Malice in Wonderland (1985)

37% of users liked it
(100 ratings)

When the made-for-TV The Rumor Mill first aired on May 12, 1985, it bore the title Malice in Wonderland. This joyously inaccurate biopic concerns itself with Hollywood's two foremost gossipmongers of the 1930s and 1940s: Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper. Long involved in the film industry, Parsons… More When the made-for-TV The Rumor Mill first aired on May 12, 1985, it bore the title Malice in Wonderland. This joyously inaccurate biopic concerns itself with Hollywood's two foremost gossipmongers of the 1930s and 1940s: Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper. Long involved in the film industry, Parsons used her ironclad relationship with publishing mogul William Randolph Hearst and the "confidential" information gleaned by her physician husband Harry "Docky" Martin to outscoop every other columnist in Tinseltown. Parsons' awesome power remained unchallenged until 1938, when Hedda Hopper, a character actress fallen on hard times, was hired as a gossip reporter by one of Hearst's rivals. Thereafter, it was every woman for herself: the blood feud between Parsons and Hopper raged unabated until the latter's death in 1966. Jane Alexander's on-target portrayal of Hedda Hopper won her an Emmy nomination; no less impressive (though not as accurate in her characterization) is Elizabeth Taylor as Louella Parsons. Other Emmy nominations went to the costume design and sound mixing, while Philip H. Lathrop won the statuette for his '30s-style photography. The "look who that is" supporting cast includes Richard Dysart as Louis B. Mayer, Eric Purcell as Orson Welles, Tim Robbins as Joseph Cotten (who once booted Louella in the derriere), Jason Wingreen as Jack Warner, Gary Wayne as Clark Gable, Denise Crosby as Carole Lombard, and Thomas Byrd as Hedda Hopper's actor-son William. Adapted from George Eels' waspish book Hedda and Louella, Malice in Wonderland is delightful, high-class claptrap. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 40 min.
Directed By: Gus Trikonis
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: May 12, 1985 Wide
On DVD: Jul 6, 2004

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Featured Audience Ratings

jay n

Your enjoyment of this will depend on an interest in golden age Hollywood, if you have it than this is an pleasant diversion with a high voltage movie star and an accomplished actress. If you don't than there isn't much here to hold your attention. The real pair of women… More
Your enjoyment of this will depend on an interest in golden age Hollywood, if you have it than this is an pleasant diversion with a high voltage movie star and an accomplished actress. If you don't than there isn't much here to hold your attention. The real pair of women were far more venal than they are portrayed here but for a TV movie this isn't bad. Liz is fine although her decision to approximate Parson's droning speaking voice while accurate doesn't enhance her performance, it's just distracting. The top performance comes unsurprisingly from Jane Alexander. She gives nuance and meaning to Hopper that surely wasn't in the script. Most of the supporting cast is bland and forgettable, it is surprising to see Tim Robbins pop up in the small role of Joseph Cotton. The production design and in particular the wardrobe is very high quality and adds a nice sheen to the proceedings.
Alice S

I haven't seen this, but I saw a 'Malice in Wonderland' made in 2009, which has all the characters in Lewis Carroll's book, with a twist. Alice doesn't dream, but suffers from amnesia, because she was hit by a taxi, and wakes up in a confusing underworld. I… More
I haven't seen this, but I saw a 'Malice in Wonderland' made in 2009, which has all the characters in Lewis Carroll's book, with a twist. Alice doesn't dream, but suffers from amnesia, because she was hit by a taxi, and wakes up in a confusing underworld. I thought it was a pretty interesting film.

Cast
            
            Leslie Ackerman
            
            Jane Alexander as Hedda Hopper

            Joel Colodner
            
            Denise Crosby
            
            Jon Cypher
            
            Richard Dysart
            
            Douglas Emerson
            
            Edith Fields
            
            Anne Haney
            
            Rick Lenz
            
            Mary McCusker
            
            John Pleshette
            
            Elizabeth Taylor as Louells Parsons

            Mark L. Taylor
            
            Nancy Travis
            
            Jan Triska
            
            Joyce Van Patten
            
            Keith Walker
            
            B.J. Ward
            
            Allen Williams
            
            Theodore Wilson
            
            Jason Wingreen
            
            Tim Robbins
            
            Thomas Bellin
            
            Robert Darnell
            
            Vernon Weddle
            
            Noni White
            
            Thomas Byrd
            
            Lyla Graham
            
            Galen Thompson
            
            Bonnie Bartlett
            
See full cast