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Disney Restores 1951 Alice in Wonderland for 75th Anniversary

A nine-month restoration using the original 1951 nitrate Technicolor negative preserves the film’s original color to ready it for anniversary screenings.

Overview

  • Disney completed a frame-by-frame restoration that scanned 324,000 frames from the original nitrate Technicolor Successive Exposure negative and took nine months to finish.
  • About 100 artists performed roughly 10,000 hours of manual cleaning and damage repair to remove dirt and restore original image detail.
  • The restoration team says its goal was to channel the filmmakers’ original artistic intent rather than modernize the look of the 1951 feature.
  • The restored print will be rolled out as part of 75th-anniversary programming that includes theatrical screenings, archival exhibits, educational initiatives, and special D23 panels.
  • The project highlights Disney’s long engagement with Alice material — from the 1920s Alice Comedies to the 1951 feature that used live-action reference footage and more than half a million drawings — and aims to support scholarship and new audience interest.