Sunday 20 March 2011

CAUGHT RED-HANDED!

OXFORD, 1865: Lewis Carroll – in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland – describes the following scene...

A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.

Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them...

"Would you tell me," said Alice, a little timidly, "why you are painting those roses?"

Five and Seven said nothing, but looked at Two. Two began in a low voice, "Why the fact is, you see, Miss, this here ought to have been a red rose-tree, and we put a white one in by mistake; and if the Queen was to find it out, we should all have our heads cut off, you know..."


LONDON, 2011: Life imitates literature...

"Painting the Roses Red!"

Of course, in my 21st-century-version, the roses are artificial and the red paint is in a spray-can!

To round off this eccentric post, here's the original Wonderland episode as interpreted by Uncle Walt and his merry elves...


And, if you haven't got a copy of Disney's 1951 animated feature film of Alice in Wonderland, you might consider buying the 60th Anniversary Edition on Blu-ray which heavily features (how else?) Yours-Truly in the accompanying 76-minute picture-in-picture documentary, Through the Keyhole: A Companion’s Guide to Wonderland.


2 comments:

Steven Hartley said...

I have the film on my iPod but I would love to buy it - but I must be tight with money because I don't see the point of buying a film when I already have it.

Although, I'm really interested in seeing the documentary - I hope it goes on the internet - or unless if you have a copy?

Brian Sibley said...

Wish I could help, Steven, I don't have a Blu-ray player (I saw it at a friend's house) and this is a feature unique to Blu-ray that runs for the length of the film while you are watching it, so it is very unlikely to end up on the internet.