The WEIRDEST One Of All
Riding high on the success of Cinderella, Walt Disney Productions was once again, the toast of Hollywood. And it also allowed him to reassume work on projects that had been shelved, such a project was Alice in Wonderland. Based on the Lewis Carroll novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Walt loved the book as a kid and it was even the inpiration for the Alice Comedies he made in the 20s with Roy. 57 short films about a live-action girl in an animated world, which turned out to be one step in a long walk of groundbreaking work in combining animation with live-action cinema.
The initial idea for this one actually came in 1933, when he began brainstorming about what movie to make his full length debut. But in December of that year, Paramount made their own, live - action version starring, among others, Cary Grant and Gary Cooper. So Walt scrapped his own plans for the time being and focused on Snow White instead. And after that success, Walt revisited the idea of Alice in Wonderland in 38 by buy the film rights to the novel artwork by Sir John Tenniel. And he registered the title Alice in Wonderland with the MPAA with plans to release the film in the early 40s. But then Walt saw an early story reel featuring Tenniel’s complicated and intricate drawings and thought the project would be demanding and costly, so the project was shelved again.
Once WW2 finished, and Disney’s revival was on the horizon, Walt resurrected Alice in Wonderland with initial plans to combine live action and animation again, like he did with the Alice Comedies in the 20s. He commissioned now Disney Legend Mary Blair to create concept artwork that adapted Sir Tenniel’s illustrations into something more consistant with Disney’s cartoon style. Seeing Blair’s use of bold and striking colours, Walt told his writers to focus more on the comical elements of the book, as opposed to Carroll’s original narrative and Sir Tenniel’s illustrations, both of which are very darkand twisty. After the era of financially disappointing package films, Walt set his sights on revitalizing the animation department. So he abandoned his idea to combine live - action and animation and just went with animation.
Because Alice was being made at the same time as Cinderella, but Cinderella had progressed further by 1948, Alice was pushed back for another year. And the Nine Old Men expanded on the artwork of Mary Balir and less on Sir Tenniel’s illustrations. And to assist with the animation process, Kathryn Beaumont, the girl who was cast as Alice’s voice, also provided live - action reference on a soundstage.
Departing from tradition, Walt commissioned outside songwriters to provide songs for the soundtrack and over 30 potential tracks were written by Mack David, Al Hoffman and Jery Livingston, after they’d completed work on Cinderella. Not every track made it in to the film but some ended up used in brief moments; they are responsible for the Unbirthday Song, though. Technically, in fact, Alice has the highest number of songs in any Disney film, believe that or not. Broadway composers Sammy Fain and Bob Hilliard wrote the majority of the soundtrack.
THE PLOT
Alice is in a history class with her sister when she becomes bored and expresses a want for her own world, which leads her to a riverbank, where she sees a white rabbit in a waistcoat and a watch. Who is apparently late for some sort of function. And from that point forward, the film delves into a world never yet seen in a Disney film; one that is much like any other Disney world and yet… completely unlike any other. One where we see caterpillars smoking hookahs and puffing letters, and talking doorknobs, and dodos using other birds as boats and rudders. And that’s the first half.
******************
So, during the adaptation process, the writers were struck with one ever present problem: Alice In Wonderland has no plot. In the book, Alice wanders aimlessly and without purpose from scene to scene. Making the narrative starkly different to the linear storylines Disney was known for. While the final film ends up with the same problem, the writers expanded on the novel by changing story elements and putting appearances of characters from both Alice in Wonderland and it’s sequel, Through the Looking Glass…. almost leads me to wonder what the Jabberwocky would have looked like in an animated film.
This is also the first Disney movie to be promoted on TV. In 1950, Walt commissioned a program called One Hour in Wonderland, which aired on NBC at Christmas; featuring Walt, Kathryn Beaumont, Bobby Driscoll and Edgar Bergen. Dressed as Alice, Kathryn introduced a segment with a finished piece of the movie. Walt also produced Operation: Wonderland, a ten - minute featurette on the making of the movie, which was screened on TV stations ahead of the movie's premiere in London on 26/7/51. Ahead of a worldwide release in the U.S. on 14/9/51. The critics had mixed reactions. Variety thought the fim lacked any rreal heart or warmth. The Chicago Tribune said it was utterly lacking in enchantment. The people were equally undecided and the box office was $2.4 million in U.S. domestic rentals. But the movie cost more than $3 million, so it was written off as a $1 million loss, which is curious since everyone loves it now. Theories abound as to why the audience didn’t connect. The novel and its illustrations were cherished and many felt like Disney had bastardised them both. Some say the whimsical spin Disney put on the original story was at odds with the tone and style of the book. I honestly don’t know what to think, having never read the book.
MY VERDICT
I never used to know what to think of this one as a kid. It’s only within the last 10 years or so that I watch it again and I realise it’s better, albeit in a very surreal way, than I originally gave it credit for. The animation is brilliant, at least three songs are very good and the story, though extremely odd, is still somewhat consistent and easy to follow.
Is Alice in Wonderland a Disney Classic? It’s one of Disney’s first commercial and critical flops and I’d be lying if I said I couldn’t see why. There’s no lesson, the plot is a kaleidoscopic dream, and there are few standout songs. A great - looking artistic effort, but not quite a Disney Classic.
No comments:
Post a Comment