Alice in Wonderland (1931)

Alice in Wonderland is an independently made black-and-white Pre-Code American film based on Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, directed by Bud Pollard, produced by Hugo Maienthau, and filmed at Metropolitan Studios in Fort Lee, New Jersey.

ABOUT THE FILM

The first Wonderland in sound was filmed in New Jersey! Directed by Bud Pollard and starring Ruth Gilbert as Alice. In the 30's, there was an "Alicemania" because of the centenary of Lewis Carroll's birth. Even the "real" Alice herself came to New York City for the celebrations in 1932 (she was 80 at the time). It's probable that this movie was made to capitalize on the Alice craze.

The result...to be truthful it's not a "good" movie or a fantastic Alice adaptation, however, it's historically interesting and it does have its own peculiar charm. The screenplay is not based off the book itself, but of a popular stage adaptation: Mrs. Burton Harrison's 1898 script "Alice in Wonderland: a Play for Children in Three Acts." It's relatively faithful, but adds a few things; most bizarrely, a love affair between the Duchess and the White Rabbit.