Walt Disney: A Life in Films

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Mel Giedroyc steps into the magical world of Walt Disney.

Mel Giedroyc steps into the magical world of Walt Disney, exploring his extraordinary life through the stories of ten of the much mythologised genius's best-loved works.

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Walt Disney: A Life in Films: 7. Alice in Wonderland

7. Alice in Wonderland

BBC Radio 4 - Walt Disney: A Life in Films, 7. Alice in Wonderland

Mel Giedroyc leaps through the looking glass into the surreal world of Alice in Wonderland

Mel Giedroyc leaps through the looking glass into the surreal world of Walt Disney’s Alice in Wonderland.

Through the stories of ten of his greatest works, Mel Giedroyc examines the life of Walt Disney, a much mythologised genius. A man to whom storytelling was an escape from an oppressive father and a respite from periods of depression.

His name is truly iconic, but how much do we really know about this titan of the entertainment industry? Who was the real Walt and why did a man who moulded Western pop culture in his image end up on his deathbed, afraid that he’d be forgotten?

In this episode, Mel leaps through the looking glass into the delightfully surreal world of Walt Disney’s Alice in Wonderland. Walt had long been a fan of Lewis Carroll’s classic story and was hell bent on adapting it into an animation. He was confident he could create a fantastical viewing experience that would be box office dynamite. Hookah smoking caterpillars, talking flowers, Mad Hatters, troublesome twins Tweedleedum and Tweedledee - they were a gift to any animator - it would be an easy lift from page to screen. 

Or would it?

As we discover, the project became an immense creative challenge. The end result might have been a critical and commercial flop upon release, but over the decades the film has emerged as a countercultural classic.

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Walt Disney: A Life in Films

7. Alice in Wonderland

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