Alice in Wonderland (1966 TV play): Difference between revisions

*Alice in Wonderland*
Alice in Wonderland
Based on	Alice's Adventures in Wonderland; by Lewis Carroll
Written by	Jonathan Miller
Directed by	Jonathan Miller
Starring	John Gielgud; Peter Cook; Leo McKern; Peter Sellers; Michael Redgrave; Anne-Marie Mallik;
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

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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.

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 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

Production[edit]

Interiors were filmed at Netley Hospital, a mid-19th-century building that was demolished not long after the film was made.^[2]^{[better source needed]} Beach scenes with the Gryphon and the Mock Turtle were filmed at Pett Level in East Sussex.^{[citation needed]} 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.^[3]

In July 1966 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.^[4]

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.
^ Also known as the Royal Victoria Military Hospital, Netley Hospital was the world's longest building at the time it was completed.
^ 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

[1] 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.

[2] Also known as the Royal Victoria Military Hospital, Netley Hospital was the world's longest building at the time it was completed.

[3] David Martin A History of the BBC's Film Department (1983)^{[Link to precise page]}

[4] Castle Donington Local History Society (1991). Donington Hall and Park, An Illustrated History.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|1966 British film by Jonathan Miller}}
 {{Use British English|date=May 2011}}
-{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2011}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
-{{Infobox film
+{{Infobox television
-| name = Alice in Wonderland
+| image  = Alice in Wonderland 1966 DVD.jpg
-| image = Alice in Wonderland 1966 DVD.jpg
+| caption =
+| based_on  = {{Based on|''[[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland]]''|[[Lewis Carroll]]}}
-| image size =
-| caption =
+| writer  = Jonathan Miller
-| director = [[Jonathan Miller]]
+| director  = [[Jonathan Miller]]
-| producer = Jonathan Miller
+| starring  = {{plainlist|
+* [[John Gielgud]]
-| writer = [[Lewis Carroll]] (novel)<br/>Jonathan Miller (adaptation)
+* [[Peter Cook]]
-| narrator =
+* [[Leo McKern]]
-| starring = [[John Gielgud]]<br/>[[Peter Cook]]<br/>[[Leo McKern]]<br/>[[Peter Sellers]]<br/>[[Anne-Marie Mallik]]
+* [[Peter Sellers]]
-| based on = {{Based on|''[[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland]]'' and ''[[Through the Looking-Glass]]''|[[Lewis Carroll]]}}
+* [[Michael Redgrave]]
-| music = Ravi Shankar
+* [[Anne-Marie Mallik]]
-| cinematography = [[Dick Bush]]
+}}
-| editing = Pam Bosworth
-| distributor = [[BBC]]
+| music  = [[Ravi Shankar]]
-| released = UK 28 December 1966
+| country  = United Kingdom
-| runtime = 72 min
+| language  = English
-| country = UK
+| producer  = Jonathan Miller
-| language = English
+| cinematography = [[Dick Bush]]
-| budget =
+| editor  = Pam Bosworth
-| preceded by =
+| runtime  = 72 minutes
+| released = {{Start date|1966|12|28|df=y}}
-| followed by =
 }}
 <!--PLEASE DO NOT EDIT THE SECTION BELOW TO STATE THAT THIS PLAY WAS PART OF THE 'WEDNESDAY PLAY' SERIES, SINCE IT WAS NOT - PLEASE SEE THE TALK PAGE-->
-'''''Alice in Wonderland''''' (1966) is a [[BBC]] [[television play]], shot on film, based on ''[[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland]]'' by [[Lewis Carroll]]. It was directed by [[Jonathan Miller]], then best known for his appearance in the satirical revue ''[[Beyond the Fringe]]''.
+'''''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]]''.
-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?'"<ref>{{Cite web
+Miller's production is unique among live-action ''Alice'' films in that he consciously avoided the standard [[John Tenniel|Tenniel]]-inspired costume design and "florid" production values. Most of the [[Wonderland (fictional country)|Wonderland]] characters are played by actors in standard [[Victorian fashion|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?'"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thill |first=Scott |date=November 2003 |title=Jonathan Miller's Alice in Wonderland (1966) on DVD |url=http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/42/alice.php |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230625094245/https://brightlightsfilm.com/jonathan-millers-alice-in-wonderland-1966-on-dvd/ |archive-date=25 June 2023 |access-date=14 June 2010 |work=Bright Lights Film Journal, Issue #42}}</ref>
- | last = Thill
- | first = Scott
- | title = Jonathan Miller's Alice in Wonderland (1966) on DVD
- | work=Bright Lights Film Journal, Issue #42
- | date = November 2003
- | url = http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/42/alice.php
- | accessdate = 14 June 2010}}</ref>
+Unlike many 1960s BBC productions, the play survived destruction, and was issued onto DVD by both the [[BFI]] and the [[BBC]] themselves.
-The play featured a number of prominent British actors including [[Michael Redgrave]] (as the Caterpillar), [[John Gielgud]] (as the Mock Turtle),and [[Peter Sellers]] (as the King of Hearts), as well as two of Miller's fellow cast members from ''Beyond the Fringe'', [[Peter Cook]] and [[Alan Bennett]] as the Mad Hatter and the Mouse, respectively. The title role was played by [[Anne-Marie Mallik]], the 13-year-old daughter of a Surrey barrister, this being her only known acting performance. [[Wilfrid Brambell]] played the [[White Rabbit]], [[Michael Gough]] (who later appeared in [[Tim Burton]]'s [[Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)|2010 film adaptation]]) and [[Wilfrid Lawson (actor)|Wilfrid Lawson]] were the March Hare and the Dormouse, [[Alison Leggatt]] was the Queen of Hearts, and [[Leo McKern]] did a drag turn as the Ugly Duchess. The journalist and broadcasting personality [[Malcolm Muggeridge]] was The Gryphon. [[John Bird (actor)|John Bird]] played the Fish Footman. The play also featured a young [[Eric Idle]], several years before [[Monty Python]] brought him notice, uncredited as a member of the Caucus Race. [[David Battley]] appears briefly as the Executioner.
+==Cast==
-Interior scenes were shot at [[Netley Hospital]], a mid-19th-century building that was demolished not long after the film was made.<ref>Also known as the Royal Victoria Military Hospital, Netley Hospital was the world's longest building at the time it was completed.</ref>
+* [[John Gielgud]] as the [[Mock Turtle]]
+* [[Peter Cook]] as the [[Hatter (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)|Mad Hatter]]
+* [[Leo McKern]] as the [[Duchess (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)|Ugly Duchess]]
+* [[Peter Sellers]] as the [[King of Hearts (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)|King of Hearts]]
+* Jo Maxwell Muller as Alice's sister
+* [[Finlay Currie]] as the [[Dodo (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)|Dodo]]
+* [[Michael Redgrave]] as the [[Caterpillar (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)|Caterpillar]]
+* [[Anne-Marie Mallik]] as [[Alice (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)|Alice]]
+* [[Alan Bennett]] as the [[Mouse (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)|Mouse]]
+* [[Wilfrid Brambell]] as the [[White Rabbit]]
+* [[Michael Gough]] as the [[March Hare]]
+* [[Wilfrid Lawson (actor)|Wilfrid Lawson]] as [[the Dormouse]]
+* [[Peter Eyre]] as the [[Knave of Hearts (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)|Knave of Hearts]]
+* [[Avril Elgar]] as Peppercook
+* [[Alison Leggatt]] as the [[Queen of Hearts (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)|Queen of Hearts]]
+* [[Malcolm Muggeridge]] as the [[Gryphon (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)|Gryphon]]
+* [[John Bird (actor)|John Bird]] as the [[List of minor characters in the Alice series#Frog Footman|Frog Footman]]
+* [[David Battley]] as [[List of minor characters in the Alice series#The Executioner|the Executioner]]
+* [[Eric Idle]] (''uncredited'') as a member of the Caucus Race
+==Production==
-The courtroom scene was shot at the BBC's [[Ealing Studios]] and involved the building of the largest set that Stage 2 at Ealing had ever seen.<ref>David Martin ''A History of the BBC's Film Department'' (1983)</ref>
+Interiors were filmed at [[Netley Hospital]], a mid-19th-century building that was demolished not long after the film was made.<ref>Also known as the Royal Victoria Military Hospital, Netley Hospital was the world's longest building at the time it was completed.</ref>{{Better source needed|date=August 2021}} Beach scenes with the Gryphon and the Mock Turtle were filmed at [[Pett]] Level in East Sussex.{{Citation needed|date=August 2021}} 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.<ref>David Martin ''A History of the BBC's Film Department'' (1983){{Deep link needed|date=August 2021}}</ref>
+In July 1966 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.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Castle Donington Local History Society |title=Donington Hall and Park, An Illustrated History |year=1991}}</ref>
-[[Ravi Shankar]] wrote the music for the production, which was first broadcast on 28 December 1966.
 ==References==
@@ Line 49: / Line 63: @@
 ==External links==
-* {{Imdb title|id=0060089|title=Alice in Wonderland}}
+* {{IMDb title|id=0060089|title=Alice in Wonderland}}
-* [http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/1065750/index.html Alice in Wonderland] (BFI)
+* [http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/1065750/index.html ''Alice in Wonderland''] (BFI)
 *[http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/40635/alice-in-wonderland/ DVD Review of 1966 BBC adaptation] at DVDTalk.com
 *[http://www.mlang.name/lewis/miller.html "Jonathan Miller and Childhood", DVD review] from ''Lewis Carroll Review''
@@ Line 59: / Line 73: @@
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Alice in Wonderland (1966 TV play)}}
 [[Category:1966 television films]]
+[[Category:1966 films]]
 [[Category:1960s fantasy films]]
 [[Category:BBC television dramas]]
 [[Category:Films based on Alice in Wonderland]]
 [[Category:1966 television plays]]
-[[Category:Film scores by Ravi Shankar]]
+[[Category:Films scored by Ravi Shankar]]
+[[Category:Television articles with incorrect naming style]]
+[[Category:1960s English-language films]]
+[[Category:Films directed by Jonathan Miller]]