cb-36127 Always thought the US critics reviewed this film, feeling the disappointment of not getting the next Mary Poppins, version of Alice, and comparing it to Disneys cartoon as if that was the Original, this follows the Book not the Cartoon - Have to admit as a 17yo when this was released I did fall madly in Love with Alice (Fiona Fullerton) - as I said view it from the Book not Disneys version. At last it has been released from the original masters for too long we had to endure the terrible TV edited version which was always of dubious picture quality.

IanPhillips This fantasy-adventure story has been adapted to both the stage and screen countless times. There's the familiar, miserably underrated Walt Disney animated classic from 1951, while the many live-action adaptations have largely failed to capture the true spirit and flavour of Lewis Carroll's vivid vision of Wonderland.This 1972 adaptation is, refreshingly, something of an exception and stands out as the best live-action version of the book. Director William Sterling shrewdly evokes the dark and often frightening vision of Wonderland as dreamed up by Lewis Carroll. Fiona Fullerton heads the cast making a pleasant Alice, and is most certainly given admirable support from a stellar cast, featuring some of the best British thespians of the era.The multi-talented Michael Crawford assumes the role of the jittery White Rabbit. Crawford plays the part with a certain flair, relying mostly (and appropriately) on his inimitable comic skills. Robert Helpmann shines as the notorious Mad Hatter during the manic Mad Hatter's tea party sequence. Helpmann's comic facial expressions and spirited playing makes the sequence work extremely well. He shares the spotlight in this madcap scene with Peter Sellers who gives a fine supporting turn as the March Hare, while Dudley Moore causes some amusement as the poor, put-upon Dormouse.Ralph Richardson delivers a fairly fine performance as the Caterpillar in a very vivid scene, while Davy Kaye as the Mouse during the dreamy Caucus Race Sequence plays his role with a degree of subtlety. Much more effective, though, is Flora Robson, putting in a fantastic interpretation of the ferocious Queen Of Hearts and is both comical and scary in the role. Michael Jayston appears in the opening scene as Dodgson and Duckworth (Hywel Bennett) sit on a river bank one hot summer's afternoon. It is here where Dodgson begins telling Alice the story of Alice's adventures underground.The nightmarish Duchess and Cook sequence is ignited by a fittingly off-beat performance from Peter Bull as the Duchess, while Patsy Rolands, as the demented, pepper-loving, plate-throwing Cook, takes this role to fabulous new heights! I do find it find it a little disturbing the way the real-life baby is clearly distressed and is shaken up and down by the Duchess! The sullen, ever-crying Gryphon is played marvellously by Spike Milligan, while Michael Hordern is equally excellent as the Mock Turtle. This fun sequence where Alice, the Gryphon and the Mock Turtle are seen running and dancing their way round a deserted beach, is sped up at points to add to its comical and magical effect. The scene is also accompanied by one of the very few effective songs of the saccharine soundtrack, 'Will You, Won't You Join The Dance?'Roy Kinnear is the permanently grinning and somewhat snide Cheshire Cat, and other notable players in the more than capable cast include Dennis Price in a small but adequate role as the King Of Hearts, Rodney Bewes as the bumbling Knave Of Hearts, Julian Chagrin as Bill The Lizard (seen during the scene where Alice has grown large and is stuck in the White Rabbit's house; Bill the Lizard attempts to slide down the chimney into the house but Alice then swiftly kicks him back up again), Freddie Earle as Guinea Pig Pat (also seen during the White Rabbit's house scene), Ray Brooks as 1 of Spades, Dennis Waterman as 2 of spades and, of course, not forgetting twin brothers Frank and Freddie Cox who make the definitive Tweedledee and Tweedledum (characters that were taken from a segment in Lewis Carroll's sequel Through The Looking Glass And What Alice Found There; most stage and screen versions often tend to draw large segments from both Alice books).Alice's Adventures In Wonderland (1972) encapsulates a dreamy, very hazy-like effect that enhances the atmosphere, intentionally giving the film an often dark, creepy edge. It strikes an even balance between moments of fun, magical comedy to more frightening settings.Most of the film is engaging and enchanting. For instance,the surreal sequence at the beginning of the adventure is one of the scenes that really stands out in my mind as it is done to bewitching effect. Alice wakes up in a giant story book garden and spots the White Rabbit gazing at his waist watch. Alice proceeds to follow the White Rabbit into a long, dark tunnel. Keeping up with the whole familiar ethos of Alice In Wonderland's most famous catchphrase, 'Curiouser And Curiouser', Alice continues following the White Rabbit unaware of the danger lying in front of her and then finds herself tumbling down a large rabbit hole, landing in the whimsical, topsy-turvy world of Wonderland. The score, courtesy of John Barry, is masterful and hauntingly atmospheric during this sequence.In fact, overall, what compliments the mesmerising, hypnotic vibe of Alice's Adventures In Wonderland is the bewitching score by BAFTA-award-winning, John Barry. The film also boasts magnificent cinematography from Geoffrey Unsworth which notably sticks closely to the original illustrations of the book. Some of the cardboard-like sets look far more suited for a stage production but are, at the same time, truly sumptuous.Alice's Adventures In Wonderland (1972) is an extremely faithful and enchanting adaptation that's most noble in its loyalty to the book. In that fact it deserved far greater recognition than it has received. Widely regarded as the best live-action screen version by lovers of the book, it was still unfairly slated by some critics of the day, some claiming it was too long, tedious and boring. It's true that Alice's Adventures In Wonderland (1972) is a little slow and bland at points but on casting its shortcomings (which you can over-look) aside, it's most definitely worth a look. Fans of Alice In Wonderland that have not yet had the delight of watching this charming, atmospheric version, will be thoroughly enthralled.Ian Phillips

bookreaders2004 First of all, there IS least 1 widescreen DVD of this film available from Region 1. It's from MoviesUnlimited.com, which as of Xmas 2013 had it on sale for less than $10, and if you log on to the website at the right time, you may get a $5 coupon. The film doesn't look great because it is public domain, but the image is still better than the appalling Pan and Scan versions I've seen. As for the film itself, there are far worse versions of Alice. Some of the FX still impress (Alice shrinking) and Robert Helpmann and Flora Robson look exactly like Tenniel's Mad Hatter and Queen of Hearts. Overall, a mixed bag, but worth seeing for Alice buffs.

jarobledo3 This charming musical adaptation of Carroll's text may be my favorite "Alice" film yet. Regarding the music, it is beautiful and enchanting, and almost hypnotic in tone, drawing us in to a fantasy realm of wonder and chaos. The songs in here astound: alongside most of the poems from Carroll's text ("You Are Old, Father William" and "Tis' the Voice of the Lobster" do not appear, and a few poems, such as "Turtle Soup," are not done in song, but still appear), there are several songs simply taken from lines in the book ("The Duchess is Waiting," "Curiouser and Curiouser," "Off With Their Heads," etc.), and the songs that are original numbers ("The Pun Song" is my favorite) do not get in the way at all. There is a collective, musical whole.The characters are also well defined: most, if not all, of the portrayals of the characters in this film can be found somewhere on my favorites list. Fiona Fullerton is my second favorite Alice (a scant percentage below Amelia Shankley/Coral Browne from "Dreamchild"), the only thing dragging her down from first place being her age: she is close to twice as old as both the Alice in the stories and the real Alice Liddell, both of whom she plays in this film. That being said, once she starts talking, and later singing (I understand her singing was dubbed, but I couldn't care less), this fact barely intrudes. She SOUNDS like Alice, she LOOKS like Alice, and she is, overall, nearly perfect as this childhood icon. Michael Crawford is equally fantastic as the White Rabbit...it's hard to believe he would later play Erik, the titular character of "Phantom of the Opera," when he starts talking and speaking. His performance as the Rabbit is just as great as this legendary role, and I'm surprised he doesn't get more credit for it. Sir Robert Helpmann, who disturbed generations of adults and children as the malevolent Child Catcher from "Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang," plays another top-hatted, beak-nosed character here: the Mad Hatter, and he is excellent at this role. Dudley Moore's Dormouse is almost unintelligible, but he adds a depth and likability to this often overlooked character, and Peter Sellers, a.k.a. Inspector Clouseau from "The Pink Panther," is wonderful as the March Hare. Flora Robson's Queen of Hearts seems to come straight out of this Carrollian's nightmares: she is the epitome of Carroll's tyrannical, foul villainess, and, having quite a bit of experience as queens and villains prior to this film, it's no surprise she plays literature's greatest evil queen so perfectly. Peter Bull and Patsy Rowlands as the Duchess and the Cook are brilliant, and Davy Kaye steals the Caucus-Race Limelight as the Mouse with the Long, Sad Tail.Part of what helps these actors is the costumes: these outfits make them look almost unrecognizable, in many cases. This is both a good and a bad thing: it's good for us, as the viewers, because, unlike in many other all-star cast "Alice" films, the big-wig names and faces don't distract us, allowing us to see the characters: so, for example, instead of saying, "Oh, look! It's Spike Milligan as the Gryphon!" we say, "Oh, look! That's an interesting Gryphon! Wonder who plays him...Spike Milligan? Cool!" (It's a bad thing for the performers, because I imagine those costumes couldn't have been particularly comfortable.) And lest we forget them, the sets are magnificent: while faded, thanks to the number of bad quality DVD prints existing, they still manage to be colorful and magical. This Wonderland carries a "Willy Wonka" feel to it, creating a storybook quality in every scene.My only real gripes are these: first, and already mentioned, is Fiona Fullerton's age. Second, the editing: this film is extremely accurate, and, yet, it isn't: most of Carroll's text and dialogue is kept, either via song or actual spoken dialogue, but two scenes are cut out: first is the infamous Giant Puppy scene, which rarely makes it into "Alice" films in the first place, and is, thus, somewhat excusable. But there is no reason to skip what might be one of the most key points of Carroll's story: "We're All Mad Here." While the Cheshire Cat does appear (played by Roy Kinnear), his conversation with Alice, involving this oh-so-famous line, is omitted. It was filmed, but never included in the final print. Why? It's arguably the most important point in the entire first book! It's also, in my opinion, one of the best parts, and is present in almost every other "straight-out" adaptation of the story I can think of, aside from the Czech film by Jan Svankmajer. This just pushes my buttons...particularly since this film includes Tweedledee and Tweedledum from "Through the Looking-Glass." Fred and Frank Cox are terrific as the Tweedles, but couldn't we have just stuck with the first book, especially given the "real world" premise? (Another problem, especially since I've read the original manuscript...but I digress.) Sigh...all that ranting aside, this is an excellent adaptation of the "Alice" tales. No real restoration of this film has been made yet, despite its being released on VHS and DVD several times. I sincerely hope such a restoration is done in the near future...this lovely film, despite its few flaws, deserves it!