It all started with Alice...
September 23, 2009 3:04 PM Subscribe
Last month, Virginia Davis passed away at 90 years of age. She was the real life (warning: lousy formatting) little girl (warning: teh kyoot) whom Walt Disney sent into the land of cartoons, responding to the popularity of Max Fleisher's Out of the Inkwell series, which used his "rotoscope" and brought cartoon figures into filmed space. Walt reversed the formula, and found his first star.
1923: Alice's Wonderland
1924:
Alice's Day at Sea 1 2
Alice's Spooky Adventure
Alice's Wild West Show
Alice's Fishy Story 1 2
Alice and the Dog Catcher 1 2
Alice Gets in Dutch
Alice and the Three Bears
1925:
Alice Cans the Cannibals
Alice the Toreador
Alice Gets Stung
Alice Solves the Puzzle
Alice Loses Out
Alice is Stage Struck
Alice Picks the Champ
Alice the Jail Bird
Alice's Tin Pony
Alice Chops the Suey
Alice Rattled By Rats
Alice in the Jungle
1923: Alice's Wonderland
1924:
Alice's Day at Sea 1 2
Alice's Spooky Adventure
Alice's Wild West Show
Alice's Fishy Story 1 2
Alice and the Dog Catcher 1 2
Alice Gets in Dutch
Alice and the Three Bears
1925:
Alice Cans the Cannibals
Alice the Toreador
Alice Gets Stung
Alice Solves the Puzzle
Alice Loses Out
Alice is Stage Struck
Alice Picks the Champ
Alice the Jail Bird
Alice's Tin Pony
Alice Chops the Suey
Alice Rattled By Rats
Alice in the Jungle
What a coincidence, I recently was introduced to these cartoons at The Alamo Drafthouse (the South Lamar location). They play silent movies and films in the lobby.
The Alice cartoon they played was "Alice's Egg Plant" where an evil Commie Chicken tries to get Alice's hens to stop laying eggs and brainwash them with some kind of crazy idea about unions or fair pay or something.
posted by fontophilic at 3:23 PM on September 23, 2009
The Alice cartoon they played was "Alice's Egg Plant" where an evil Commie Chicken tries to get Alice's hens to stop laying eggs and brainwash them with some kind of crazy idea about unions or fair pay or something.
posted by fontophilic at 3:23 PM on September 23, 2009
That was the first one I saw too, fontophilic! Little Red Henski!
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 3:29 PM on September 23, 2009
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 3:29 PM on September 23, 2009
Alice? Who the fuck is Alice?
posted by OwlBoy at 3:42 PM on September 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by OwlBoy at 3:42 PM on September 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
I'd seen the 1923 Alice and had no idea there were so many shorts with her. I'll have to watch them all. Thanks!
posted by immlass at 3:42 PM on September 23, 2009
posted by immlass at 3:42 PM on September 23, 2009
I really should have added a link for those who did not get my reference. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsrfovOPcjk
posted by OwlBoy at 3:43 PM on September 23, 2009
posted by OwlBoy at 3:43 PM on September 23, 2009
There are around 40 more Alice Comedies with other actresses out there, which I haven't compiled here, immlass!
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 3:46 PM on September 23, 2009
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 3:46 PM on September 23, 2009
OMG she was *soooo* cute! The warning was not enough! *ded*
These short films are just so lovely. Perfect for the afternoon, thank you!
posted by saturnine at 4:20 PM on September 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
These short films are just so lovely. Perfect for the afternoon, thank you!
posted by saturnine at 4:20 PM on September 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
I know some of the old Mickey shorts were later synched with sound, were any of the Alice shorts redone in such a way?
posted by filthy light thief at 4:20 PM on September 23, 2009
posted by filthy light thief at 4:20 PM on September 23, 2009
filthy light thief: yes, I know Alice's Egg Plant was... this version seems to be pretty old and I'm sure most of them were, at some point. The question of what exactly qualifies as sync sound depends, in a sense, on the exhibition practice. I'd be very interested to see an elucidation on the history of the adjustments to silent shorts' soundtracks, though.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 4:37 PM on September 23, 2009
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 4:37 PM on September 23, 2009
Are these films still under copyright?
posted by Jubal Kessler at 5:06 PM on September 23, 2009
posted by Jubal Kessler at 5:06 PM on September 23, 2009
Nice post! Just wanted to point out that a bunch of these Alice Films have the bobbed-hair Margie Gaye as the star (her first Alice film is Alice Solves the Puzzle); Alice's Egg Plant stars Dawn O'Day (which is a completely awesome name!).
There was a fourth Alice in 1927, Lois Hardwicke.
BTW, Margaret Winkler was the first female film distributor.
More info here.
posted by oneirodynia at 5:18 PM on September 23, 2009
There was a fourth Alice in 1927, Lois Hardwicke.
BTW, Margaret Winkler was the first female film distributor.
More info here.
posted by oneirodynia at 5:18 PM on September 23, 2009
Jubal Kessler: Disney didn't copyright any films at all until late 1926.
posted by oneirodynia at 5:19 PM on September 23, 2009
posted by oneirodynia at 5:19 PM on September 23, 2009
So she was 90 in 2009, so that makes her 0 in 1919, or 4 in 1923. Wow.
And what's gonna happen with the big DANGER she's standing in front of...
posted by DU at 5:30 PM on September 23, 2009
And what's gonna happen with the big DANGER she's standing in front of...
posted by DU at 5:30 PM on September 23, 2009
Rest in peace, Alice. Now she really HAS gone down the rabbit hole. I bet she took the red pill.
posted by jamstigator at 6:52 PM on September 23, 2009
posted by jamstigator at 6:52 PM on September 23, 2009
Terrific post, thanks!
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:08 PM on September 23, 2009
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:08 PM on September 23, 2009
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