Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN
WONDERLANDÂ (PG)
D: William Sterling
20th Century Fox (Derek Horne)
UK 🇬🇧 1972
101 mins
Fantasy
W: William Sterling [based on the novel by Lewis
Carroll]
DP: Geoffrey Unsworth
Ed: Peter Weatherley
Mus: John Barry
PD: Michael Stringer
Cos: Anthony Mendleson
Fiona Fullerton (Alice), Michael Crawford (White
Rabbit), Robert Helpmann (Mad Hatter), Dudley Moore (Dormouse), Spike Milligan (Gryphon), Peter Sellers (March Hare), Dennis Price (King of Hearts), Flora Robson (Queen of Hearts),
Michael Hordern (Mock Turtle), Ralph Richardson (Caterpillar)Â
Story-wise, this is as faithful an adaptation of
Lewis Carroll's original novel as you're likely get, but the execution is that of a filmed pantomime rather than a live action feature which makes it rather tedious towards the end
and the ensemble cast aren't really fitting for their roles (especially an Alice who is far too old and some of the cameo performances which are far too camp).
Despite obvious faults, it has some decent
production values for its age, especially production design, costumes and some of the makeup effects.
It's quite unfortunate that this version will
disappear under the radar given the popularity of the animated and Tim Burton versions. This is well worth a watch and is definitely one version which the family could sit round and
enjoy over Christmastime.
6/10
Did
You Know:
Julie Dawn Cole, who played Veruca Salt in Willy Wonka
& the Chocolate Factory (1971), was first runner-up for the title role of Alice.Â
Award Wins & Nominations:
MILSTEAD MOVIE AWARDS:
Wins: 1 (Best Makeup)
Nominations: 3 (Best Costume Design; Best Original Musical or Comedy Score; Best Special Visual Effects)
OSCARS:
Wins: none
Nominations: none
BAFTAS
Wins: 2 (Best Cinematography; Best Costume Design)
Nominations: none
OTHER WINS:
none