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Alice Wins the Derby

Name: Alice Wins the Derby
Director: Walt Disney
Released: 1925
Duration: 7 min

Representation Score

2.1/10

Limited

1925

Director

Walt Disney

Runtime

7 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Alice Wins the Derby is a product of its era, serving primarily as a vehicle for physical comedy. Despite its limitations, it offers a notable example of women's ability to drive the story by allowing Alice to defeat a male competitor through direct action. The film reinforces traditional competitive structures and Western storytelling values. It does not challenge broader social or cultural hierarchies, focusing instead on individual merit and physical prowess. Ultimately, the work is limited by the demographic norms of early 20th-century animation, lacking racial diversity and meaningful representation of disability or LGBTQ+ identities.

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Category Breakdown

Does Alice Wins the Derby have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not depict any non-straight or non-cisgender identities. It focuses on traditional competitive dynamics within a slapstick framework.

How does Alice Wins the Derby portray gender?

Good

Alice plays a significant role in driving the plot, showing physical competence and tactical skills to overcome a male opponent.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Alice Wins the Derby?

Minimal

The cast appears homogeneous, with no evidence of non-white or non-Anglo-Saxon characters. The production reflects the demographics typical of 1920s animation.

How does Alice Wins the Derby represent religion and culture?

Limited

The story follows conventional Western narrative structures focused on individual triumph. It does not engage with broader systemic critiques or deconstruct Western institutions.

Does Alice Wins the Derby include disability representation?

Minimal

The film does not feature any characters with visible or invisible disabilities. Physical comedy is used for slapstick humor without addressing neurodivergence or impairment.

Present on Screen

Alice actively competes against and defeats a male antagonist, showcasing a significant role in driving the story.
The narrative emphasizes female physical competence over traditional submissive roles.

Limited or Absent

The film lacks racial and ethnic diversity, featuring a homogeneous cast.
There is no meaningful representation of disability or neurodivergence.
The story does not include any LGBTQ+ representation or non-straight/non-cisgender identities.

Official Synopsis

Alice, Julius, and one other character are in a combined auto/horse race. Julius gets off to a bad start when his car takes off, without him, in the wrong direction; it takes him a while to get it straightened out. Alice and the bad guy battle a bit for the lead, which Alice takes; they pass a detour, which the bad guy changes the sign for. Julius, taking the bad road, eventually drives up a cliff and, after a mighty struggle at the top, makes it, in third place, to the changeover. Alice and the bad guy ride off on horses; Julius has a wind-up wooden horse. Julius' horse keeps breaking down, eventually losing the back legs (Julius uses an empty thought balloon to hold up the rear). Alice's horse jumps a fence, and won't continue. The bad guy looks like he'll win, but Alice makes a mighty leap and knocks him off to win the race

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