Alice in Wonderland (1966)

[katinaanimator]

This is hands down my favorite version of Alice, and of the tea party. Only the British could lampoon British society. This version captured the eerie, dreamlike quality of the story.

I love Peter Cook's performance in this!

I can't remember the chemical, but the reason the hatter was mad was because MANY hat makers became mad in those days because of certain chemicals they worked with. I can't remember what they were though.

[Mr3sheds]

@katinaanimator Milliners used to use mercury in the processing of animal fur to produce felt. Whilst not particularly toxic in its elemental form, prolonged exposure can result in symptoms related to certain forms of madness.Jonathan Miller developed the madness theme and the characters became inmates in a Victorian lunatic asylum. To quote the Cheshire Cat: "We're all mad here, I'm mad. You're mad. You must be mad or you wouldn't have come here".

[katinaanimator]

@Mr3sheds

Thanks for the response!

On Pawn Stars, they have an Ormolu clock they call the Death Clock because it was also made with gold, combined with mercury. Like the hatters at the time, they would get the mercury on their hands, absorb it into their skin, breath it in while it burned off the gold, and go mad, like the hatters. Or die.

[hell0funkys]

"What did they live on?"

"They lived on trickle."

"They couldn't of done that, ya know, they would've been ill."

"And they were! Very, very ill."

Omg, this part made me choke on my skittles. That is soooo amazing, haha.

[ObiWanBillKenobi]

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

1. They both have quills.

2. Poe wrote on both.

[yorkeysa]

Alice is so... dead! She just sits there talking to space. She looks crazier than the Hatter.

[curtiswarren06]

Guy in the tophat = inspiration for some of Noel Fielding's characters in the Mighty Boosh? Anybody else see/hear the similarity?

Just me, then. :(

[ivegotafullmoon]

@curtiswarren06  Peter Cook, comedy genius, has been recycled by many of the best performers in the past 30 years..

[aggrh]

love her voice

[Anglosaxonne]

They seem to have left out the part where the Hatter orders everyone to move down one place.

[Anglosaxonne]

Yes, Michael Gough was the March Hare. Wilfrid Lawson was the Dormouse.

[ShovelDuct]

Favorite version of Alice ever. Beautifully understated, subtle interpretation. And, of course, you can't go wrong with Ravi.

[eatsandsleeps]

I think it's really interesting how disengaged Alice is and i think it was a brave choice to costume the Mad Hatter, March Hare and The Dormouse - it really lends an air of madness about the entire thing.

[BongDylan]

If I am not mistaken, it would seem to be that these characters are under the influence of some psychodelic drug, i.e. really good shit. Far out movie.

[marguipico]

Really like this one!

[onexero1]

is that Alfred?

[DolorsLasma]

#FTW Full Movie Central . com #OMG has this

[AkumaPB]

hey look its jimmy from south park

[mortysand]

Peter Cook as the Hatter?

[ObiWanBillKenobi]

Man, if I was at this tea party, I would have fallen asleep too!

[monstersoftheid]

Michael Gough looked like a handsomer version of Mick Jagger. I must buy this on dvd when it comes out soon!

[ShovelDuct]

My favorite version of 'Alice' ever~

[AMTProductionCo]

@ShovelDuct how? this one is terrible! watch the hallmark version with martin short as the mad hatter! that is brilliant!

[ShovelDuct]

@AMTProductionCo While Martin Short is one of my favorite Hatters, I find the animatronics in the Hallmark version extremely disturbing. I've seen nearly every version of Alice ever made, and I still stick by this one. I mean, the cast, the visuals, the mood, and MUSIC. I think it better captures the political satire and surreal quality of Carroll's book than any other. But that's just my personal preference, and everyone's entitled to their own~

[TheToastBrothers]

@ShovelDuct If the hallmark version is the 1933 one, then I completely agree with you.

[Essendonly]

Love Jonathan Miller for all he has achieved. But his 'Alice' is repulsive. Sitar music? And why is the heroine so bland, old and neurotic? I like the photography but doesn't Alice deserve colour? Only Cook tries hard to save the scene...

[TheMikejk]

twas 1966 and the sitar was all the rage, as was artistic impressionism of this sort.

[TheMikejk]

+ liberal doses of LSD.

Alice in Wonderland is re-made often because it explores the need to connect with our mystical side, which gets buried in the logic of our ordinary lives. Insanity lies in losing touch with our mystical side.

[EricMontreal22]

Also, apparently he thought the sitar sounded like the droning of insects on a Summer day

[catchersmitt0]

sitars, thank you George Harrison

[dwp1302]

No wonder good old Mickey is starring as the Dodo is Tim Burton's version!

[dwp1302]

I can tell Michael Gough is impersonating Lewis Carroll while playing the March Hare. Also Ravi Shankar's music just brings it to life!

[XIIIspadez]

i liked the music.

[TheGmcFilms]

Millars direction is diabolical. The cinematography is suberb though, the depth and the angles used really sum up those times where LSD was a tool of expansion for the arts in general, especially in film making. Using ' idiot boards ' in film is poor by Millar and often a sign that control is not with the director. Rehearse and keep with the script.. Its the time, the place, the feel, the LOOK with this production that makes it memorable, nothing more...G...

[roberttthemoose]

this a lovely version, witty, silly, but without getting too comically orientated. and loosing the romance of the wonderland

[faridjabba]

tanks, do u have it full pls?

[xxxemoreaper123]

lol, the girl playing Alice has no emotion at all. she like, doesn't even move.

[Garrettk41]

She was asked to do it that way. I know because I heard it in the audio commentary.

[cookmoore]

"It's always one minute before opening time"

[4wonderland]

this is kinda stupid

[cookmoore]

you need to appreciate art without special effects

[suha25]

saw this last night. one of the better interpretations! but i may have a bias cos of the whole ravi shankar soundtrack. happened to think peter cook did a great job; he kept making me crack up even if all the madness was effectively creepy. and alice being a bitch is fitting. she didnt seem very likeable in the book anyways.

[husky500cr]

Where did you get this video. I have been looking for it and can't find it ( Alice in Wonderland (1966) Directed by Jonathan Miller one of TV Series made by BBC television)

[suha25]

Its on netflix so hopefully you have an account with them!

[cookmoore]

As well as amazon now!

[flimpkin4]

Is that Roman Polanski beside the little girl? That can't be good!

[jodiefostersarmy]

Awesome, preordered on Amazon for March 2010 release.

Thanks for posting.

[windrix1]

soo booring,. It's like the whol movie is wasted at this damn table talking about total nonsense and lollipops!

[cookmoore]

It's art! You should watch the commentary from the movie. Jonathan Miller explains all!

Netflix

[brandowhite]

I agree, not a very good Alice at all. Everyone else is alright.

[catastrophiccow]

Oh God! That Alice is terrible!

[LuvTheMusic132]

The rabbit had lead poisoning from the hat.

[ScreamxxBabe]

This verison is soo creepy looking.

[PaintingTheRoses1]

I think the doormouse really is drunk.

[AllenLowe2]

Wild! I love how haunting the beginning with Alice is. That and how much tension is created by how dull each shot is. Just wonderful.

I think Michael Gough is playing the March Hare.

[Bobzeaux]

He should have reprised the role in the Burton movie. *lol*

[HCShannon]

@Bobzeaux Isn't he dead

[Bobzeaux]

@HCShannon

Michael Gough? No way. He actually played the dodo in the Burton film.

[Funes5]

this is so badly done....Alice's acting is so high school...lol

[emmmizzle]

Just an fyi, the dvd is no longer really available. I looked on amazon and the cheapest was $60. I ordered it through my school library and in all of the many (hundreds I think) libraries we share there were 2 copies. Netflix has it though!

I'm directing Alice right now and this was the most inspirational I've found, thank you so much for posting it!!!!!!!!!

[emmmizzle]

well the text matches the book almost word for word I believe there may be 3 differences that are very minor. I love this I think it's absolutely brilliant. This reminds me very much of the theater of the absurd the way they conceptualize time.

[windrix1]

This has nothing to do with ALice in WOnderland really, but it's more to do with being a young aristocrat. It sucks, the acting, but the mood is attractive which explains why I keep on watching it.

[AdriannaDri]

eww.. alice is uglyy haha

other than that i love it :]

[Vortigern99]

I like the photography and the mise-en-scene, but the acting is uninspired and over-rehearsed.

[tytyverymuch]

I love the whispering...it's so cool.

[harumomiji]

she is very serious for a child

[10kingstreet]

it's meant to be victorian - seen, not heard etc

[cookmoore]

More Alice please I want the DVD

[isthemirrorballsuit]

Alice needs a slap in the mouth

[SuckEggs666]

The character of Alice in this particular movie

seems quite mean, quite rude also.

[silviacorsi]

Ehy, I love this version so much, I think among the "realistic" version is really the best. Alice is bored because the adult world promises a lot and has nothing to really give...

Please can you tell me if there are other parts of this video on youtube?

[hayamatsuka]

Lol i love it the way she says " theres plenty of room ". Hehe

[hayamatsuka]

shes a bit like mary in the secret garden

[eviladrianAU]

Alice has the most wonderfully aristocratic accent, not even Queen Elizabeth speaks like that any more.

[kris242]

lmao what is wrong with Alice? It's kind of disappointing. Her lack of emotion seems to ruin the scene

[NichtsNadaNothing]

Great interpretation of alice in wonderland!

[PanicAttacks93]

Why does Alice come off so blunt for most of the clips I see? Like she's always pissed off or something. Nothing like the other versions or the book.

[MushroomMai]

I like this version I like the way it follows the book in an un-obvious way, such as the white rabbit- he's not a rabbit, but you know thats who he is. If that makes any sense.

I like so many scenes in this film, like the way the rabbit hole is represented with a staircase- I love the part where she runs through the white curtains that are floating with the breeze from the open windows. I like the visuals. Beautifully filmed.

[HCShannon]

If you watch Miller's commontray, he says he thinks Caroll meant them to be normal people like the ones at the University/Church where he and the real Alice's father worked, but he just have them animal names!

[MushroomMai]

That's interesting :) thanks for bringing that up, I'll have to listen to the commentary. I like diffirent theories on Carroll's intentions. :)

[Prancer1231]

@MushroomMai they got that floating curtain scene from Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast

[heartpaperlover]

Alice is wonderful, even if she is a bitch.

[Adler36]

This movie has nothing to do with the book. It's a story for children, not for adults!!!! I love the Kate Beckinsale version of 1998 as well the Tina Majorino version from 1999. Disney's cartoon is visually great und funny for kids, but have not the humour and essence of the book.

Also Jan Svankmeier's version is quite bad, it's creepy and dark, but the original book is'nt creepy or dark, it's full of satirical, surrealistic and melancholic elements!!!!!

[scotpens]

Lewis Carroll's book has something for all ages. Young children can enjoy the fantasy and whimsy, and teenagers and adults can appreciate the social and political satire.

Hell, the courtroom scene in the last two chapters of the book reminds me of nothing so much as the O.J. Simpson trial!

[HCShannon]

You have no appreciation for real art!

[Adler36]

I am an artist and go to art school!!!!

I just said, that is not a movie for kids and not a truthful adaption who keeps the essence of the book. Of course it's visually great, it's a parody of victorian society.

[moxie96]

Where is the rest of this version? This is a different clip from what I saw on Classic Arts Showcase which lead me to look here for more. I saw this whole when I was about three or four years old and liked it then though I didn't know what I was watching because it's so different from the disney version and is better than the one made in 1985-86 with CBS sitcom stars.

[evillilgirl]

i love this version .. it doesn't have to be extraordinary to be surreal. i love British wit and humor though.

[xxxemoreaper123]

This is kind of boring to me...

[alegriavida]

Alice seems like a bitch in this

[NSBUD420]

you could tell they were acting i didnt enjoy it escpacally because there are quite many good versions

[xTragicSallyx]

... I believe it's quite odd that the 1903's Alice in Wonderland which is a silent film, and is in bad condition, has better costumes and acting than this one. Hmm...

[UngracfulGracie]

Rofl @ Alice's acting...

She doesn't seem that interested does she?

[bluecheer00]

totally surreal .... thanks for posting

[xojbabyxo]

this movie is creepy as hell man, it is for people who were on acid at the time, man..the cartoon creeps me out.

[Neko3Noskire]

you must have forgotten to read the books this is based off of. Anyways modern stories about dream sequences are outright nightmarish.

[SaNdRaANDIvAnA]

I love it :D..and I can't wait for the new movie ...xD

[nathanielbagshot]

This says more about the nineteen-sixties than the eighteen-sixties.

[tweedledux]

how very apathetic for a children's story. the girl who plays Alice, is she alive or just painfully bored?

[EternalSearcher]

both

[thewhimsicalwish]

i don't think it was originally meant to be solely a children's' story.

[scotpens]

That's what makes "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" the classic that it is. Young children can enjoy the fantasy and adventure, and when they get a bit older they start to "get" the satirical digs at government, politics and Victorian social structure. The anarchic courtroom scene in the last two chapters is a timeless bit of satire that's as relevant and funny today as it was 145 years ago.

[thewhimsicalwish]

well put

[emtlonghorn09]

i agree i would love!!!!!! to see the whole film!!!

[kwgybo345]

yes for fox sake put up the whole film

[impeccableimbecile]

Please put up the whole film!

[kwgybo345]

i like this version because it doesn't hide actor's faces behind ugly makeup or special effects, and just lets them run free with their acting ability.although, this is pretty odd to say, me being 13. plus the music is a gas. TIM BURTON"S ALICE will rock disney to the ground.

[kwgybo345]

Nan, just kidding. Tool.

[kwgybo345]

this was not posted by me, i seriously think it's gonna be awesome and whoever left that other comment was most certainly a tool with a capital T. because i rule!

[Neasyorc]

Fuck you limp dick. You are a tool.

[Neasyorc]

Tim Burton is a hack and deserves a good mouth fucking.

[kiramekihoshi]

Oh the acting is just too horrible to watch! Alice doesn't even try to have any emotion, she just says her lines so blandly, and the hatter is too concerned with his accent to play his character right. Ummmmheyyyy is right, the Dormouse shouldn't have told the story so slowly.

It -is- quite rare, though, so thank you for posting!

[fivebearrugs]

I think that was how it was supposed to be...there's an Alice site that mentions how this was supposed to be a satire of Victorian England...or some sort of English hierarchy...even the Queen and King of Hearts resemble Queen Victoria

[kiramekihoshi]

Huh. That's a nice insight! Thanks for that!

[zinnycat1597]

this doesnt seem right at all to me. someone who commented below hit the nail on the head by saying Alice is too angry and monotone. And why is she staring blankly out into space? She seems very indifferent which makes no sense since she is very curious. the hatter, doormouse and hare dont really seem right to me either, and its NOT because the hatter doesnt have the tag in his hat or doormy and hare arent animals. they just dont seem right to me. wheres the life, insanity, wheres the party?

[enidric]

I've been looking for this everywhere!

Peter Cook is amazing in general.

Cheers.

[cryozo]

Vad är det här för jävla skit?

[slightlyodd999]

what the hell is this?!

[windrix1]

Damn I could do better than this bitch. She sucks as Alice! Everybody is amazing but she is ruining it. It's like she's uncomfortable and she plays her lines unnaturally. Oh yeah the Mad Hatter guy kind of sucks to. He's corny as hell and quite boring. Like I'm watching my grandpa imitate fictional characters, but my grandpa is WAY better.

[anton1990]

Peter Cook and Michael "Alfred" Gough? Splendid!

[ummmmheyyyy]

Different interpretation. HowEVER, Lewis narrated that the Dormouse told his story quickly. Ehh. i hate when actors do what they want with text.

[rheojumpsjav]

guy who plays the doormouse...creeps me out..

mad hatter and hare don't even look at anyone! and alice...she's a little brat

[Tangoratsfan]

Great film, Jonathan Miller is genius, Peter Cook makes the perfect Mad Hatter

[cashfan223]

what an extraordinarily ugly child. don't see many of those on television anymore...

[SallyTheSquirrel]

I think she's model pretty. :P

[SallyTheSquirrel]

Does someone know where can I watch/download this online?

[mauerbluemchen0]

I've been looking for this for ages; love Peter Cook and of course Lewis Carroll!  Problem is Alice - she sounds like one of the bored and pregnant little twelve-year-olds that hang around my local shopping centre...

[RedBull2756]

Does anyone know where I can get my hands on a copy of this movie?

[Ophelia9184]

Listening to this conversation again reminds of the babble you'd hear from asylum inmates.

[anastasiafellasleep]

they don't look at each others because they might not see each others because they might not attend that tea party at all!

she's rather irritated of course of the nonsense of all their talk and of the ways words associate into a reality that disturb all she knows!

the "innocence" you're missing belongs to a cretin disney imagery.

[spinkluke]

Tell me about it with the Alice talking angry...or rather don't.

[TairoruSan]

lol the Mad Hatter and March Hare amuse me. Though I wish Dormy and the Hare were more fantasy like. And Alice is too monotone and cranky. :P I'd still like to see this whole thing though.

[chrissyxd00d]

why don't they look at each other when their talking?

[PlaybackPictures]

The Mad Hatter is entertaining; I wonder what he's on?

[cashfan223]

BBC2 I'd imagine...

[Rensra]

wow... so... the 60's had alot of drugs too.

the 1860's that is.

[Bleesthy1]

and why does she always have a blank stare? hmmm...

[Bleesthy1]

she looks so un-innocent, i'd expect more madness from the march hare and mad hatter. i love the voice of the mad hatter, but from the disney film he sounds like the caterpillar. it's quite boring and unexciteing as i would have imagined. even from reading the book, id imagine more curiosity and questioning out of alice. and i'd imagine more crazyness and fantasy in the entire thing. personally i do like the disney version.... mabye because i grew up with it.

[lightupafatty]

Alice seems so damn angry.

[mrRUTTO]

March Hare is so apathetic (I think he smiled only once). I really like this version, I have never seen it before. Alice is great in this, I think they all are.

[lemylus]

where can I find the soundtrack

[windrix1]

This show seems so boring.

[joeysn7hvn]

It's her dream, and reality. growing changing and discovering a power

[tempsdetruittout]

I like this adaptation, but I don't like this Alice. At least she's not a cute little blonde girl with blue eyes like most other adaptations, but this one is just depressing. She should be curious, not uninterested. She just bitches at everyone all the time.

[groppi]

Gloomy Alice is not cute actually, but somehow cute in the end. In other words, this version attracts me because of its anti-Disney style; without merrily singing and dancing. I even think it accurately embodies the touch of crazy humor of the novel.

[sardonicsteve]

Reading the book, I never saw Alice as the cutesy, curious girl. I've always seen her as the bitch, invading people's teatimes, making snide remarks.

[scotpens]

In this version, Alice seems bored and petulant, like a jaded 1960s hippie chick looking for the next "kick."

And there was no use of costumes, masks or prosthetic makeup to transform the actors into fantasy or cartoon-like characters, as in most other TV and film adaptations of the story. Was that for creative or budgetary reasons?

[wolfpunchfilms]

That was for creative reasons. Johnathan Miller, the writer and director, was trying to show what he believed Alice to truly be about: a young girl wandering around Victorian landscapes and watching all of the strange adults wondering, "Is this what being grown up is really like?" He thought that the fact that they were animals in the story was merely to give them "nicknames". He really brings out the satire and the symbolism in the story, I think.

[thewhimsicalwish]

awesome movie

[Filipovits]

It's cool :)

[matrixownsme]

Thank you so much for uploading!

[ShovelDuct]

That's my favorite 'why is a raven like a writing desk' ever.

[TheJokerMarle]

The Answer is...

Edgar Allan Poe wrote on both ;)

[ShovelDuct]

And neither can climb a tree.