Synopsis

Alice visits Disney's cartoon studio where the cartoons jump off the page. Later on, she sleeps and dreams that she has gone to Cartoonland where she is able to interact with the cartoon characters.

Characters

Alice and Julius

Credits

Director : Walt Disney

Camera

Ub Iwerks

Rudolph Ising

Technical Direction

Hugh Harman

Carmen Maxwell

Live Actors

Virginia Davis (Alice)

Margaret Davis (Alice's mother ... Virginia Davis' mother in real life)

Walt Disney (animator)

Ub Iwerks (animator)

Hugh Harman (animator)

Rudolph Ising (animator)

Milestones

The first "Alice" short.

DVD

Alice in Wonderland

Disney Treasures : Disney Rarities: Celebrated Shorts, 1920s - 1960s

Disney's Alice Comedies : Volume 1 (Non-Disney : Tom's Vintage Film)

Technical Specifications

Color Type : Black and White

Animation type : Combination live-action and standard animation

Sound mix : Silent

Aspect ration : 1.37 : 1

Negative format : 35mm

Print format : 35mm

Cinematographic process : Spherical

Original language : English

Never released theatrically; shown privately to distributors in 1923

Gallery

Click on the thumbnail for the full-sized picture

Comments

Also known as "Alice in Slumberland."

One of the cartoon scenes features a group of animated mice. Some interpreters have seen precursors of the character that was to become Mickey Mouse in this scene.

Some of the interaction between the live action and animation was so tricky that Alice's movements were at times composed of animated still photos, a process that was continued at times throughout the series.

Although the mix and interaction of live actors and animation was successful in this series, the concept didn't really meet its complete thematic or technical fulfillment until almost 70 year later with "Who Framed Roger Rabbit."

From Ryan : I remember seeing this cartoon on the Disney Channel as part of Vault Disney. It is an important milestone in Disney's career, but in my opinion it is kind of boring. I am not too interested in the silent era, but I was just interested in seeing the "Alice Comedies" on Vault Disney when I saw an advertisement for them. Disney was hosting a week-long special where Vault Disney would begin with an "Alice" short everyday starting October 16 (?) of 1998. You can still find them on Vault Disney, but they are only shown as time-fillers. It's odd that Disney shows them as late time-fillers, but not on the "Ink and Paint Club."

From Jerry Edwards : Alice, played by Virginia Davis, visits a cartoon studio, saying "I would like to watch you draw some funnies". Ubbe Iwerks, Rudolph Ising, Hugh Harman, and Carman Maxwell are created on the title page of the short. Walt Disney has her sit down in his chair and watch a cat and dog fight it out in a dog house. He then shows her an animated cat band and two cats dancing on a live action drawing table. With live animators working in the background, an animated mouse first pokes a live cat with a sword and then with his tail. While animators cheer them on, a cat and dog box - with the dog knocking out the cat. Later that night, after her Mom has tucked her in, Alice dreams of being welcomed to Cartoonland. After a parade in her honor, Alice does a dance as a cat band plays. A lion eats the bars of a zoo cage and four lions escape. They corner Alice, with one of them using a file to sharpen his teeth. The lions chase Alice into a hollow tree. After a fight, Alice chases them out of the tree. The lions then chase Alice into a cave and back out of the cave. A rabbit and Alice jump into a rabbit hole and the lions jump in after them. Alice and the lions pop up out of the ground. The lions then chase Alice to the edge of a cliff. Alice jumps and is shown falling. Note: The ending is missing in which Alice wakes up and realizes it has just been a bad dream.

From J. D. Weil : "Alice's Wonderland" was the first of the "Alice" comedies and the last of the Laugh-Gram Studios productions. Never theatrically released under it original title, it may have been released under its alternative title "Alice In Slumberland" on Sept. 29, 1926 according to my reference book.