Alice in Wonderland is a 1966 BBC television play, shot on film, based on Lewis Carroll's 1865 book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. It was adapted, produced and directed by Jonathan Miller, then best known for his appearance in the satirical revue Beyond the Fringe.
| Alice in Wonderland | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Based on | Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll |
| Written by | Jonathan Miller |
| Directed by | Jonathan Miller |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Ravi Shankar |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producer | Jonathan Miller |
| Cinematography | Dick Bush |
| Editor | Pam Bosworth |
| Running time | 72 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Release | 28 December 1966 |
Miller's production is unique among live-action Alice films in that he consciously avoided the standard Tenniel-inspired costume design and "florid" production values. Most of the Wonderland characters are played by actors in standard Victorian dress, with a real cat used to represent the Cheshire Cat. Miller justified his approach as an attempt to return to what he perceived as the essence of the story: "Once you take the animal heads off, you begin to see what it's all about. A small child, surrounded by hurrying, worried people, thinking 'Is that what being grown up is like?'"[1]
Unlike many 1960s BBC productions, the play survived destruction, and was issued onto DVD by both the BFI and the BBC themselves.
Cast
edit- John Gielgud as the Mock Turtle
- Peter Cook as the Mad Hatter
- Leo McKern as the Ugly Duchess
- Peter Sellers as the King of Hearts
- Jo Maxwell-Muller as Emma, Alice's sister
- Finlay Currie as the Dodo
- Michael Redgrave as the Caterpillar
- Anne-Marie Mallik as Alice
- Alan Bennett as the Mouse
- Wilfrid Brambell as the White Rabbit
- Michael Gough as the March Hare
- Wilfrid Lawson as the Dormouse
- Peter Eyre as the Knave of Hearts
- Avril Elgar as Peppercook
- Alison Leggatt as the Queen of Hearts
- Malcolm Muggeridge as the Gryphon
- John Bird as the Frog Footman
- David Battley as the Executioner
- Eric Idle (uncredited) as a member of the Caucus Race
- Angelo Muscat (uncredited) as a Courtier/Juryman
Production
editInteriors were filmed at Netley Hospital, a mid-19th-century building that was demolished not long after the film was made. Also known as the Royal Victoria Military Hospital, Netley Hospital was the world's longest building at the time it was completed.[2] Beach scenes with the Gryphon and the Mock Turtle were filmed at Pett Level in East Sussex.[3] The courtroom scene was recorded at the BBC's Ealing Studios and involved the building of the largest set that Stage 2 at Ealing had ever seen.[4]
In July 1966 the BBC spent three days at Donington Hall filming the 'Pool of Tears' and the 'Caucus Race' scenes for Jonathan Miller's production. The Caucus Race was filmed in the cellars.[5]
References
edit- ^ Thill, Scott (November 2003). "Jonathan Miller's Alice in Wonderland (1966) on DVD". Bright Lights Film Journal, Issue #42. Archived from the original on 25 June 2023. Retrieved 14 June 2010.
- ^ Hoare, Philip (21 August 2014). "Palace of pain: Netley, the hospital built for an empire of soldiers". The Guardian.
- ^ Donnelly, Luke (28 August 2021). "David Bowie, Kaiser Chiefs and the other celebrities drawn to Pett Level beach". Sussex Live. Archived from the original on 20 April 2024. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
- ^ David Martin A History of the BBC's Film Department (1983)[Link to precise page]
- ^ Castle Donington Local History Society (1991). Donington Hall and Park, An Illustrated History.
External links
edit- Alice in Wonderland at IMDb
- Alice in Wonderland (BFI)
- DVD Review of 1966 BBC adaptation at DVDTalk.com
- "Jonathan Miller and Childhood", DVD review from Lewis Carroll Review