Alice in Wonderland (1976 film)

Did You Know?

• In October 1976, lawyers for the Taconic Park Commission threatened a lawsuit against Osco for filming on historical sites without permission.
• Film critic Roger Ebert reviewed the film in November 1976, writing that Kristine De Bell 'projects such a freshness and naivete that she charms us even in scenes where some rather alarming things are going on.'
• Williams and Osco planned an adult film based on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as a follow-up, but it was not produced.

Plot

After rejecting her boyfriend William, mousy librarian Alice falls asleep reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. In a dream, the White Rabbit appears and she follows him into Wonderland. She drinks a potion that shrinks her, leaving her naked as her dress stays the same size. Chasing the Rabbit, she falls into a river and is saved by locals, who give her a revealing dress. She later strips and masturbates in the woods. The White Rabbit takes her to the Mad Hatter, who exposes himself; Alice performs fellatio. She then assists Humpty Dumpty, who has fallen off a wall and cannot achieve an erection, rectified by fellatio. She watches Tweedledee and Tweedledum having incestuous intercourse. Continuing to the King's Ball, they pass a couple having sex in a field. At court, the King of Hearts seduces Alice. The Queen catches them in bed, holds a trial, and convicts Alice of being a virgin, ordering her to have sex with the Queen. After a brief lesbian encounter with the Queen's maids, Alice and the Queen engage in sex; the Queen's orgasm incapacitates her. The Mad Hatter and White Rabbit help Alice escape the pursuing Queen.

Production

Actor and director Jason Williams conceived the idea of an adult reimagining of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland as an X-rated musical in the style of Flesh Gordon, in which he had starred. He pitched it to producer William Osco, who hired comedian Bucky Searles to write the screenplay and songs, and raised $100,000 for production. Filming took place in New York City. Williams ran an ad in the Village Voice seeking auditions for an X-rated musical, requiring applicants to sing and dance. Bud Townsend was hired as director after Williams became too busy; Townsend had never directed a sex film but was a prolific director of television commercials. His wife Patty served as script supervisor. Buddy Schwab, a Broadway choreographer, handled dancing. The film was initially planned for 16mm but Townsend convinced the producers to use 35mm. Juliet Graham auditioned for Alice but was cast as the Queen of Hearts. Kristine De Bell, a 20-year-old fashion model with musical theater background, was cast as Alice through a modeling agency. Many actors were New York porn regulars, while others were character actors like Larry Gelman, who agreed to play the White Rabbit if he did not have to appear nude and if his family could be flown to New York. Auditions emphasized dancing, as the producers planned to re-record most singing with professional singers. The film was shot in ten days in June or July 1975, with most actors staying in the house used in the picture. A scratch track of musical numbers was used for lip-syncing.

Release

The 1976 film "Alice in Wonderland" premiered in Times Square, with Andy Warhol among the attendees. Distributors refused to handle it because it was a sex film, so producers Williams and Osco created their own company, General National, deliberately choosing a name similar to the established National General to gain better treatment. For wider release, three minutes were cut, earning an R rating from the MPAA. Playboy featured De Bell on its cover in April before the film came out. Osco sold foreign rights to multiple companies in the same regions, falsely promising each exclusive access. The poster carried a warning that the film was not a traditional adaptation and was for adults only. Global box office exceeded $90 million; De Bell claimed over $100 million and a 1% ownership stake, but said she received no profits. After the softcore version, Osco re-edited the film into a hardcore version, inserting explicit penetration shots not originally filmed, including oral sex footage of De Bell with Osco spliced into the Mad Hatter scene. Several production members and Kaleidoscope Films sued Osco for unpaid debts and theft, resulting in Kaleidoscope gaining the rights. Osco had prints stolen to redistribute without authorization. Both the R-rated and hardcore versions appeared on VHS, and Subversive Cinema released a DVD with both in 2007.

Adaptations

In January 2004, Osco oversaw an off-Broadway musical adaptation at the Kirk Theatre, New York, titled Alice in Wonderland: An Adult Musical Comedy, with an original score by TayWah and advertising that it contains full nudity and is for mature audiences only. The show is set in a Weehawken, New Jersey trailer park. Filmmaker Ken Russell planned a remake and co-wrote a screenplay with Osco, but died before production. As of December 2011, Russell's widow and Osco were still moving forward with the remake as a tribute.