This past weekend Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" was released. I've seen it twice all ready. I love the original story of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass". It has got me to thinking how much the stories have been an influence in my life.
Like most people, I was introduced to them via Walt Disney's version that was originally released in 1951. However, I saw it for the first time at a family reunion at one of my mother's rich relatives houses
who was rich enough to actually own a VCR when they first came out. While the adults visited they put on this strange movie about a girl who falls down a rabbit hole, speaks to a disappearing cat, finds out it's her unbirthday and almost gets her head chopped off by a scary Queen covered in hearts. I loved all the nonsense and the puns and sheer comedy of it. I loved reading as a child (still do) and was quite pleased to find out that Alice's Adventures were in a story that seemed to be even funnier than the movie, though a bit different.
When we were able to rent videos, one of them most likely would be "Alice in Wonderland". My family loved it as well. Over time we saw different versions on TV and my brother brought home a book and record from one of the musicals. The book eventually got lost but we kept the record which had four songs on it, two of which my sister and I would listen to ov
er and over - "The Pun Song" and "The White Rabbit's Song".
On a trip to visit our Grandma we blew a tire in the canyon, just past Soldier Summit and had to wait for my uncle to come with a replacement.
While we waited out by the fence keeping the cattle in, Paul found a teacup that was literally in half, just like the March Hare had in Disney's version and without a beat Paul lifted it and said, "Just a half cup, please." That memory is relived every time we pass by that area.
When my family started going to Disneyland, one of my favorite rides were the Teacups as the Mad Tea Party is my favorite scene. Heather and I loved the ride and every visit afterwards we choose the same tea cup, the one with blue and gold trimmed flowers to ride in and always get a picture in it. Unfortunately, none of them are on this computer or I would post them.
In High School we had to write about our favorite author, and of course mine was about Lewis Carroll.
One of the first things I bought when I got my first job was an "Alice in Wonderland" shirt for my mom, a purple "tea"-shirt with embroidered characters along the bust. I wasn't sure that she would like it but she loved it and wore it until it was practically threads.
And I can imitate Disney's Mad Hatter to a "tea" LOL
I would also wager that not a week goes by that I don't throw out a "BUTTAH!" or "Exactickly".
Essentially, I want to thank Lewis Carroll aka Charles Dobson for that golden afternoon that he told the story to the real Alice and her sisters, even if he was a creep.
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