Kathryn Beaumont helped bring one among Disney’s most recognizable heroines to life, but her contribution to “Alice in Wonderland” prolonged far beyond the recording booth. Because the animated classic celebrates its seventy fifth anniversary, the actress is looking back on voicing Alice, physically performing scenes for Disney’s animators, and forming an unexpectedly comfortable relationship with Walt Disney himself. Her memories also offer a rare firsthand account of the studio’s creative process during a defining period in Disney animation history.
Beaumont discussed her experience during a 2017 conversation with radio host Joe Sibilia. The episode was recently re-aired on “Nostalgia Tonight with Joe Sibilia” to commemorate the seventy fifth anniversary of “Alice in Wonderland.” The 88-year-old actress explained that Disney needed someone capable of creating Alice sound authentically British without alienating American moviegoers.
“He was searching for a voice for Alice that was pleasing to either side… that wasn’t too British for American ears and vice versa,” Beaumont said. “They decided that my voice fit one of the best for the role, and I used to be excited to have the opportunity to perform for him.”
Born in London, Beaumont was only a toddler when she was chosen to voice Lewis Carroll’s curious young heroine. Disney’s search required greater than finding an actress with the suitable accent. Alice needed to serve because the audience’s emotional anchor while surrounded by the exaggerated voices and unpredictable personalities of Wonderland.
The Actress Shares Her Candid Impression Of Walt Disney
Although Beaumont was initially intimidated by the legendary filmmaker, she remembered Disney quickly putting her relaxed. “He just immediately made me comfortable. I forgot my fear,” she recalled.
Disney’s behavior across the studio also challenged Beaumont’s expectations. Despite overseeing an expanding entertainment company, he remained visible and approachable to the actors and artists working on his productions. “You’d see him walking down the hall. He’d come into the cafeteria at lunchtime,” she explained. “It was just this excellent, casual, friendly relationship.”
Their interactions occasionally prolonged beyond the studio. Beaumont was invited to Disney’s home, where she experienced one among his most famous personal passions: trains. “I did ride Walt’s train,” she shared. “There have been a few events at his house and you could possibly go across the backyard on the little train track. That was an exciting experience.”
Disney’s backyard railroad, often called the Carolwood Pacific Railroad, reflected his lifelong fascination with trains and preceded the opening of Disneyland in 1955. Beaumont’s ride due to this fact placed her inside a private piece of Disney history years before locomotives became an integral a part of his first theme park.
Beaumont Did Much More Than Record Alice’s Voice
Beaumont’s influence on the finished character was not limited to Alice’s dialogue. The actress also performed scenes on camera so the animation team could study her expressions, posture, and movement. This live-action reference footage was never intended to seem in the finished movie. As an alternative, it gave the artists a human foundation from which to construct a believable animated performance.
“Additionally they wanted me to do what they called the live-action, that wasn’t for the audience, that was for the animators,” Beaumont explained. “They desired to ensure that they were capable of make the human look very realistic with all of the motions.”
That process makes Beaumont’s contribution particularly significant. Audiences should not merely hearing her voice after they watch Alice chase the White Rabbit or navigate Wonderland. Elements of her physical performance are also embedded within the character’s reactions and movements.
The technique didn’t mean animators simply traced the whole lot the actress did. Her performance functioned as a visible guide that artists could study, refine, and exaggerate to suit the animated world.
Kathryn Beaumont Remembers Working With Comedy Legends
The young performer also worked alongside several established stars, including Ed Wynn, who voiced the Mad Hatter, and Jerry Colonna, who played the March Hare.
Beaumont admitted that she expected the famous comedians to behave like their eccentric characters even when the microphones were off. “They were so well-known, and I used to be in awe of each of them,” she said. “I expected, because they were comics, that they were going to be funny on a regular basis.”
As an alternative, she discovered that each performers approached their work with considerable focus. “But they were each very serious in between,” Beaumont continued. “Yet, they made me feel very at home, and I just felt blessed to have the opportunity to work with them.”
‘Alice In Wonderland’ Led Directly To ‘Peter Pan’
Beaumont barely had time to step away from Alice before Disney placed her at the middle of one other animated classic. After ending promotional work for “Alice in Wonderland,” she returned to the studio and commenced recording as Wendy Darling in 1953’s “Peter Pan.”
“As soon as I got back from [promoting ‘Alice in Wonderland’], they began immediately on ‘Peter Pan,’” she recalled. “I used to be recording immediately, almost as soon as I got off the plane from doing promotion for ‘Alice in Wonderland.’”
She again supplied each the voice and live-action reference performance for her character, giving Beaumont a direct creative connection to 2 of Disney’s most enduring heroines.
The Walt Disney Company formally recognized that contribution in 1998 when Beaumont was named a Disney Legend. In response to Disney’s official D23 biography, she continued voicing Alice and Wendy for various Disney projects and theme park attractions before retiring from voice acting in 2005.