A Major Disappointment

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

"Alice in Wonderland" is one of the more misguided projects I've ever seen. Apparently, Paramount studio was in trouble in the early 30s and those in charge were worried about bankruptcy. So, in a crazy bid to make a blockbuster, some idiot hit upon taking most of the stars at the studio and putting them into a glossy film where could couldn't even recognize them!!! That's like taking the greatest singers of their age and putting them into a silent movie!The story is a mishmash of "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass" and consists of a VERY old Alice (19) going on adventures with super-creepy characters--too creepy! It's not at all enjoyable and was a chore to watch from start to finish. Horrible and difficult to enjoy.

A friend of mine had a wife (now deceased) who was obsessed with taping large blocks of oldies from TCM. I've inherited those tapes and watch them while I add items online for my used bookshop. It was a nice surprise to find this again; I really think I was younger than 20 the last time I saw this (I'm 62 now) , and I'm not even sure I saw it all the way thru at the time. Thank God for the credits/intro of the characters; I'm sure someone at Paramount insisted on it after a preview; you'd never know who was who without it. I have no way of knowing if all these actors are 'hot' in '33. I watch a ton of oldies and a lot of the names just flew by without registering. Charlotte Henry was great; not knowing her film career, I wasn't able to tell her age at all, so it felt a little weird being a bit attracted to her; glad now to know she was all of 20 during filming ! The oddball way they stretched her to shrink her and scale her didn't do it for me; then they did it right once with a perfect 'small-ify' Also impressed (I laughed in wonderment) when she got herself skeddaddled down some stairs, around a corner and right out an open door ! I'm not sure 'Alice' should ever BE a movie; the events and people go by too fast and it all plays like a nightmare you have after a hot Latin meal... Some makeups seem more like a slathering of lemon meringue pie than a mask; the faces slide around in them with only the eyes changing. I stopped with my head in my upturned palms to stare hard only three times, W.C.Fields, Cary Grant and Gary Cooper. Fields to try and figure if it really was him I was seeing, Grant to try and figure out if it was really him I was hearing, and Cooper because his character was the best portrayal ! The only character to seem to care for Alice, he was funny, gentle, and oh, all those falls ! Louise Fazenda was sexually alluring as the White Queen, I wanted her to take the fake nose off so I could better enjoy her... I was a fun 77 minutes. I wonder what they cut from the original 90 ?

Alice in Wonderland (1933) ** (out of 4)This Paramount adaptation was considered a complete dud when it was first released even though it featured an all-star cast that includes W.C. Field, Gary Cooper and Cary Grant. The film features Charlotte Henry playing the young Alice who goes through the looking glass and finds herself in Wonderland where she encounters all sorts of strange creatures. You know, this is a film that's either going to work on you or its not. For me, the picture simply didn't work for a number of reasons. After watching this movie I looked around to see what others were saying. Many think this film bombed because the all-star cast are pretty much hidden in their costumes and a lot of times you can't make out who is playing what. Others will say the film works because the actors are never put in front of the characters and this here helps stay faithful to the story. Well, normally I'd agree that the story should remain higher up than actors but it's a tad bit different when a studio tries to sell a film on its star power. The star power here actually turns out to be pretty weak because you can't tell who is playing what unless you keep a copy of the cast of characters with you while you watch the picture or you happen to remember the three-minute opening credits where we see the character and the actor playing it. I will say that I thought Henry was pretty good in the role as Alice and managed to make you believe the character. I thought she had the perfect look for Alice and also brought that sense of wonder needed for the material. The special effects for the most part hold up extremely well when viewed today and there's no question that the sets and costumes are impressive. ALICE IN WONDERLAND is a mixed bag for me but the thing is certainly weird enough to where it works as a curio but nothing else.

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