This brief film is a series of highlights from the 1903 film of “Alice in Wonderland”. The film was made only 37 years after the publication of Lewis Carroll’s book, and only eight years after the advent of film itself. It has been restored by the BFI.
Eight of the 12 original minutes of the film still exist, and have now been restored by the BFI. From the BFI:
“With a running time of just 12 minutes (8 of which survive), ‘Alice in Wonderland’ was the longest film produced in England at that time. Film archivists have been able to restore the film’s original colours for the first time in over 100 years.”
The film music is “Jill in the Box”, composed and performed by Wendy Hiscocks. For more information and to see the full eight minute film, visit the BFI’s site.
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Thank you to Carol Devine.
Fantastic! Interesting to see the effects they used.
Love this. Great to see the entire 8 minutes over at the BFI as well.
Thanks very much to Duncan Mackay for sending this information:
“This version was filmed in Walton-on-Thames (where I grew up). Where this was filmed is now called Hepworth Way after the director.
This is what it looks like now. Not much chance of a Mad-hatter’s tea party… “
A little late here…
Technically speaking, there are several films known to date from around 1887-1888; some might be debatable (because of process), but Roundhay Garden Scene (1888) is pretty much recognized as the first film. So film had been around for at least 15 years (and possibly earlier) by 1903. (I’m assuming you’re referring to the Lumiere film of factory workers as the advent of film.)
Also – I can’t speak specifically to the UK, but filmmaking was well entrenched by 1903 (see the Lumieres, the Australian Salvation Army, and directors such as Alice Guy-Blaché and Georges Méliès for a few examples). This film would have fit in to all that.
But I don’t want to be too pedantic about it. This is a wonderful restoration, and a great window in the past. It *was* from an early period in filmmaking history, it gives a great glimpse into a location 100 years back, and it presents an idea of what Lewis Carroll might’ve had in mind when he wrote the book.