There has been a great deal of talk about whether Rachel Zegler was the right person to play the title character in Disney’s “Snow White.” However, the first woman who was considered to be a Disney was even less likely for the role she was considered to play.
In 1932, Walt Disney became dissatisfied with the distribution relationship he had with Columbia Pictures and moved to have his films released through United Artists. It was in this new relationship that Disney put forth “Flowers and Trees,” the first animated short produced in the three-strip Technicolor process. Unlike two-strip Technicolor that offered a soft image and the inability to photograph blue hues, the three-strip process gave a more realistic and fully representative presentation of the color palette.
The commercial success of “Flowers and Trees” sparked the interest of Mary Pickford, the iconic film star and one of the owners of United Artists. She was eager to team with Disney on a film version of “Alice in Wonderland” that would be photographed in the three-strip Technicolor process. Disney had toyed with the idea of adapting Lewis Carroll’s classic and had previously made inquiries to confirm the work was in the public domain and did not require an expensive securing of rights.
However, multiple obstacles doomed this project from the start.
As envisioned by Pickford, Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland” would be a feature-length film – up until that time, Disney only produced short films. Disney wasn’t certain that he was ready to take on such an undertaking – especially since no feature-length film had been made in the three-strip Technicolor process.
Pickford also wanted to be the title character in “Alice in Wonderland,” appearing as a live-action figure with the other characters being created through animation. Disney had previously produced a series of shorts known as the “Alice” comedies that used a little girl amid an animated setting – but those silent, black-and-white films lacked sophisticated animation and the child was mostly a minor supporting presence rather than the center of attention. Trying to mix live-action and animation in a sound and Technicolor setting was a daring prospect that intimidated Disney.
Also, Pickford was not a child – she was 41 years old. While her petite frame and demure personality enabled her to play juvenile roles in the silent films without appearing ridiculous, for the sound film format she played mature parts. There was a big question over whether she could successfully revert to her silent film persona by playing a character that was much younger than her actual age.
It didn’t help that the United Artists hierarchy had little enthusiasm for the project. In a letter that Pickford wrote to Disney dated April 19, 1933, she stated, “Despite the apparent lack of enthusiasm of certain members of my organization and the seeming hesitancy on the part of your business advisors, my belief in the ultimate success, I might even say triumph, of ALICE has never wavered.”
Disney responded to Pickford’s letter by echoing her enthusiasm. “I sincerely believe that a Pickford-Disney production of Alice would be a sensation,” he wrote.
A screen test of Pickford in the Alice costume and make-up was shot in the three-strip Technicolor process. Pickford also took publicity photos in costume with a Mickey Mouse doll, and photographs were later taken with Pickford still in her costume at a Hollywood party.
Unfortunately, the Pickford-Disney endeavor was torpedoed by Paramount Pictures, which began production on its own “Alice in Wonderland” featuring an all-star cast in a black-and-white extravaganza; Alice was played by 19-year-old Charlotte Henry. Unable to get their version into theaters ahead of this effort, Pickford and Disney shelved the idea.
The Paramount film turned out to be a dismal effort that bombed at the box office. Pickford never worked with Disney – after her feature “Secrets” was released earlier in 1933, she never acted in films again, opting to concentrate on producing and serving as a United Artists executive.
The screen test footage from “Alice in Wonderland” is lost and all that remains is a color photo of Pickford; no screenplay was ever written for this project, so it is unknown if it would have been faithful to its source material or would have been a softer, family-friendly endeavor like the animated feature that Disney would release in 1951. While it is obvious that Pickford could not pass for the child of Lewis Carroll’s imagination, it is possible that she could have been a lively and entertaining presence in a charming production. Oh, well, that’s show biz.
