Alice in Wonderland: Classic Film Collection (2010)

Rabbit Hole

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Buy Alice in Wonderland: Classic Film Collection on DVD

This new DVD from Infinity Entertainment collects four different versions of "Alice in Wonderland," though only two of them are strictly inspired by the Lewis Carroll book. The first one is an unremarkable silent version from 1915, adapted and directed by W.W. Young, which uses full-sized humans in costumes to represent the characters. Next up, we get two of Walt Disney's wonderful early "Alice in Cartoonland" shorts -- Alice Rattled by Rats and Alice in the Jungle (both 1925) -- which placed real actresses in "cartoon worlds" to very charming effect. However, there are more of these shorts collected elsewhere. Third, there's Alice of Wonderland in Paris (1966), a full-color, animated feature that uses "Alice" as a springboard for its own clunky, bizarre adventures. (Carl Reiner provides a voice.) Finally, there's perhaps the highlight of the set, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1972), a British made-for-television musical with some interesting effects and sets, even if the video quality leaves a lot to be desired. Peter Sellers and Dudley Moore are among the cast, with Fiona Fullerton as Alice.

With: Viola Savoy, Virginia Davis, Margie Gay, Carl Reiner, Fiona Fullerton, Michael Crawford, Peter Sellers, Dudley Moore
Written by: W.W. Young, Ludwig Bemelmans, Crockett Johnson, James Thurber, Eve Titus, William Sterling, based on books and characters created by Lewis Carroll
Directed by: W.W. Young, Walt Disney, Gene Deitch, William Sterling
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 210 minutes
Date: April 1, 2010