Reviews of silent film releases on home video. Copyright © 1999-2024 by Carl Bennett and the Silent Era Company. All Rights Reserved.

Alice in Cartoonland by Walt Disney (1925-1927)

Contents: Alice Chops the Suey (1925), Alice in the Jungle (1925), Alice Rattled by Rats (1925), Alice’s Egg Plant (1925), Alice Solves the Puzzle (1925), Alice’s Tin Pony (1925), Alice the Jail Bird (1925), Alice’s Balloon Race (1926), Alice’s Orphan (1926), Alice the Whaler (1927), North of Nowhere (1927), Hitting the Trail (1927) and Whales Everywhere [The Prince of Whales] (1927).

Shortly after moving his business from Kansas City to Los Angeles, Walt Disney developed the Alice cartoons that combined cel animation with live-action in the same motion picture frame. Often the star of these cartoons was the Julius the cat character, who created his own trouble or went on adventures with Alice.

Alice is portrayed by Virginia Davis (1923-1925), Dawn Evelyn Paris (also known as Dawn O’Day and Anne Shirley — 1925), Margie Gay (1925-1926) and Lois Hardwick (1927) in the films in this collection.

In 1927 the Alice series was discontinued in favor of Disney’s new character developed for Universal, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.

This DVD collection features a number of 35mm prints held in the Kit Parker Films collection. Alice Chops the Suey (1925), Alice in the Jungle (1925), Alice Rattled by Rats (1925), Alice’s Egg Plant (1925), Alice Solves the Puzzle (1925), Alice’s Tin Pony (1925), Alice the Jail Bird (1925), Alice’s Balloon Race (1926) are all presented from Raytone Pictures synchronized sound rerelease prints. The image quality of these films is very-good. Alice’s Orphan (1926) is presented from what appears to be a 1926 print but with a synchronized sound rerelease soundtrack; the image quality is very-good. Alice the Whaler (1927) is presented from a 1927 print but with a synchronized sound rerelease soundtrack; the image quality is very-good to excellent.

The supplemental material includes three Life Cartoon Comedies (Krazy Kid Cartoons) produced in 1927 that have been transferred from 35mm nitrate negatives produced for synchronized sound rerelease of the cartoons in 1931. The image quality of these films is very-good to excellent. The supplemental section also includes Alice filmographies of the four actresses who portrayed Alice: Virginia Davis, Margie Gay, Dawn Evelyn Paris (also known as Dawn O’Day and Anne Shirley), and Lois Hardwick. A brief essay by J.B. Kaufman and Russell Merritt on the Alice cartoons, with production notes, and a brief Disney biography rounds out the extras.

Several of these films are only available on home video in this collection, which was rereleased in modified and rebranded packaging (Sprocket Vault) but with the exact same VCI DVD inside. The collection is recommended.

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Other ANIMATION FILMS of the silent era available on home video.