The first filmed version of Alice in Wonderland has been restored after being found badly water damaged in Hove.
The British Film Institute (BFI) says its copy of the 1903 film, which it believes is the only one still existing, was found in the possession of a cinema manager.
Now, the BFI has managed to restore eight minutes of it, and has posted the result on YouTube:
It was directed by Cecil Hepworth and Percy Stow, and was based on Sir John Tenniel’s original illustrations.
Just as the story’s latest interpreter Tim Burton has done in the current film, Hepworth cast his wife as the Red Queen, and he himself appears as the Frog Footman. Even the Cheshire cat is played by a family pet.
At 800ft, it was the longest film yet produced in Britain, and originally ran to about 12 minutes.
On its website, the BFI says: “Its unusual length meant that it was not suitable for all film showings, where a variety of short subjects was considered ideal, so all the scenes were sold individually.
“A showman need only buy and show a single sequence, such as the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, not the whole film, which was less a self-contained story than an illustration of key moments from the book.
“The film required an unusual amount of planning for its day. Before filming could begin, a large number of costumes had to be made, including several dozen playing card costumes, and flats painted toTenniel’s original designs.
“Alice was played by Mabel Clark, who as well as acting also ran errands and acted as a kind of studio secretary. There were no professional actors at the studio, so all of the staff pitched in and played parts.”
