Walt Disney’s Alice Comedies Ranked
Following the failure of the Laugh-O-Gram Studio in Kansas City, Missouri, Walt Disney and his brother Roy started the Disney Brothers Studio to produce their first (and Walt’s second) series, the Alice Comedies. The path to this development in 1923 began with the start of the Newman Laugh-O-Grams in 1921, a short series that adapted fairy tales into modern, comic cartoons. The final short in this series was also technically the first Alice Comedy; ALICE’S WONDERLAND (1923) was a pilot for Disney’s new idea, in which a live-action girl enters an animated world. It was the reverse concept of the Fleischers’ OUT OF THE INKWELL, in which Koko the Clown entered our reality and tormented his creator Max Fleischer. Starring as Alice was child Virginia Davis; when Walt moved out to Los Angeles and started his new studio, he convinced Davis’ parents to relocate Virginia to the moviemaking capital. Walt and Roy made a deal with Winkler Pictures to distribute the new cartoons; the company needed a replacement for Felix the Cat, which was soon to move over to Educational Pictures. That’s probably a contributing factor to the development of the character of Julius, a cat prototyped in the Laugh-O-Gram shorts as an emulation of Felix, then incredibly popular anyways. Alice and Julius’ relationship would evolve as the live action preludes to the shorts were eventually made minimal then phased out, and Julius essentially became the star of the series until its end in 1927 and the Disney studio began work on its new series, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
Walt directed all 57 of the Alice Comedies, of which 30 are still easily accessible and/or surviving today. Ultimately, Alice would be played by four different child actors. The aforementioned Davis would star in just 15 of the cartoons, and would later become a supporting actor, audition for SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937) and PINOCCHIO (1940, and was not hired), and even work in the inking and paint department at Disney. Margie Gay acted in the bulk of the shorts, with 31 to her credit; she apparently didn’t do any acting work after her stint with Disney. Dawn O’Day, later known as the Anne Shirley of ANNE OF GREEN GABLES (1934) and STELLA DALLAS (1937), appeared in just one of the cartoons, and retired from acting in 1944 at age 26. And Lois Hardwick, who retired from acting in 1929 and would be married to Donald Sutherland from 1959 to 1966, finished up the last 10 installments in the Alice Comedies. Together, these girls represented a tremendous breakthrough in animation, relatively convincing avatars in fantastical animated worlds, long predating the concepts refined in SONG OF THE SOUTH (1946) and WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT (1988). Besides this technical innovation, the traditional animation fidelity of the Disney Studios steadily increased over the series’ four-year run, folding into a style more immediately recognizable as “Disney,” especially as it led into Oswald and Mickey. The Alice Comedies are inventive and fun cartoons, and this ranked list is an opportunity to explore and enjoy them.
#30 — ALICE CHOPS THE SUEY (1925)
A racist caricature and an exoticist cartoon (as was common within Disney and the animation industry beyond), ALICE CHOPS THE SUEY just plain isn’t entertaining. The gags are mild and rely on the Chinese stereotypes with which we’re familiar. This is a Margie Gay cartoon, and this might be a good time to mention that the performances between the four different Alice actors are marginally distinguishable. Davis got the most live action screen time, probably, and therefore her child actor skills are more on display, and so, more easily criticized. The extent of the girls’ contributions to the series, as it went on, was to provide a visual counterpoint to the funny animals.
#29 — ALICE AND THE DOG CATCHER (1924)
ALICE AND THE DOG CATCHER features an extended, boring live action prelude to a minor bit of animation, and some relatively unexciting animation at that. This is a good Virginia Davis short to compare to the later Margie Gay cartoons to see how the animation became prioritized over the live action, something happening across an industry that began with a lot of “hand of the artist” gags. Even OUT OF THE INKWELL started to reduce its real-world screen time by the middle of its run.
#28 — ALICE AND THE THREE BEARS (1924)
This cartoon features some bootlegging bears who need some “hops” and so decide to go catch some frogs and somehow extract the hops from them, so I mean, on its face I like ALICE AND THE THREE BEARS. It’s not super great though, with just a lot of continually scrolling chases, which I should mention is a large component of the early Disney cartoons. Eventually, the gags within the chases would improve, but at this stage, they’re still pretty simplistic, recycled affairs.
#27 — ALICE LOSES OUT (1925)
ALICE LOSES OUT is a Julius cartoon through and through. Usually, that’s not a bad thing, but besides a shaving/manicure sequence, the short is pretty forgettable.
#26 — ALICE THE FIRE FIGHTER (1926)
By this point, there weren’t really any live action preludes (at least in the shorts that survive), and despite that, there were still some staid cartoons like ALICE THE FIRE FIGHTER. It’s technically fine, but its environments and visual gags aren’t up to snuff with a lot of the Alice Comedies. It’s also the latest cartoon to star Margie Gay on this list; although 12 would follow, they are lost or inaccessible online.
#25 — ALICE’S LITTLE PARADE (1926)
ALICE’S LITTLE PARADE is a war-themed short, always an interesting setting to see rendered into a silly cartoon. The warfare is goofy and relatively harmless, although ALICE’S LITTLE PARADE is most funny when its characters get blown to pieces and then reassembled.
#24 — ALICE GETS IN DUTCH (1924)
A Virginia Davis-era Alice Comedy with a lengthy live action sequence, ALICE GETS IN DUTCH shines when its cartoon teacher, a witch-like figure, commands some bizarro books to capture Alice and Julius.
#23 — ALICE CANS THE CANNIBALS (1925)
Featuring blackface caricatures with the titular cannibals, ALICE CANS THE CANNIBALS fits into the terrible trope of Africa-based cartoons. However, it pulls ahead of that, however minimally, with its earliest sequences, with great water effects and a strange, almost kaleidoscopic pattern of, I believe, Julius doppelgangers streaking across the screen like rain. It’s an almost avant-garde sight.
#22 — ALICE’S FISHY STORY (1924)
For some reason, I always like the aquatic installments in the early Disney cartoons. And the earliest Alice Comedies, it might be worth mentioning, are also lengthier cartoons for the time…even if it’s because they aren’t entirely cartoons. That’s the case with the 11-minute long ALICE’S FISHY STORY, which as usual drags in its expository prologue (which often introduced the animated adventures as daydreams or tall tales on Alice’s part), but picks up once we’re in the Arctic.
#21 — ALICE’S SPOOKY ADVENTURE (1924)
I also always like the “spoopy” stories and cartoons of the Golden Age of Hollywood. The “macabre” is just always so silly; ALICE’S SPOOKY ADVENTURE fits into the all-ages Halloween vibe with some typical yet enjoyable ghost designs.
#20 — ALICE’S WILD WEST SHOW (1924)
Another cartoon with some problematic racial elements (this time in regards to Native Americans), ALICE’S WILD WEST SHOW is otherwise entertaining because of its inventive chase sequences and more bold close ups. Its live action content is probably the most amusing of the series, as well, as Alice and her friends try to put on, as you might guess, a wild west show a la Buffalo Bill. It was clear that Disney was going for the success of the Hal Roach-produced, live action comedy short series Our Gang with the exploits of Alice and her friends, certain members of the group being carried over from short to short.
#19 — ALICE IN THE WOOLY WEST (1926)
By this point, the Alice Comedies series was being distributed by the Film Booking Offices of America (FBO, somewhat soon to be folded into RKO). But the relationship with Charles Mintz and Winkler Pictures (from which founder Margaret J. Winkler had retired and had left control over to her husband Mintz in 1924) somehow continued as well, since Mintz and Winkler were key components of the Universal-Oswald situation that found Disney without creative control over or the rights to the Lucky Rabbit. I’m not sure the exact nature of the FBO connection. In any event, ALICE IN THE WOOLY WEST is the superior “wild west” themed short. Great chase sequences, and a bomb-ass fight between Julius and Pete. Yes, that Pete, the erstwhile Mickey Mouse villain. He doesn’t quite look like the way we know him today, but Pete, with his debut in ALICE SOLVES THE PUZZLE in 1925, is Disney’s oldest continuing character.
#18 — ALICE’S WONDERLAND (1923)
The pilot for the Alice Comedies series is actually a solid test case for the premise and the Disney studio’s animation prowess. There’s some great fun with a lion and a big cast of animal characters.
#17 — ALICE’S DAY AT SEA (1924)
I don’t know, the visual of a fish milking a literal “sea cow” is funny. There are some really great stormy sea effects, as well.
#16 — ALICE THE TOREADOR (1925)
ALICE THE TOREADOR has a great first half, when Alice and Julius are attempting to get into a bull fight. When they do, the relatively detailed audience in the background makes the case for the short as one of the best in the series at creating a cohesive sense of space.
#15 — ALICE SOLVES THE PUZZLE (1925)
Presenting the debut of Margie Gay as well as Pete, as mentioned earlier, ALICE SOLVES THE PUZZLE sees Alice and Julius get into an altercation with Pete over a collection of crossword puzzles. Yeah, I don’t know either. But in creating a continuous villain character, Disney offered a great rival for Julius that often results in just some good ol’ fashioned cartoon fights. By this point, as well, Julius’ design had become sleeker, even if Pete is still a bit rough around the edges; the geometry of his feet are a bit crude.
#14 — ALICE’S CIRCUS DAZE (1927)
Lois Hardwick’s first Alice Comedy features a real creepy shot of a clown-dog turning its head all the way around. I have to be honest, it’s a big part of the reason why I like ALICE’S CIRCUS DAZE.
#13 — ALICE ON THE FARM (1926)
ALICE ON THE FARM has some great background illustration and a really great gag involving a dachshund, as well as another great fight between Julius and Pete. The slapstick violence still charms.
#12 — ALICE’S ORPHAN (1926)
Reminiscent of a Felix the Cat short where the icon has to take care of a baby cat, ALICE’S ORPHAN could more accurately be titled JULIUS’ ORPHAN. This is another Alice Comedy that’s pretty much about Julius, which is not to say it’s not great, clearly. Julius’ wrangling of the tempestuous child offers some good funny business, and the opening scene(s), set in the snow, are strangely beautiful.
#11 — ALICE’S EGG PLANT (1925)
The only Alice Comedy starring Dawn O’Day (or Anne Shirley), ALICE’S EGG PLANT is just so silly, I love it. There’s just a whole bunch of egg gags and even a strike before a pig walks on over and lays an egg. For whatever reason, ALICE’S EGG PLANT is among the most unique cartoons in the series; perhaps it’s the lack of repetitive chases.
#10 — ALICE WINS THE DERBY (1925)
The flexibility of an anthropomorphic car make ALICE WINS THE DERBY a winner itself. The character moves with a human-like desperation as it struggles to not fall off a cliff. I know that doesn’t sound funny, but trust me.
#9 — ALICE GETS STUNG (1925)
A whole extended sequence in which Julius attempts to catch a rabbit makes ALICE GETS STUNG a high ranker on this list.
#8 — ALICE’S TIN TOY (1925)
Alternately known as ALICE’S TIN PONY, ALICE’S TIN TOY is an extended cartoon at ten minutes long. The whole thing relies on a bunch of train-based humor, with the thing going up and down hills with an amusing flexibility. Just a great example of how Disney was starting to break out of the stiffness of its early work.
#7 — ALICE RATTLED BY RATS (1925)
Filled with a sort of strange foreshadowing of Mickey Mouse gags, ALICE RATTLED BY RATS also features a bootlegging Julius. I’m also a fan of bootlegging, and the inventive gags revolving around the pack of mice would be improved with that aforementioned mascot.
#6 — ALICE IN THE JUNGLE (1925)
ALICE IN THE JUNGLE was the last Alice Comedy to star Virginia Davis, although it was released in the full swing of the Margie Gay cartoons. Alice and Julius (mostly Julius) come into contact with a whole host of exotic animals, facilitating a great visual involving some elephants. Actually, almost any visual is great if it involves elephants.
#5 — ALICE GETS STAGE STRUCK (1925)
In spite of its basis in an UNCLE TOM’S CABIN production, the animation in ALICE GETS STAGE STRUCK is phenomenal. The richness and depth in the winter tale is epitomized in the frozen river sequences, which comes after a good bit of dog-based humor.
#4 — ALICE THE WHALER (1927)
The latest Alice Comedy on this list, if not the actual last in the series, ALICE THE WHALER calls forward to the sound-based humor of the early Mickey Mouse shorts, with a lot of animal abuse for comic effect. Although it’s a silent cartoon, ALICE THE WHALER nevertheless calls to mind those early sound shorts. Besides that, the film has a lot of comic variance, not really starring either Alice nor Julius; it’s really just about the high jinks of all the different animals on board.
#3 — ALICE’S MYSTERIOUS MYSTERY (1926)
Yo, ALICE’S MYSTERIOUS MYSTERY gets dark. A shrouded, sinister character (who is clearly meant to be ghost-like but also calls to mind a member of the KKK) is abducting anthropomorphic dog children and churning them into sausages. And yet for all that, it’s incredibly well-paced and animated, one of the most consistent Alice Comedies.
#2 — ALICE THE JAIL BIRD (1925)
ALICE THE JAIL BIRD has the second best chase sequence in the series, with a dog cop chasing after Alice, Julius, and their turtle, whose neck stretches to great comic effect. Like ALICE’S MYSTERIOUS MYSTERY, ALICE THE JAIL BIRD succeeds because it isn’t very repetitive and features a number of varied locations, gags, and character designs. It’s just a fun little cartoon.
#1 — ALICE’S BALLOON RACE (1926)
But ALICE’S BALLOON RACE is the most fun of the cartoons in the Alice Comedies series. In fact, it’s entirely a “chase” sequence in the trope of the early Disney cartoons. But it plays like an old-school rendition of WACKY RACES (1968–69), with a few animal characters taking part in a race of differently designed hot air balloons/blimps. The cartoon runs with wild abandon, with plenty of aerial antics and yet another dachshund gag that makes me giggle. ALICE’S BALLOON RACE demonstrated the series’ greatest strengths, playing with gags that had been demonstrated before and since but to great effect. The whole effort that the short represents is a perfect example of the growing proficiency of Disney animators and the increasing quality of the animation industry in general, and remains today a valuable, and most importantly, entertaining historical curio.
