On this day in 1951, Alice in Wonderland had its world premiere at the Leicester Square Theatre in England. Young Katherine Beaumont, the voice of Alice, must have felt right at home upon returning to her native land. Recently, Beaumont exclusively told D23, “I have to be honest, by the time of the premiere, which of course was the culmination of a two-week promotion trip, I had been on such a whirlwind tour through England on local TV, radio, and public appearances, that everything was pretty much a blur! I remember that wearing my Alice costume for this event became important because I was really not known visibly, and using it helped identify me with the character. It was just fine with me, although I did have a special formal dress (actually blue) at the ready. I think I was just in awe of being part of such a momentous event, and I had never had the experience of attending a premiere in my life. I remember arriving at the theatre and being helped from the vehicle by the Mad Hatter. Yes, Walt was there, and it was wonderful having pictures taken with him. He looked so handsome in his tuxedo!”
