Archive for the ‘Movies’ Category
The First Alice in Wonderland Movie
March 7th, 2010
The new Alice in Wonderland movie is only the latest film adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s novel. There have been over twenty earlier versions. It’s hard to give an exact number — do you want to count the X-rated musical version, the animated sequel Alice in Wonderland in Paris, and the direct-to-TV Muppet version?
The first film version was a 1903 British production directed by Cecil Hepworth and Percy Stow, with Mabel Clark in the role of Alice, and Mrs. Hepworth playing both the White Rabbit and the Red Queen. Only a single incomplete original print has survived, and the British Film Institute has partially restored it. It’s brief and dreamy, but the special effects are pretty good for the time, especially when Alice changes size and is trapped in the White Rabbit’s home. I also really liked the playing card costumes, which are faithful to the original Tenniel illustrations. It really looks like they had a good time making this!
Alice in Wonderland (1903) — More information about this film from BFI Online
Journalism: Looking Back, Looking Ahead
January 10th, 2009
This is a career information film from 1940 makes journalism sound like a great career. Especially if you’re a man. Here’s the advice for girls considering this career choice:
“Women find it difficult to compete with men in general reporting jobs, so girls who want to be successful in journalism should prepare for work in the special women’s departments. Home decoration, child care, gardening and household hints are found in the homemaking section, a department handled by women. Also included are cookery, meal planning suggestions, menus, recipes and attractive ways of arranging the table.”
No, thanks! How confusing this must have been to high school girls in 1940, the same year Rosalind Russell played the fearless star report Hildegard Johnson in His Girl Friday!
