1985 Alice in Wonderland - Classic Literature on Film Blogathon

So, this may seem strange that I’m dedicating a post to a TV movie from the 80s, but hear me out, classic movie community! There are so many classic stars in this version of Alice in Wonderland, you won’t believe it!

This was a two-part musical mini-series that first aired in December of 1985, just before I turned 1, but it became of a staple of my childhood. My parents had taped it off of CBS when it aired, and although my sister was 9, I don’t think she gravitated to it as strongly as I did once I got older. Many people remember the Disney version of Alice in Wonderland, or cite the Tim Burton version, but this is the one that has a special place in my heart, and also kept truer to the book than many of the other adaptations.

There are mixed reviews about this one, with people either loving it or thinking it was too Broadway. Given the celebrities showcased here, I can understand that, but for me, I love it even more for its over-the-top musical numbers, especially given the people who are doing those numbers!

If you choose to buy this film, I may earn a commission as an Amazon affiliate. Grab it here on DVD! You can also find it on YouTube!

Synopsis

These pictures show Natalie Gregory as Alice (along with her real-life sister) and Red Buttons as the White Rabbit. He was a famous comic, songwriter, and actor as is an absolute delight in this role!

We know the story of Alice. The poor girl follows a white rabbit and falls down a hole into Wonderland, where she eats and drinks many things simply due to their labels and proceeds to change sizes. She encounters all sorts of interesting creatures there, including a caterpillar, a pepper-obsessed cook, a duchess whose baby turns into a pig, a mock turtle, a Cheshire cat, a Mad Hatter, a griffin, crazy Queen of Hearts, and a Jabberwocky…and that’s just part 1.

An aside about the Jabberwocky, this terrified me as a child, but I’ve come to truly appreciate the costume here and how closely he echoes the description from the poem within the original text of Alice in Wonderland. Now that I can look at it more objectively, I see how great this really was. I miss when movies and TV shows had to be more creative with this kind of thing instead of using CGI. Also, the guy who wore the costume is one of the ones who help build it and ended up fitting into it perfectly, so boom, he was cast!

In part 2, which is based on Through the Looking Glass, we add to the cast of characters with a unicorn, a lion, a knight, and talking flowers. All Alice wants is to be grown up enough to go home.

The Players

Natalie Gregory

Although Natalie didn’t become a household name after this (though you may recognize her voice as Jenny in Oliver and Company from 1988), she turns in a solid performance here as Alice. She holds her own against some of the biggest hams of the day and has a believable earnestness about her.

She began her acting career in commericals and later went on to earn a degree in Physics in 1996.

Plethora of Celebrity Cameos!

When I watched this as a child, I loved the music and story, but once I got older and more interested in classic movies, then I truly understood the significance of this film. There are so many cameos in this that it is impressive, so let’s run through some of them, shall we?

Sammy Davis Jr

As I huge Frank Sinatra, and then later on, Rat Pack, fan, I love that Sammy Davis Jr is in this as the caterpillar. He’s so fun to watch sing and dance at 59 here with Natalie. The original floor was supposed to be slick like a Hollywood dance floor, but after he slipped, he insisted that it be changed. They then painted it and dusted it with sand, and he did the number without a hitch.

Ringo Starr and Sid Caesar

Ringo Starr as the Mock Turtle is another highlight of this film. His song about “nonsense” is both poignant and fun to listen to. He and the griffin, played by Sid Caesar, have a great dynamic as well as they banter in front of Alice.

Donald O’Connor, Shelley Winters, and Sherman Hemsley

When Alice first arrives in Wonderland, she encounters some small creatures (she’s now small as well, having partaked of the “drink me” beverage). We have Donald O’Connor, who has a couple of lines. I love seeing him here. Then you have Shelley Winters, who also got lines, upon her insistence. She was in Meet Danny Wilson with Frank Sinatra, A Place in the Sun with Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift, and played Elvis’s mom in the Elvis movie with Kurt Russell. Then this rounds out with Sherman Hemsley of The Jeffersons fame, who got an entire song about how he hates dogs and cats, fitting for a mouse!

Martha Raye, Imogene Coca, and Telly Savalas

To be honest, I don’t know a lot about Imogene and Telly, but I definitely know Martha Raye. She played the duchess and this was her last role. Back in her early days, she was considered the female equivalent of Bob Hope.

The Tea Party Trio

The Mad Hatter was played by Anthony Newley, who was not recognizable to me, but he has a huge claim to fame from the film Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, starring Gene Wilder. He was half of the team (along with Leslie Bricusse) who did the music and lyrics for that film. The magic of those songs are in a huge part to him. He also sings “Laugh” here, which is a really beautiful song.

Johnny Depp also claims that Newley’s performance here as the Mad Hatter influenced his role in Sweeney Todd.

Arte Johnson played the doormouse, whose largest other roles were in General Hospital and Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In.

The March Hare is played by Roddy McDowall, who was close friends with Elizabeth Taylor ever since they starred together in Lassie Come Home in 1943. He was also Cornelius in Planet of the Apes and was considered for the role of Pennywise in It that went to Tim Curry.

Tweedledee and Tweedledum Sequence

Edie Gorme and Steve Lawrence played Tweedledee and Tweedledum, having performed together for years. They relayed the tale of The Walrus (played by Karl Malden) and the Carpenter (played by Louis Nye).

The Lion and the Unicorn Sequence

This is really interesting sequence because you have Beau Bridges as a unicorn, Ernest Borgnine as a lion, and a pre-Full House John Stamos playing a messenger!

Alice’s Train Ride

I was surprised to learn that the goat was played by Patrick Duffy! My first experience with him was when he played the dad on Step by Step. Then you have Pat Morita of The Karate Kid playing a horse, Steve Allen (who also did the music for this movie) playing a newspaper man, and Merv Griffin of game show fame as the conductor of the train!

Steve Allen also has another connection to the classics, in the form of Elvis. It was him who made Elvis don a suit and sing “Hound Dog” to an actual dog on his show in an effort to make the sexy controversy become “family friendly.” That did not last, and really, to me, Elvis looks so irritated in that clip with having to stifle his entire personality.

The Owl and Humpty Dumpty

Looking Glass also gives us Jack Warden (Saul from While You Were Sleeping, anyone?) playing the owl and Jonathan Winters playing Humpty Dumpty!

The Queens!

I just adore all of these fabulous queens! The Red Queen is played by Ann Jillilan, who I first recognized from when she was a kid playing Bo Peep in Babes in Toyland from 1961.

Jayne Meadows shines as the insane Queen of Hearts. Her performance is stellar as she adds a depth to the queen that is severely lacking in the cartoon version. Sure, she’s crazy, but Meadows shows her in a way that also helps humanize her a bit. She was also married to Steve Allen, who wrote the music and lyrics for the film!

And then, of course, the incomprable Carol Channing as the White Queen. She is almost as terrifying as the Jabberwocky when she starts bleating before turning into a goat! Her other famous roles include the film Thoroughly Modern Millie, and playing Lorelei Lee in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes on Broadway (before the role in the movie version famously went to Marilyn Monroe).

More Honorable Mentions!

Don’t want to forget Scott Baio, of Happy Days fame, as the pig, Sally Struthers as the Tiger Lily, and Lloyd Bridges as the White Knight!

What if…?

Heather O’Rourke had been cast

There is some information that they were considering the child star of Poltergeist to play Alice instead. While she probably could have pulled it off, I have a hard time separating her from the horror genre.

Alternative History/Classic Film Era Novels

If you like alternative history or biographical/historical fiction, I write that as well under the pen name Dottie Fray and historical paranormal romance under Elvira Fray. With two books planned for this year, one biographical fiction entitled Planes and Promises and a paranormal romance to follow up Fang Me Tender called No Angel of His Own.