Writer of Pop Culture

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This Day in Pop Culture for November 26

On this day in pop culture history, Alice (of Wonderland fame) came to America, “Casablanca” and “The Nativity Story” was released in theaters and some guy caused a scene at Disneyland.

November 26, 2020

2–3 minutes

1865: Alice Comes to America

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was written by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll, his pseudonym. The story of a little girl following a white rabbit through a rabbit hole and into a “wonderland” is considered one of the best examples of literary nonsense.

Copies of the first edition with illustrations created by John Tenniel sold out quickly and the story has never gone out of print. It is estimated that there have been over 100 editions of the book and translated to at least that many languages as well.

The story is often confused with the book’s sequel, Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There which came out in 1871. The setting in the second book is not in Wonderland, but many film adaptations of the stories have combined elements and characters from both stories. The most recent films inspired by the characters of the stories (but not the actual stories) have been Disney’s Alice in Wonderland (2010) followed by the sequel, Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016). (Image: TVDB)

2023: Man Strips Down to Birthday Suit in Disneyland

In a rare and shocking event, a 26-year-old man decided to take a dip in the canals of Disneyland’s “It’s a Small World” ride. It’s unclear what prompted that man to exit his boat and begin exploring the props of the attraction. As time went on, the man continued to look at the sets while dropping his clothes along the way eventually going the “Full Monty.”

The event happened during a Sunday afternoon with the rockus continuing for nearly an hour. Disneyland stopped the ride causing riders to be stranded. Fortunately, the park did mute the never-ending theme music. The man was later charged with indecent exposure and for being under the influence of a controlled substance.

1942: Here’s Looking at You Kid

On this day, of all the gin joints in the world, Ingrid Bergman walked into Humphrey Bogart’s during the premiere of Casablanca. The World War II classic opened at the Hollywood Theatre in New York City before opening nationwide on January 23.

Directed by Michael Curtiz, Casablanca was based on the unproduced play, Everybody Comes to Rick’s by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison. The movie is known for its iconic quotes like “Round up the usual suspects” and “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

Casablanca was nominated for eight Academy Awards and took home three for Outstanding Motion Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay.

2006: Oh, Holy Night

New Line Cinema released The Nativity Story in 2006. The film is one of the few focused solely on the events leading up to the birth of Christ. The movie starred Keisha Castle-Hughes and Oscar Isaac. It also made history as being the first film ever to stage its world premiere in the Vatican City.