Alice in Wonderland

Released Dec 22, 1933

1h 16m

Kids & Family

Fantasy

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Alice in Wonderland: Trailer 1

2:37

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60%

Tomatometer

10 Reviews

58%

Audience Score

500+ Ratings

In this version of the Lewis Carroll classic, Alice (Charlotte Henry) discovers that an ordinary library mirror is actually a portal into another world. As she adjusts to her constantly changing size, thanks to some mysterious cookies, she follows a rabbit with a pocket watch, stumbles upon a deranged tea party and seeks advice from the shadowy Cheshire Cat (Richard Arlen). Later, Alice runs into Humpty Dumpty (W.C. Fields), whose unfortunate tumble sets even stranger events in motion.

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SMH Staff

Sydney Morning Herald

Long before the end arrives, the magic of Lewis Carroll's original text seems to have evaporated completely.

Apr 23, 2024

Full Review

William Troy

The Nation

What Mr. McLeod's version of Alice in Wonderland most nearly resembles is a joke that has been so badly translated into a foreign language that its whole point is lost.

Nov 24, 2020

Full Review

Kyle Anderson

Nerdist

From its eerie Dmitri Tiomkin score to its truly horrific character designs, the 1933 Alice in Wonderland is a fascinating, unintentionally disturbing take on a classic.

Sep 2, 2020

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

There's a ragtag feel to this Alice in Wonderland, which works in keeping with the absurdity of the situations but fails in making the material stick.

Rated: 2.5/4

May 30, 2020

Full Review

Ann Ross

Maclean's Magazine

Lewis Carroll's ingenious fantasy faithfully screened. A film for all ages and both sexes.

Jul 23, 2019

Full Review

Helen Brown Norden

Vanity Fair

It was hoped that the picture would have a large appeal for children, but the consensus of opinion seems to have been that even the Little Ones had rather see Jean Harlow any day, or else stay home in the nursery and play Tick-Tack-Toe.

Jun 11, 2019

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David B

The Bad News: Of course, Lewis Carroll never wrote a book called Alice in Wonderland. His works include Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, And What Alice Found There. Except for Alice, they have different casts of characters; Wonderland has playing cards and Looking-Glass Land has chess pieces. Most readers feel they are different in tone, with Looking-Glass Land feeling darker. Carroll purists will be appalled to see the two conflated and the characters all a jumble in this or many other adaptations. It makes no sense for the Queen of Hearts and the Red Queen and White Queen to all exist in the same universe. However, my hunch is that most people who don't like the film know none of this and have never read either book. The Good News: Despite the above the film manages to be the most faithful adaptation I have seen in both tone and look. The tone, quite suitably, is frustratingly anarchic, and almost devoid of inappropriate cuteness. The costumes, masks, makeup, and character designs look as if they have stepped out of Sir John Tenniel's illustrations. Tenniel's illustrations are not just the first and the best they are actually part of the text. Carroll and Tenniel worked in such close collaboration that Carroll even deleted an episode the artist felt he couldn't illustrate. Alice without the Tenniel characters isn't Alice and complaints that the characters in this film are ugly are just ignorant. The cast is wonderful but there are two standouts (with Honourable Mention going to Louis Fazenda's White Queen.) Edna May Oliver is so perfect and brilliant as the Red Queen (she was usually brilliant) that no sane actress should ever have accepted the part after her. Gary Cooper's White Knight is so dear he shreds my heart every time. My spies tell me that upon arriving at the Pearly Gates Cooper screened this film for Saint Peter and was granted immediate admittance.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/27/23

Full Review

Monsol E

This isn't the best Alice movie you can watch, but it has enough unique weirdness to make it worth a watch. What semblance of a plot other versions have, is traded here for even more ridiculous gibberish than usual...then again, I need to actually get around to reading the books, maybe this was all in them. I can tell they used elements from both books in this. Alice is very obnoxious in this one, but The White Knight was especially delightful. and I did love that they got Cary Grant to be the "Mock Turtle". The effects are pretty neat for the time, but the best part is definitely the oft-nightmarish costumes, which you absolutely should see if you want to lose the ability to sleep ever again! If you've got the time, and can find this to watch somewhere, you'll probably find something to enjoy. [or run screaming from!]

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/17/23

Full Review

Steve D

So so version. Many better options.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/03/23

Full Review

Andre G

Horrible movie. The only interesting thing to watch is how different of a time it was, and how far movies have come along.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The worst 01 hour: and 16 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

Full Review

Audience Member

a movie which is the shadow of The Wizard of Oz (1939) Alice In Wonderland (1933) you feel the same essence of the book even recreating the original illustrations of the novel (despite the fact that Carroll did not like them) a movie that felt more entertaining and that was not valued at the time becoming a cult of cinema

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

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Norman Z. McLeod

Director

Charlotte Henry

Alice

Richard Arlen

Cheshire Cat

W.C. Fields

Humpty-Dumpty

Roscoe Ates

Fish

William Austin

Gryphon

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Alice in Wonderland: Trailer 1

2:37

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Synopsis

In this version of the Lewis Carroll classic, Alice (Charlotte Henry) discovers that an ordinary library mirror is actually a portal into another world. As she adjusts to her constantly changing size, thanks to some mysterious cookies, she follows a rabbit with a pocket watch, stumbles upon a deranged tea party and seeks advice from the shadowy Cheshire Cat (Richard Arlen). Later, Alice runs into Humpty Dumpty (W.C. Fields), whose unfortunate tumble sets even stranger events in motion.

Director: Norman Z. McLeod
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount
Genre: Kids & Family, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 22, 1933, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 13, 2015
Runtime: 1h 16m

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