This may not be the "Alice" adaptation for Carroll purists (You'd have to go to the TV production of earlier this year for that), but it IS entertaining, and the cast DOES seem to be having a good time with it. Judi Rollin, just 20 at the time, is a terrific Alice, with a fine singing voice. One wonders why her career never went beyond the early '70's. Ricardo Montalban brings his usual effortless charm to the White King, and Nanette Fabray is hilarious as his scatterbrained Queen (Her number, "I Wasn't Meant to Be a Queen," is a howl). Agnes Moorehead is her usual imperious self as the Red Queen, and Jimmy Durante is, well, Jimmy Durante as Humpty Dumpty. Most delightfully over-the-top performance is Jack Palance, wearing this spangled Bob Mackie concoction, as the Jabberwock. Composer Moose Charlap was obviously hoping to repeat his "Peter Pan" success with his songs here, and, if they don't have the charm of the ones he wrote for Mary Martin, et. al., they come pretty close, as arranged by the great Don Costa. An Emmy nominee for Best Children's Special, and a Grammy-winner for Best Children's Album, this is an overlooked treasure. As I say, not for Carroll purists, but not bad!
Review of Alice Through the Looking Glass
Alice Through the Looking Glass
(1966 TV Movie)
Maybe not Carroll, but not altogether bad either.
19 July 1999