Storyboard of Alice in the White Rabbit's House

 There's been a lot of activity here in the Tulgey Wood these past few weeks.  Work has been creeping along to get the collection room back into shape, and that means that I've been through every storage bin and portfolio as we decide what stays and what goes.  We've also started using the gargantuan flat file we purchased about 5 years ago, now as a staging area and eventually as a final home for some of the larger paper thing like posters and large art.  

To that end, I've uncovered some art that hasn't seen the light of day in quite some time, including this wonderful painted storyboard of Alice entering the front door of the White Rabbit's house in search of his gloves.  It is unclear who the artist is, way back in the 1990s it was shopped around as Mary Blair, but I'm not sure about that.  Regardless it is a great piece with lots of very nice details.  I especially love the rabbit family portrait headed up the stairs.

I must say the finished film matches quite well with this concept piece, although the 'carrot under glass' in the film is a better visual gag than the 'roses under glass' in the concept.  

Model Sheet of Alice from February 1950 - a Recent Addition!

Over the years I've been very successful in finding model sheets of many of the characters from the film, including some very odd ones indeed.  And as one might expect, there were several of Alice herself.  But for the past 32 years one of the Alice sheets has eluded me, but no longer!  Sheet 250-7 is finally in the collection!

This sheet has a couple of very famous poses, most - if not all - taken from the Caterpillar sequence.  The central image is of Alice leaning on the mushroom listening raptly to the Caterpillar, and the image just below it is of Alice saying "...who you are first?"  Feels good to finally have this sheet after so many years.

Sunday News September 9, 1951

This is truly spectacular.  This is a copy of the Sunday News, the Sunday supplement of the New York Daily News from September 9, 1951.  That in and of itself is not that spectacular, even though it does have a very nice cover featuring Anne Francis of Forbidden Planet and Honey West fame.

No, the spectacular part is on the very next page, the inside front cover to be exact, which sports - in glorious full-color rotogravure - an amazing photo of Kathryn Beaumont speaking animatedly to her Wonderland friends in doll form.  I do find it amusing that whoever wrote the caption got the two rabbits mixed up.

These dolls have appeared before in several black and white photos, and while it is never clear what exactly they are, it now seems UN-likely that they are Lars of Italy (thanks to the keen eye of uber collector Mel Birkrant).  They could be custom made just for the studio or even by the studio, but regardless, this is just an amazing image.  And a rare full color image from the time.

70th Anniversary of the US Premiere

 Yes, that's right, the world premiere was 2 days before the US premiere.  Walt was doing a big push in the UK what with having so many productions active over there using up money in limbo.  So a great excuse for a big 'do across the pond.  But that doesn't mean interesting things didn't happen back here in the US.  Here are two items that are favorites in the collection, both have been posted before, but I think they deserve another day in the spotlight.  First up is a press preview ticket for the film, a full month before the premiere!

This is such a cool piece of ephemera, something that the studio would have mailed to various publications so they could review the film prior to release.  It is amazing things like this survive at all, means that whomever received it didn't go!  My thanks to you, unnamed press guy.

Next is a studio preview ticket, for 2 weeks before the premiere.  Again, the only reason this survived is they didn't go!  Which I find hard to believe.  Wouldn't you go to a preview of the most hotly anticipated film from the studio in ages if you could?

I owe a particular debt of gratitude to John Koukoutsakis for this post.  

Key Matching Cel and Master Background

Yeah baby!  One of the final holy grail items for the collection is now safely ensconced in the Tulgey Wood:  a key MATCHING cel and master background!  Woohoo!  Great scene of Alice running through the Tulgey Wood following the Mome Rath path, just before she encounters the Brush Dog.  What a treat.  A great beginning to a new era.

Happy New Year 2018!

Happy New Year!  It has been a while since I've posted, you know that pesky real life.  But I hope to have some interesting news in the next few weeks, so stay tuned!  In the mean time, enjoy this new addition to the Tulgey Wood - a very nice Mary Blair of Alice with the Cheshire Cat.

Mary Blair Alice in the Bottle on the Sea of Tears

What a cool image, I'm not sure I've ever seen a Mary Blair quite like this one.  I love the fish underwater and bubbles.  And at 8x10 it is quite large.  

Mary Blair Alice at the Tea Party

Well, I don't know about you, but I certainly can't seem to get enough of Mary Blair - certainly not in the past few weeks anyway!  I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been able to acquire this Mary Blair.  It features Alice, the White Rabbit (?), the Mad Hatter, and the Dormouse all at the mad tea party astride a very large tea service.  How cool is this!

I just love the swirling steam and the detailed line work in the objects and flora.  Genius.

Mary Blair Cheshire Cat Playing with His Head

I love images of the Cat playing with his head, it's just so bizarre!  This Mary Blair was tailor made for me, the only improvement would have been if he was standing on it!

As with the previous piece, the atmosphere is dark and moody - perfect for the Tulgey Wood, and especially so for the Cheshire Cat.  And again, great line work details for the foliage of the tree.

Mary Blair Alice Approaching the Tulgey Wood

It has finally happened - there is a Mary Blair in the house!  Woohoo!  I was lucky enough to acquire not one, but two Mary Blair concept paintings, this being the first.

We seem to specialize in images of Alice's back here at the blog and this is no exception.  But I do love the signs at the entrance of the Tulgey Wood, and the dark line work of the trees surrounding the clearing just before she enters.  Stay tuned for #2 soon!

Dog Flower Mum Cel

This is a cool little cel, once of flowers from the Live Garden, looks to be a mum.

This little guy appears in the scene where Alice is fleeing the mean flowers and it barks at her on her way out.  I like the fact that this is a full cel and retains it notatations in the lower right corner.

Actor / Character Comparison Still - Alice and Kathryn Beaumont - Riding the Bird in the Caucus Race

The last of the comparison photos, this time Alice again!  Poor Kathy was so tormented by the animators during the live action reference filming.

Where was OSHA back then?

Actor / Character Comparison Still - The Mad Hatter and Ed Wynn

Never has Disney cast a better voice.  Ed Wynn's lispy Hatter is just fantastic.  And his improv skills proved better than the writers as his live action reference footage from the Mad Tea Party was so good, they used it as the vocal track rather than the studio recorded version.

While he later went on to portray Uncle Albert in Mary Poppins, he will always be the Mad Hatter to me.

Actor / Character Comparison Still - The March Hare and Jerry Colonna

The March Hare is the epitome of Jerry Colonna's crazy personality - or is it the other way 'round?

Regardless, they couldn't have made a better casting choice for this character.  "Just half a cup if you don't mind."

Actor / Character Comparison Still - Alice and Kathryn Beaumont - Sliding Down the Table Leg

This particular image was very popular during the months preceding the release of Alice in 1951, it was featured in several magazine articles promoting Disney's latest all-cartoon film!

I must say I do love images of the various tortures they put Kathy through during her live-action reference.

Actor / Character Comparison Still - The Cheshire Cat and Sterling Holloway

Sterling Holloway's toothy grin perfectly suits this comparison still with the Cheshire Cat.  I must say I think his performance is pretty damn special. I know he was the voice for many characters over the years, but to me (not surprisingly) this is his best.

Pooh fans, don't hate me :-)

Actor / Character Comparison Still - The Caterpillar and Richard Haydn

Since the Caterpillar is my favorite character, I was very excited to find this still of Richard Haydn as the Caterpillar.

I just love that they dressed him up in turban and such, but I don't know what the writing on the 'hookah' means, do you?

Actor / Character Comparison Still - Alice and Kathryn Beaumont

A long time ago I found a still that had lots of little tiny images of the various actors with their animated counterparts.  Recently I came across the full size still for several of those images, so let's have a series!

First up is, of course, Alice!

This still was used a lot back in the day, and the image of Kathy was practically ubiquitous.  But nonetheless, a cool still.  The animated Alice appears to be from the Caterpillar sequence based on the leaves in the background.  Haven't had a chance to find the exact image in the film, perhaps later in my voluminous spare time.

Mock Turtle Pastel Storyboard

I love this little storyboard, the Mock Turtle just looks so shocked, or maybe stunned.  Whatever is supposed to be going on in this scene, he was clearly not made aware of it in advance.

I don't know who did this particular piece of art, but if I had to guess I'd put my money on Bill Peet.

One From the Wall - Alice Studio Setup with Walt Signature

We've recently acquired one of our Holy Grail items here in the Tulgey Wood, a Walt Disney signed cel setup.

I love this cel. It is from the very first sequence that was animated, when Alice encounters the Caterpillar.  Several things mark this as such. First, Alice's face is rounder and more childlike than in the rest of the film.  Second, the color of Alice's collar is a lighter shade of blue than the rest of her dress. One can only assume that it was (wisely) decided that it would have been way too much trouble to animate her dress that way throughout the entire film. Third (but only audibly) Kathy's voice is much younger sounding in this sequence than in any other. 

I've always wanted a cel from this sequence, and a Walt signed cel?  Killed two birds with one stone with this acquisition.

I also figured something out, like a bolt from the blue.  Remember this cel setup from before, the one that Walt *almost* showed on national television?

I always wondered why the mat board at the bottom was so much wider than at the top.  And now I know:  To allow for Walt's enormous signature!  Guess he just never got around to signing my other setup.  Oh well, probably a good thing, it would've cost me a whole lot more than it already did!