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.

When i was a kid and would watch this i always thought it was weird and disturbing. when i was really little i remember being sort of afraid of it. now i think it's a hoot.I've always liked black and white films and feel they achieve stark images with lots of contrast. it's even weirder when the film is a fantasy and features a variety of effects and gimmicks, then it really brings out the dream-like qualities of the black and white.I've never thought this film was as fun or delightful as 'The Wizard of Oz' movie, but i've changed my opinion of it and have found a new respect for the film. it isn't as sweet as 'Oz', but it's a lot weirder and freaky. even though i have always really liked Charlotte Henry(little Bo Peep from 'Wooden Soldiers') her performance doesn't have the touching depth of Judy Garland's Dorothy.the only thing here that i found i was still afraid of was W.C. Field's Humpty Dumpty. i just can't get used to it. it's just plain horrifying.the decades of time have softened the shadows and edges of this movie and taken away a lot of it's nightmarish effect. instead of nightmarish, it now seems quaint and kooky.

This film seems very obscure given its production values and amazing cast - I only came across it while scanning Cary Grant's filmography. It seems mostly lost to time.The film edits together both Alice books into a single narrative (such as it is; the plot remains very episodic). The special effects are still impressive. It made me wonder what the reaction of the public was to this film in 1933 - seems like it would be a major spectacle like the "Star Wars" and "Lord of the Rings" is to present generations.Part of the fun is seeing major stars together in the same movie (Cary Grant, Gary Cooper, W.C. Fields) and being exposed to many other actors who may have been stars in their day and have disappeared from modern memory.

Whilst it's undoubtedly true to say that few (if any) members of the cast were ever again to play such weirdly offbeat roles, the performances generally rate as both captivating and fascinating. Adults will be enthralled. The film may, however, be regarded as too grotesque for children.Mary Boland, Bing Crosby and Charles Laughton were originally scheduled for the cast, while Jack Oakie was slated to play both Tweeledum and Tweedledee. Charlotte Henry was chosen to play Alice from over seven thousand applicants.Although the official writing credit is divided between Menzies and Mankiewicz, what Menzies actually did was to illustrate the script which Mankiewicz combined from the two Carroll novels. When I interviewed Mankiewicz, he was justifiably proud of the fact that he used Carroll's original dialogue and followed the original characters and incidents without the slightest deviation, except for the omission of the Lion and the Unicorn, the Live Flowers and the episode on the train in Chapter Three of "Looking Glass". (We were speaking, of course, about the original 90 minutes version, not the ruthlessly truncated parody that formerly plagued television airings).A striking film in every respect, this version also anticipates Disney with its excellent cartoon sequence, "The Walrus and the Carpenter".