went along my merry way, and I never stopped to reason. I should've known there'd be a price to pay, someday... Someday... I give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it! [cries harder] Will I ever learn to do the things I should? [continues crying]

Chorus:
Will I ever learn / learn to do the things I should?

Cheshire Cat:
[singing in disappear] Hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm / And the mome raths outgrabe

Alice:
Oh, Cheshire Cat, it's you!

Cheshire Cat:
Whom did you expect? The white rabbit, perchance?

Alice:
Oh, no, no, no. I-I'm through with rabbits. I want to go home! [blows nose] But I can't find my way.

Cheshire Cat:
Naturally. That's because you have no way. All ways here you see, are the QUEEN'S WAYS!

Alice:
But I've never met any queen.

Cheshire Cat:
You haven't? You ha-VEN'T? Oh, but you must! She'll be mad about you, simply mad! [chuckles, then rolls over and almost disappears] The mome raths outgrabe...

Alice:
Please, please! H-How can I find her?

Cheshire Cat:
Well, some go this way, and some go that way. But as for me, myself, personally, I prefer the short-cut.


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