Alice in Wonderland (1949 film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alice in Wonderland |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Directed by | Dallas Bower |
| Produced by | Lou Bunin J. Arthur Rank (uncredited) |
| Written by | Book Author: Lewis Carroll Screenwriter: Edward Eliscu Albert E. Lewin Henry Myers |
| Starring | Stephen Murray Carol Marsh Raymond Bussières |
| Music by | Sol Kaplan (The London Symphony Orchestra) Ernest Irving (Philharmonia Orchestra) |
| Cinematography | Gerald Gibbs Claude Renoir |
| Editing by | Inman Hunter |
| Studio | Lou Bunin Productions Punch Films (II) The Rank Organisation Union Générale Cinématographique (UGC) |
| Distributed by | L'Alliance Générale de Distribution Cinématographique |
| Release date(s) | 1949 |
| Running time | 83 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | English |
Alice in Wonderland (French: Alice au pays des merveilles) is a 1949 French movie. It is based on Lewis Carroll's famous 1865 fantasy book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Dallas Bower directed the film.
The movie stars Carol Marsh as Alice. Stephen Murray plays Lewis Carroll. Raymond Bussières is The Tailor. Many characters in Wonderland are stop-motion puppets. These puppets were made by Lou Bunin.
Other actors in the film appear in the real-world scenes. They also lend their voices to the Wonderland characters. The way the scenes are set up, with real-world parts versus Wonderland parts, is like The Wizard of Oz (1939). In both films, some real-world characters seem to have similar characters in the fantasy world. For example, Pamela Brown plays the Queen and voices the Queen of Hearts. Stephen Murray is Lewis Carroll and voices the Knave of Hearts. Felix Aylmer plays Dr. Liddell, Alice Liddell's father. He also voices the Cheshire Cat. Alice Liddell was the real girl who inspired the book.
Carol Marsh was 20 years old when she played Alice. In the book, Alice is only 7 years old.
Contents
The Story of Alice in Wonderland
Real-World Beginnings
The story starts in Victorian England. Charles Dodgson is a teacher at Christ Church, Oxford. He loves photography and spending time with Dr. Liddell's young daughters. Dr. Liddell is the Dean of Christ Church. The Vice Chancellor, a strict official, dislikes Dodgson. He is upset about Dodgson's new poem. The poem suggests removing Oxford's famous bell, Great Tom. The Vice Chancellor fears Dodgson will read it to the Queen. She is visiting Oxford soon.
The Vice Chancellor stops Alice Liddell and her sisters from seeing the Queen. He thinks they will cause trouble. Dodgson feels bad for Alice. He secretly gives her one of the Queen's tarts. When he meets the Queen, Dodgson is too shy to share his true thoughts about Great Tom.
Alice's Journey to Wonderland
Dodgson takes the Dean's daughters on a boat ride. He begins to tell them a story. It is about a girl named Alice. She sees a White Rabbit wearing a waistcoat and checking a pocket watch. Alice is curious and follows him down a big rabbit hole. She lands in a room with many doors. Alice finds a key and opens a tiny door. Through it, she sees the Rabbit.
Alice tries to get through the door. She uses magical items that appear in the room to change her size. She grows very tall and cries. Then she shrinks until she is small enough. But she finds herself floating in a sea of her own tears. Alice meets a mouse. She tells the mouse how happy she is about this amazing new world.
Strange Encounters and a Tea Party
Alice washes ashore and sees animals having a Caucus Race. They are trying to get dry. The animals blame Alice for the flood and chase her. Alice meets the Rabbit again. He mistakes her for his maid. He tells her to get a fan and gloves from his house. Alice drinks from a bottle in the Rabbit's house. She grows so big that she gets stuck.
The Rabbit orders his gardener, Bill the Lizard, to climb down the chimney. This does not work. The Rabbit throws a pebble, which turns into a cake. The cake makes Alice shrink. She escapes the house, and it falls apart. The Rabbit and his gardeners join the other animals chasing Alice. The card army of the King and Queen of Hearts arrive. They announce that the Queen's tarts have been stolen. The Rabbit blames Alice for the theft, and everyone agrees.
Alice wanders in the woods. She meets a giant puppy with a bell. She also sees a Caterpillar. Then, she sees fish footmen. They are carrying an invitation from the Queen to the Duchess for a game of croquet.
The Stolen Tarts and a Mad Trial
The Knave of Hearts sneaks through the woods. He is carrying the Queen's tarts, which he stole. The Rabbit finds him. The Knave begs him not to tell the Queen. The Rabbit pretends he saw nothing, but takes a tart for himself. Alice enters the Duchess's house. She gives the Duchess the Queen's invitation. The Duchess's cook uses too much pepper in her soup. Everyone sneezes, and the house explodes.
The Duchess's baby flies through the air. Alice catches it. It starts grunting and turns into a pig. Alice leaves it to wander away. The Cheshire Cat appears. He tells Alice to go to the Hatter, March Hare, and the Dormouse. They are having a tea party. The Hatter jumps on the table. He sings a song he sang for the Queen. She disliked it, saying he was "murdering the time."
Alice sees the animals coming and runs away. She ends up back in the room of doors. She enters one and finds herself at the bottom of the sea. There, she watches a Lobster Quadrille.
The Queen's Court and Alice's Return
The Rabbit sees three of the Queen's gardeners. They are painting white roses red. They made a mistake by planting the wrong colored rose tree. The gardeners beg the Rabbit not to tell the Queen. They say he was once in their shoes. The Rabbit proudly says he was smart enough to rise up.
The King and Queen of Hearts arrive at the croquet court. The Rabbit tells the Queen what the gardeners did. They are sent away to be beheaded. The Queen asks Alice to play croquet. She offers Alice a tart, but finds they are gone. The Rabbit accuses Alice of stealing them. The Queen wants to chop off Alice's head. But the King says she needs a trial.
The Queen orders the Gryphon to take Alice to prison. The Gryphon introduces her to the Mock Turtle. Alice is then called to her trial. The evidence presented is silly and makes no sense. Finally, Alice reads the charge herself. It says the Knave of Hearts stole the tarts. He admits it is true. But he says Alice is the Knave and he is Alice. The courtroom becomes chaotic. The Queen orders Alice's execution. Alice shouts that they are just a pack of cards. The whole deck flies up and attacks her.
Alice wakes up in the boat. Charles Dodgson is finishing his story. Alice insists that everything that happened was real. She looks over and sees the White Rabbit standing on the bank. This seems to confirm her belief. Alice happily follows Dodgson and her sisters home.
Main Cast Members
- Stephen Murray as Lewis Carroll/The Knave of Hearts (voice)
- Ernest Milton as The Vice Chancellor/The White Rabbit (voice)
- Pamela Brown as The Queen of Hearts (voice)
- Felix Aylmer as Dr. Liddell/The Cheshire Cat (voice)
- David Reed as The Prince Consort/The King of Hearts (voice)
- Carol Marsh as Alice
- Joyce Grenfell as Ugly Duchess/Dormouse
- Jack Train as Puppet Character (voice)
- Peter Bull as Puppet Character (voice)
- Ivan Staff as Puppet Character (voice)
- Claude Hulbert as Puppet Character (voice)
- Raymond Bussières as The Tailor/The Mad Hatter (voice)
See also
In Spanish: Alicia en el país de las maravillas (película de 1949) para niños
