"Alice in Wonderland"... "Dumbo"... were heavy drugs involved in these films?

[fjhuerta]

I mean this with NO disrespect whatsoever. I admire Disney's work and love his legacy.

But I watched Alice yesterday for the first time in... what? 20 years? Perhaps more? And I think whomever did this movie (I'm not sure whom, but someone) was heavily into acid or other heavy drugs. I know Lewis Carroll was suspected to be a drug addict... but... after watching the movie, I had some ugly feelings about it. The Centipede guy... what is he smoking?!? Opium? And the whole "mushroom" reference ("eat this and you'll feel big - eat this and you'll feel small") was just too direct for me to ignore.

I'm the most un-PC guy in the world, but this movie strikes me as a trailer for drug usage. Then again, I could be wrong. :D

And Dumbo.. the whole "Pink Elephants" segment... Alcohol?

Well, Disney isn't as clean-cut as I remembered...

[lv70smusic]

I don't know whether drug use was behind the creative process on these films. I absolutely love "Dumbo," though. It seems fresh every time I see it. It has a suitably touching story on its surface, though more can be read into it depending on the viewer's outlook. And the "pink elephants" sequence is quite psychedelic, surprising given when this film was made.

Give me a "Dumbo" or "Alice" over "Brother Bear" any day. (Okay, I'll admit I haven't seen "Brother Bear," but the previews were enough to convince me that it is probably boring at best.)

[Pinknik]

PUFF THE MAGIC DRAGON is about drugs, or about a dragon who befriends a little boy. Just depends on who you are and what you care to see, I suppose. I see no sinister intentions. And who am I to judge a caterpillar who wants to smoke an unknown substance, since nothing makes sense.

[Clay]

I think there was more corporate back room sponsorship of acid than will ever become public. I don't think Ken Keesey(sp?) and Timothy Leary just came up with tune in, turn on, drop out, without a historical presence of the drugs.
What drugs did the Beatnik's do? Interesting thread. I have not watched these for a long time.

[bob g.]

And I think whomever did this movie (I'm not sure whom, but someone) ..

Bummer.

[Lord Hawthorne]

One reason hipsters detest popular culture so much is that many drugs were legal until they got too popular.

[Jeffrey]

I think there was more corporate back room sponsorship of acid than will ever become public. I don't think Ken Keesey(sp?) and Timothy Leary just came up with tune in, turn on, drop out, without a historical presence of the drugs.


Hi Clay,

Corporate sponsorship. :shake: CIA & DOD :agree:

The bus came by, and i got on, that's when it all began,
Jeffrey

[fjhuerta]

I don't know whether drug use was behind the creative process on these films. I absolutely love "Dumbo," though. It seems fresh every time I see it. It has a suitably touching story on its surface, though more can be read into it depending on the viewer's outlook. And the "pink elephants" sequence is quite psychedelic, surprising given when this film was made.

Give me a "Dumbo" or "Alice" over "Brother Bear" any day. (Okay, I'll admit I haven't seen "Brother Bear," but the previews were enough to convince me that it is probably boring at best.)


Yeah, "Dumbo" & "Alice" are nice to look at, and, at least, interesting. "Brother Bear", IMHO, was pretty boring.

OTOH, there are lots of drug references in "Alice". I'm sure such a film could not be made in this PC era. :D

[Evan L]

I've wondered the same about Fantasia, which was another movie popular with "heads" in the '60's.

Evan

[Ken_McAlinden]

...and lest we forget, there's the "Heffalumps and Woozles" segment from "Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day".

Regards,