Alice’s Wonderland (1923)

“I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse.” - Walt Disney

One of the more famous quotes by Walt Disney about his pal Mickey Mouse. Things really started to come together for the company Walt Disney started when Mickey Mouse came on the scene in 1928. But before Mickey Mouse, there was Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and before that there was Julius the Cat and before that a little girl named Alice. So some may argue that it was all started by a little girl. 

Before filing for bankruptcy at Laugh-O-gram Films Inc. in Kansas City, Missouri and heading out to Hollywood, California, Walt Disney and his staff began working on the first Alice Comedy, Alice’s Wonderland.

After arriving in Hollywood, Walt finished the short film and used it as a pilot in attempts to secure a distribution deal for the Alice Comedy series. The short film could not be commercially released due to the fact it still technically belonged to the soon-to-be bankrupt Laugh-O-gram Films Inc. On October 16, 1923, an agreement was reached between Walt Disney and his brother Roy O. Disney with Margaret Winkler of M.J. Winkler Pictures, Inc. to distribute the Alice Comedies. This was the start of the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, what we know today as The Walt Disney Company.

In Alice’s Wonderland, Alice visits a cartoon studio. After watching the cartoons come off the page during the day, at night she goes to bed and dreams that she is in Cartoonland. In Cartoonland, Alice interacts with cartoon characters and gets chased by a lion before waking up back in her bed.

 

The official release date of Alice’s Wonderland is October 16, 1923. The animated / live-action short film was produced by Laugh-O-gram Films Inc. and all subsequent Alice Comedies distributed by M.J. Winkler Pictures, Inc.

Cast and Crew

Director: Walt Disney. Technical Direction: Hugh Harman and Carman Maxwell. Writer: Walt Disney. Cinematography: Ub Iwerks (as Ubbe Iwwerks) and Rudolf Ising (as Rudolph Ising). Animators: Hugh Harman (uncredited), Rudolf Ising (uncredited), Ub Iwerks (uncredited), Carman Maxwell (uncredited). Visual Effects: George Lowerre (Cameraman, uncredited). Cast: Virginia Davis (Alice), Walt Disney (himself, uncredited), Hugh Harman (himself, uncredited), Rudolf Ising (himself, uncredited), Ub Iwerks (himself, uncredited), Louis A. Wright (Alice's mother, uncredited). 

Technical Specs

Running Time: 12:29. Color Type: Black & White. Sound: Silent. Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1. 

Check out Alice's Wonderland - 

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Please know that great care has been taken to be as accurate as possible when it comes to details in the entries of this blog. As with anything, mistakes can happen, dates can be wrong, information not readily available, etc. If you see a mistake, wrong information or missing information in the pages of this book please contact me at disneymovieandfilmencyclopedia@gmail.com so the information can be researched and corrected.