Once upon a time, adult movies could be kind of classy. Nowadays anyone with a cellphone and an OnlyFans side hustle can crank out a “movie.” But back in the ’70s before the rise of the VCR, adult movies tried harder to entertain an audience. They had plots and not merely keywords. They attempted to be like a normal low budget Hollywood movie except with a cast that didn’t insist on body doubles. Sometimes these adult films went even further by having original songs. Alice In Wonderland became a box office sensation in 1976 as an adult film that was a musical.
Alice (Kristine De Bell) as very prim and proper librarian who isn’t sure what do about her eager boyfriend (Ron Wilson). She contemplates what to do while singing. Is she ready to go all the way? While reading Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice falls asleep. She wakes up when a large white rabbit (Larry Gelman) appears amongst the bookshelves. She chases after him and ends up in Wonderland. What proceeds is pretty much the same story that you saw when Disney animated the book. The big difference is Alice and the characters get freaky during the adventure. As the Mad Hatter (Alan Novak) points out, that number in his hat isn’t his hat size. You might want to card your Chesire Cat before hitting play.
Alice In Wonderland was released in two different cuts. The producer snipped out three minutes of the more graphic moments and the MPAA rewarded him with an R Rating. This is what played at some of your less family friendly theaters. What’s interesting is he also released the X rated cut to the adult theaters in the same markets. You could take a date to see the movie if you went to the right theater. The double release strategy went great. Reportedly the film made nearly $90 million. Remember that during this time before VCRs, an adult theater might run a film that’s been out for a few years if there was an audience.
What’s amazing being in an X-rated Alice in Wonderland didn’t ruin the key actors’ careers. You’d expect someone like Kristine De Bell would have been stuck making adult films in the valley. She was able to work at the major studios. She was in Robert Zemeckis’ I Wanna Hold Your Hand a few years later. She followed that up with Barbra Streisand’s The Main Event. She played a fellow camp counselor with Bill Murray in Meatballs. She gained international fame as Jackie Chan’s girlfriend in Battle Creek Brawl. She didn’t sing and dance herself into bleak dead end. She’s still acting. Larry Gelman was already an in-demand comic actor appearing in Disney movies including Superdad and The Strongest Man In the World. He’d been a recurring character on The Odd Couple. After playing the White Rabbit (where he never took off his fur), Gelman appeared in every network TV show of the era. He did Touched By the Angel. De Bell and Gelman elevated the film and I’m happy that it didn’t damage their careers. You can almost think you’re watching a ’70s TV adaptation of the story until one of the characters drops their pants. Maybe in the pre-internet world, there wasn’t the same sort of scandal since you had to admit how you knew they appeared in the adults only movie.
If you crave an example of how cool an adult movie could be in the mid-70s, Alice In Wonderland is perfect. They shot outdoors at a lush Taconic Park State Park in New York. The music has an orchestra and isn’t just a “getting it on” bass riff. The songs are catchy. Sit back and enjoy Alice in an adults only Wonderland.
The Video is 1.78:1 anamorphic. The transfer must look better than the print that ran at the Studio One. You’ll see alot on the screen. The Audio is Dolby Digital 2.0. The songs sound fine.
No bonus features.
Impulse Picture presents Alice In Wonderland. Directed by Bud Townsend. Screenplay by Bucky Searles. Starring Kristine De Bell, Larry Gelman, Alan Novak, Terri Hall, Jason Williams, Ron Nelson, Bucky Searles, Gila Havana, J. P. Paradine, Bree Anthony, Tony Richards, Nancy Dare, Bruce Finklesteen & Juliet Graham. Running Time: 78 minutes. Rating: Rated X. Release Date: February 6, 2024.
