Nice effects though.

Excellent but underrated film

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

This Alice in Wonderland film virtually takes you on a nostalgic journey amongst some of Hollywood's biggest stars of the the early 1930s. Alice falls down the rabbit hole and meets Cary Grant as Mock Turtle, Edna May Oliver as Red Queen, May Robson as the Queen of Hearts, Gary Cooper as White Knight, W.C. Fields as Humpty Dumpty, Edward Everett Horton as the Hatter, and many more notable stars of the day. Charlotte Henry is most delightful playing Alice and does a good job with this fast paced story that moves very quickly through " Wonderland. " The film gives an interesting take on the classic story and is fun to watch trying to spot the actors and actresses through some pretty garish make-up and their very elaborate costumes. Paramount's production of Alice will either satisfy or disappoint, but it is well worth a look if you are interested in films from the early 1930s.

Alice in Wonderland (1933) ** (out of 4)This Paramount adaptation was considered a complete dud when it was first released even though it featured an all-star cast that includes W.C. Field, Gary Cooper and Cary Grant. The film features Charlotte Henry playing the young Alice who goes through the looking glass and finds herself in Wonderland where she encounters all sorts of strange creatures. You know, this is a film that's either going to work on you or its not. For me, the picture simply didn't work for a number of reasons. After watching this movie I looked around to see what others were saying. Many think this film bombed because the all-star cast are pretty much hidden in their costumes and a lot of times you can't make out who is playing what. Others will say the film works because the actors are never put in front of the characters and this here helps stay faithful to the story. Well, normally I'd agree that the story should remain higher up than actors but it's a tad bit different when a studio tries to sell a film on its star power. The star power here actually turns out to be pretty weak because you can't tell who is playing what unless you keep a copy of the cast of characters with you while you watch the picture or you happen to remember the three-minute opening credits where we see the character and the actor playing it. I will say that I thought Henry was pretty good in the role as Alice and managed to make you believe the character. I thought she had the perfect look for Alice and also brought that sense of wonder needed for the material. The special effects for the most part hold up extremely well when viewed today and there's no question that the sets and costumes are impressive. ALICE IN WONDERLAND is a mixed bag for me but the thing is certainly weird enough to where it works as a curio but nothing else.

When i was a kid and would watch this i always thought it was weird and disturbing. when i was really little i remember being sort of afraid of it. now i think it's a hoot.I've always liked black and white films and feel they achieve stark images with lots of contrast. it's even weirder when the film is a fantasy and features a variety of effects and gimmicks, then it really brings out the dream-like qualities of the black and white.I've never thought this film was as fun or delightful as 'The Wizard of Oz' movie, but i've changed my opinion of it and have found a new respect for the film. it isn't as sweet as 'Oz', but it's a lot weirder and freaky. even though i have always really liked Charlotte Henry(little Bo Peep from 'Wooden Soldiers') her performance doesn't have the touching depth of Judy Garland's Dorothy.the only thing here that i found i was still afraid of was W.C. Field's Humpty Dumpty. i just can't get used to it. it's just plain horrifying.the decades of time have softened the shadows and edges of this movie and taken away a lot of it's nightmarish effect. instead of nightmarish, it now seems quaint and kooky.

One of the most unusual projects ever undertaken by a studio was done by Paramount in 1933. Casting young Charlotte Henry in the title role of Lewis Carroll's beloved fantasy, Paramount then cast over 25 of their best known faces, apparently whoever was not working on another film at the moment, as the fantasy creatures she meets on her journey.Today, these same people would just be called on to lend their voices for animation. In fact in the middle, there is an animated version of The Walrus and the Carpenter, showcased for Henry by Jack Oakie and Roscoe Karns as Tweedledum and Tweedledee. Walt Disney later took that easier route in the Fifties with his animated version. But these stars are mostly unrecognizable beneath all that makeup.Yet the voices of such people as Ned Sparks, W.C. Fields, Gary Cooper, and Cary Grant are unmistakable. People like Edna May Oliver, May Robson, and Edward Everett Horton can be recognized. Quite frankly it was a stroke of genius to cast Horton as The Mad Hatter. It's a tossup between Horton and Ed Wynn in the Disney version as to who was the zanier. Horton is probably my favorite from the film, but running a close second is Cary Grant, hidden underneath all that Mock Turtle makeup. This was at the beginning of his career when he was not an icon as of yet. Probably even five years later Paramount might have had trouble casting him that way. His Mock Turtle song and Mock Turtle crying are something to see and hear.Paramount almost closed down during the early Thirties because of the Depression. Alice In Wonderland lost money badly at the box office and got tepid reviews. Seen today it's not as bad as all that and really kind of interesting in a way.