The Alice Comedies are a series of live-action animated shorts created by Walt Disney and produced by Winkler Pictures. It features a live action little girl named Alice (originally played by Virginia Davis) and an animated cat named Julius having adventures in an animated landscape. The shorts were the first series by what ultimately became Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Alice's Wonderland Disney, Ub Iwerks, and their staff made the first Alice Comedy, a one-reel (ten-minute) 1923 short subject titled Alice's Wonderland, while still heading the failing Laugh-O-Gram Studio in Kansas City, Missouri.
Alice's Wonderland begins with Alice entering a cartoon studio to witness cartoons being created. Alice is amazed by what she sees: the cartoon characters come to life and play around. After heading to bed that night, she dreams of being in the cartoon world, welcomed by all of the characters. Alice plays with them until a group of lions break free from a cage and chase her. Though never released theatrically, this short pioneered live-action animated films with its contemporary, Bray Productions' Out of the Inkwell series.
The Alice Comedies series begins
After completing the film, the studio went bankrupt and was forced to shut down. After raising money by working as a freelance photographer, Disney bought a one-way train ticket to Los Angeles, California to live with his uncle Robert and his brother Roy. In California, Disney continued to send out proposals for the Alice series, in hopes of obtaining a distribution agreement. A deal was finally arranged through Winkler Pictures, run by Margaret Winkler and her fiancé, Charles Mintz. Because of a recent falling out with Pat Sullivan, the studio needed a quick replacement for their centerpiece Felix the Cat animated series. Disney convinced Davis's family to bring her from Missouri to Los Angeles to star in the series.The Hand Behind the Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story, Leslie Iwerks, Walt Disney Pictures, 1999
Shorts and subsequent releases Walt Disney directed all 57 films in this series. Over the course of the series, four actresses played Alice: Virginia Davis (15), Margie Gay (31), Dawn O'Day (1) and Lois Hardwick (10). The film Alice in the Jungle contains only archival footage of Virginia Davis.
Non-theatrical distribution of Alice's Wonderland was handled by the New York branch of Pictorial Clubs Inc. through an arrangement with Pathé Exchange, who copyrighted the short as Alice in Slumberland on September 29, 1926. In May 1926, it was announced that Film Booking Offices of America would release what would ultimately be the last 26 shorts in the series. The copyrights to the FBO-released shorts were assigned to R-C Pictures, while the copyrights to Alice Solves the Puzzle and Alice Wins the Derby were assigned to M. J. Winkler. In March 1930, Raytone Pictures (later known as Syndicate Pictures) announced it was re-releasing 18 Alice Comedies shorts with music and sound recorded by Brunswick. They were released between September 1, 1930 and May 15, 1931.
The shorts in this series are now all in the public domain in the United States, being either never registered or not renewed by copyright owners RKO Pictures (successor to FBO) and Columbia Pictures (owner of Winkler Pictures). In 2000, Inkwell Images released Alice in Cartoonland – The Original Alice Comedies by Walt Disney in VHS, and in 2007 in DVD as part of the Golden Classics series with ten of the films as well as a documentary, poster gallery, and DVD ROM. In 2007, Kit Parker Films released another DVD called Alice in Cartoonland: The 35mm Collector's Set. In 2005 and again in 2007, ten shorts in the series were released as part of the Walt Disney Treasures series. Seven were part of the Disney Rarities that was released in 2005, while three more were released as part of The Adventures of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, released in 2007.
In 2016, Alice shorts held by the EYE Film Institute in Amsterdam were restored for global re-release.
A total of 16 Alice Comedies shorts are thought to be lost, and 1 Alice Comedies short (Alice's Auto Race) has been partially found.
# Title Release date Actress Status or DVD release(s) Notes 1 Alice's Wonderland N/A Virginia Davis Walt Disney Treasures: Disney Rarities: Celebrated Shorts, 1920s–1960s Special "Un-Anniversary" Edition of Alice in Wonderland 2 Alice's Day at Sea March 1, 1924 Virginia Davis 3 Alice's Spooky Adventure April 1, 1924 Virginia Davis 4 Alice's Wild West Show May 1, 1924 Virginia Davis Walt Disney Treasures: Disney Rarities: Celebrated Shorts, 1920s–1960s 5 Alice's Fishy Story June 1, 1924 Virginia Davis 6 Alice and the Dog Catcher July 1, 1924 Virginia Davis 7 Alice the Peacemaker August 1, 1924 Virginia Davis 8 Alice Gets in Dutch November 1, 1924 Virginia Davis Walt Disney Treasures: Disney Rarities: Celebrated Shorts, 1920s–1960s 9 Alice Hunting in Africa November 15, 1924 Virginia Davis 10 Alice and the Three Bears December 1, 1924 Virginia Davis 11 Alice the Piper December 15, 1924 Virginia Davis 12 Alice Cans the Cannibals January 1, 1925 Virginia Davis A copy with added music was uploaded to the Cult Cinema Classics YouTube channel on April 14, 2024. 13 Alice the Toreador January 15, 1925 Virginia Davis Alice in Cartoonland – The Original Alice Comedies by Walt Disney 14 Alice Gets Stung February 1, 1925 Virginia Davis Walt Disney Treasures: The Adventures of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Sound version released October 15, 1930 15 Alice Solves the Puzzle February 15, 1925 Margie Gay Alice in Cartoonland – The Original Alice Comedies by Walt Disney The first appearance of what would become Pete. Sound version released April 15, 1931 16 Alice's Egg Plant May 30, 1925 Dawn O'Day Walt Disney Treasures: Disney Rarities: Celebrated Shorts, 1920s–1960s The first named appearance of Julius the Cat Sound version released December 1, 1930 17 Alice Loses Out June 15, 1925 Margie Gay Sound version released March 1, 1931 18 Alice Gets Stage Struck June 30, 1925 Margie Gay Alice in Cartoonland – The Original Alice Comedies by Walt Disney Sound version released January 15, 1931 19 Alice Wins the Derby July 15, 1925 Margie Gay Alice in Cartoonland – The Original Alice Comedies by Walt Disney Sound version released November 15, 1930 20 Alice Picks the Champ July 30, 1925 Margie Gay Formerly lost Sound version released March 15, 1931 21 Alice's Tin Pony August 15, 1925 Margie Gay Alice in Cartoonland – 35 mm Collector's Set Sound version released September 15, 1930 22 Alice Chops the Suey August 30, 1925 Margie Gay Alice in Cartoonland – 35 mm Collector's Set Sound version released February 1, 1931 23 Alice the Jail Bird September 15, 1925 Margie Gay Alice in Cartoonland – 35 mm Collector's Set Sound version released November 1, 1930 24 Alice Plays Cupid October 15, 1925 Margie Gay Formerly lost Sound version released April 1, 1931 25 Alice Rattled by Rats November 15, 1925 Margie Gay Alice in Cartoonland – The Original Alice Comedies by Walt Disney Technicolor Dreams - And Black & White Nightmares Sound version released May 1, 1931 26 Alice in the Jungle December 15, 1925 Virginia Davis Walt Disney Treasures: Disney Rarities: Celebrated Shorts, 1920s–1960s Sound version released January 1, 1931 27 Alice on the Farm January 1, 1926 Margie Gay Alice in Cartoonland – The Original Alice Comedies by Walt Disney Sound version released October 1, 1930 28 Alice's Balloon Race January 15, 1926 Margie Gay Walt Disney Treasures: The Adventures of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Sound version released December 15, 1930 29 Alice's Orphan January 15, 1926 Margie Gay Alice in Cartoonland – The Original Alice Comedies by Walt Disney Sound version released February 15, 1931 30 Alice's Little Parade February 1, 1926 Margie Gay A copy was uploaded to the Cult Cinema Classics YouTube channel on June 9, 2024. Sound version released September 1, 1930 31 Alice's Mysterious Mystery February 15, 1926 Margie Gay Walt Disney Treasures: Disney Rarities: Celebrated Shorts, 1920s–1960s Sound version released May 15, 1931 32 Alice Charms the Fish September 6, 1926 Margie Gay Lost cartoon First Alice Comedies short to be distributed by the Film Booking Offices of America. 33 Alice's Monkey Business September 20, 1926 Margie Gay Lost cartoon 34 Alice in the Wooly West October 4, 1926 Margie Gay Walt Disney Treasures: The Adventures of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit 35 Alice the Fire Fighter October 18, 1926 Margie Gay 36 Alice Cuts the Ice November 1, 1926 Margie Gay Lost cartoon 37 Alice Helps the Romance November 15, 1926 Margie Gay Formerly lost 38 Alice's Spanish Guitar November 29, 1926 Margie Gay 39 Alice's Brown Derby December 13, 1926 Margie Gay 40 Alice the LumberJack December 27, 1926 Margie Gay Lost cartoon 41 Alice the Golf Bug January 10, 1927 Margie Gay Lost cartoon 42 Alice Foils the Pirates January 24, 1927 Margie Gay Lost cartoon 43 Alice at the Carnival February 10, 1927 Margie Gay Lost cartoon 44 Alice at the Rodeo February 21, 1927 Margie Gay Formerly lost 45 Alice the Collegiate March 7, 1927 Margie Gay Lost cartoon 46 Alice in the Alps March 21, 1927 Margie Gay Lost cartoon 47 Alice's Auto Race April 4, 1927 Margie Gay Partially lost cartoon 48 Alice's Circus Daze April 18, 1927 Lois Hardwick Formerly lost 49 Alice's Knaughty Knight May 2, 1927 Lois Hardwick Lost cartoon 50 Alice's Three Bad Eggs May 16, 1927 Lois Hardwick Lost cartoon 51 Alice's Picnic May 30, 1927 Lois Hardwick Lost cartoon 52 Alice's Channel Swim June 13, 1927 Lois Hardwick Lost cartoon 53 Alice in the Klondike June 27, 1927 Lois Hardwick Lost cartoon 54 Alice's Medicine Show July 11, 1927 Lois Hardwick Lost cartoon 55 Alice the Whaler July 25, 1927 Lois Hardwick Walt Disney Treasures: Disney Rarities: Celebrated Shorts, 1920s–1960s 56 Alice the Beach Nut August 8, 1927 Lois Hardwick Lost cartoon Final appearance of Julius the Cat. 57 Alice in the Big League August 22, 1927 Lois Hardwick Final appearance of Pete in the Alice Comedies. Final Alice Comedies short to be distributed by the Film Booking Offices of America. Final Alice Comedies short overall.
See also Animation in the United States during the silent era Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
References
External links
The Alice Comedies at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. from the original on April 4, 2012. Alice in Cartoonland - The Original Alice Comedies by Walt Disney