The Doorknob is the main entrance to Wonderland in Disney's 1951 animated feature film, Alice in Wonderland. He lies at the very end of the rabbit hole that Alice fell through. Due to his small size, the only way to enter him is to drink from a special bottle of multi-flavored liquid that will shrink the drinker in size. The drinker also needs the key to unlock the Doorknob which is located on the same table as the liquid.
Originally, the bottle that said 'Drink Me' was originally going to be the personified object Alice met in the beginning. But it was ultimately changed to the Doorknob. The 'Drink Me' bottle was planned to be voiced by Cliff Edwards, most known for voicing Jiminy Cricket.
Design[]
The Doorknob is, keeping true to his name, a sentient gold door handle. His escutcheon plate is shaped like an elongated trapezoid with a semi-circle bump on the bottom and a curly design on the top, giving the Doorknob the appearance of having a chin and hair, respectively. A gold screw on each bottom corner of the plate keeps the Doorknob attached to his door.
He has close-set, beady yellow eyes, and what seem to be black "eyebrows", though these may actually be engravings on the Doorknob's plate rather than hair. The Doorknob's prominent bulbous nose is actually the knob part of a doorknob, the part that is turned to open the door, something the Doorknob doesn't pretend to enjoy. His mouth is the keyhole part of a doorknob (as well as the Keyhole of Wonderland), though it is not fixed in place as it should be; the Doorknob has no problems moving his "lips" to talk.
Personality[]
The Doorknob is a generally nice character and was rather kind to the stranger that stumbled into Wonderland. However, he has a tendency to joke around during serious situations but is overall well-meaning. In addition to this, the Doorknob was one of the few characters in Wonderland to show any sympathy for Alice.
The Doorknob was first seen inside a large empty room when Alice first landed in Wonderland. There, she asked to pass through his door but he stated that it was "Impassable" as she was too big. The Doorknob informs her to drink the bottle on the table to shrink herself. When Alice turned small, the Doorknob now claims to be locked and that she accidentally left the key atop the table (well it was that she didn't accidentally leave it on the table, because the Doorknob made it appear like magic, so Alice never actually touched the key).
Unable to reach it, the Doorknob suggests that she eat a sweet to make her grow larger. However, she grows far too large to the point where she becomes a giant. Her seemingly inescapable situation results in Alice having a breakdown and starts to cry. Her tears start to flood the room, to the dismay of the doorknob. He then sees the bottle and tells Alice. She drinks the bottle again and not only shrinks but traps herself in the bottle as well, traveling through the Doorknob's mouth and venturing further into the rest of Wonderland.
During the climax, Alice tries to escape the Queen of Hearts through the door, but it is still locked. The Doorknob tells her that she is already outside and just asleep. This one visit saves Alice, who awakens from the dream.
The Doorknob makes two cameos in the episode series. In "Big Bad Wolf Daddy", the Doorknob was seen sitting at a table with Mickey's dressing room door. In "Thanks to Minnie", he responds, "Who's there?" when Goofy tries to tell a knock-knock joke, only for Goofy to give up and claim that knock-knock jokes stink, prompting the Doorknob to storm out of the club in disgust, taking Goofy's remark as "a personal slam on doors".
Other appearances[]
In Who Framed Roger Rabbit, the doorknob can be briefly spotted right at the part where Eddie Valiant twists his nose and closes the door to an unfinished bathroom in order to get away from Lena Hyena. He is brown in this appearance.
In Mickey Mouse Works, the Doorknob makes a cameo appearance in the cartoon "Locksmiths" when Mickey Mouse began opening several doors.
Video games[]
Disney's Villains' Revenge[]
In Disney's Villains' Revenge, he appears, along with another anthropomorphic doorknob created for the game and known as his "twin brother", as the locket who closes the magic storybook in which Jiminy Cricket and the player have to enter.
In Kingdom Hearts, Sora, Donald, and Goofy followed the White Rabbit into the Bizarre Room. As soon as they enter, they see that the White Rabbit has shrunk and ran through a small door. Sora and his friends look at the door and wonder how the White Rabbit got so small. Much to their surprise, the Doorknob starts talking and tells them to try the bottle on the table, then goes back to sleep. Much later, Sora comes back to the room and defeats the Trickmaster. The Doorknob wakes up after the battle and yawns to reveal Wonderland's Keyhole, which is inside of his mouth. Afterward, the Doorknob goes back to sleep.
In Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, when Roxas first visits Wonderland and enters the Bizarre Room, he is originally trying to find the White Rabbit that ran past him but finds the Doorknob instead. The Doorknob tells Roxas that the Rabbit drank from the bottle on the table. Roxas, being confused, asks the Doorknob about the White Rabbit and the door, but the Doorknob is fast asleep and won’t answer.
In Kingdom Hearts coded when Data-Sora speaks with the doorknob, it is sideways because of a glitch. Data-Sora then returns after he fixes the glitch.
The doorknob makes a brief cameo in Chapter I of the Alice in Wonderland attraction as the player is going down the Rabbit Hole, he makes a brief cameo as the layer goes threw many doors.
An interactive animatronic of the Doorknob has appeared at Walt Disney World for private parties in 2015 and 2018.
Alice in Wonderland[]
The Doorknob appears in the Disneyland dark ride based on the film. He appears at the beginning of the ride, where he swings his door open to allow the guests to venture further into Wonderland.
Alice's Wonderland Bakery:Alice • Hattie Hatter • Fergie the White Rabbit • Rosa Corazón • Queen of Hearts • Tweedle Do and Tweedle Don't Other:Mary Ann • Humpty Dumpty
Wonderland • The Exterior • Fish Dinners • White Rabbit's House • Shoreline • The Meadow of Living Flowers • The Mushroom • The Mad Hatter's House • The Queen of Hearts' Castle • Wonderland Maze • Tulgey Wood • England • London
Songs
Alice in Wonderland:Alice in Wonderland • In a World of My Own • I'm Late • Sailor's Hornpipe • The Caucus Race • How Do You Do and Shake Hands • The Walrus and the Carpenter • Old Father William • Smoke the Blighter Out • All in the Golden Afternoon • AEIOU • ‘Twas Brilling • The Unbirthday Song • Very Good Advice • Painting the Roses Red • Dodgsonland • Ocean of Tears • Simon Says • Whooooo Are Youuuuu?
Alice's Wonderland Bakery:Theme Song • The Baking Song Deleted:Beyond the Laughing Sky • Beautiful Soup • Beware the Jabberwock • I'm Odd • The Lobster Quadrille • Gavotte of the Cards • Entrance of the Executioner • When the Wind is in the East • So They Say • Everything Has a Useness • Dream Caravan • Speak Roughly to Your Little Boy • If You'll Believe in Me
Bonkers • Video game (Super Nintendo)• Video game (Sega Genesis/Mega Drive) • Bonkers
Characters
Heroes:Bonkers D. Bobcat • Fall-Apart Rabbit • Leonard Kanifky • Fawn Deer • Skunky Skunk • W.W. Wacky • Charles Quibble • Ludwig Von Drake • Mad Hatter • March Hare • Toots • Harry Handbag • The Mean Old Wolf • Jitters A. Dog • Slap, Sniffle and Plop • Charlie Pig • Maggie Toon • Alto • Mac the Bass • Pops Clock • Roderick Lizzard • Tuttle Turtle • Tanya Trunk • Tiny • Linda Quipps • Sgt. Frank Grating • Bucky Buzzsaw • Smarts • Grumbles Grizzly • Rita • Broderick the Radio • Police Light • Scribble • Snitch
The Wrights:Miranda Wright • Shirley Wright • Timmy Wright The Piquels:Lucky Piquel • Dilandra Piquel • Marilyn Piquel Villains:The Collector • Mr. Doodles • Ma Parker • Wooly and Bully • Flaps the Elephant • Chick and Stu • Wacky Weasel • Wolf • Baabara • Mikey Muffin • Dr. Blade • Helga • Pitts • Mr. Malone and the Ape • Holio Kalimari • Scatter Squirrel • Katya Legs-go-on-a-lot • Turbo, Banshee and Kapow • Mammoth Mammoth • Warris and Donald • Hoagie, Knuckles, and Chumps • Toon Pencil • Weather Toons • Mole • Seymour Sleazebottom and Limo • Squash and Stretch • The Rat • T.J. Finger • Gloomy the Clown • Mr. Big • Z-Bot • Ninja Kitties Cameos: Mickey Mouse • Donald Duck • Goofy • Pete • Dumbo • Hyacinth Hippo • Ben Ali Gator • Tyrannosaurus Rex • Chernaborg • Honest John • Gideon • Monstro • Br'er Bear • Lady • Tramp • The Doorknob • Big Bad Wolf • Jasper and Horace • Marsupilami • Darkwing Duck • Shere Khan • Greasy • Ferdinand the Bull
Episodes
Raw Toonage shorts and compilations: "Petal to the Metal" • "Spatula Party" • "Sheerluck Bonkers" • "Bonkers in Space" • "Draining Cats and Dogs" • "Get Me to the Church on Time" • "Ski Patrol" • "Get Me a Pizza (Hold the Minefield)" • "Dogzapoppin'" • "Trailmix Bonkers" • "Quest for Firewood" • "Gobble Gobble Bonkers"
Group One (Miranda Wright): "Trains, Toons and Toon Trains" • "Tokyo Bonkers" • "The Stork Exchange" • "Bobcat Fever" • "The Toon That Ate Hollywood" • "When the Spirit Moves You" • "Fistful of Anvils" • "What You Read is What You Get" • "Toon for a Day" Group Two: (Lucky Piquel): "Going Bonkers" • "In the Bag" • "Hear No Bonkers, See No Bonkers" • "Out of Sight, Out of Toon" • "Is Toon Fur Really Warm?" • "Calling All Cars" • "Fall Apart Bomb Squad" • "In Toons We Trust" • "Never Cry Pig" • "Hamster Houseguest" • "The Cheap Sheep Sweep" • "The Day the Toon Stood Still" • "Weather or Not" • "Basic Spraining" • "Once in a Blue Toon" • "Luna-Toons" • "Time Wounds All Heels" • "Poltertoon" • "Hand Over the Dough" • "The Rubber Room Song" • "Tune Pig" Group Three (Miranda Wright): "New Partners on the Block" • "Witless for the Prosecution" • "Do Toons Dream of Animated Sheep?" • "Quibbling Rivalry" • "Springtime for the Iguana" • "CasaBonkers" • "Love Stuck" • "Of Mice and Menace" • "Dog Day AfterToon" • "The 29th Page" • "Cartoon Cornered" Group Four (Lucky Piquel): "The Good, the Bad, & the Kanifky" • "I Oughta Be in Toons" • "Frame That Toon" • "A Wooly Bully" • "Stay Tooned" • "O Cartoon! My Cartoon!" • "Color Me Piquel" • "Stand-In Dad" • "Cereal Surreal" • "If" • "The Dimming" • "Toon with No Name" • "Get Wacky" • "The Final Review" • "Goldijitters and the 3 Bobcats" • "Seems Like Old Toons" • "Miracle at the 34th Precinct" • "Comeback Kid" • "The Greatest Story Never Told" • "Fall Apart Land" • "Imagine That" • "A Fine Kettle of Toons" • "Stressed to Kill"
Season One: "The Stolen Cartoons" • "Big Bad Wolf Daddy" • "The Three Caballeros" • "Goofy's Valentine Date" • "Unplugged Club" • "Timon and Pumbaa" • "Gone Goofy" • "Jiminy Cricket" • "Rent Day" • "Donald's Lamp Trade" • "Donald's Pumbaa Prank" • "Thanks to Minnie" • "Pluto Saves the Day"
Season Two: "Daisy's Debut" • "Goofy for a Day" • "Clarabelle's Big Secret" • "The Mouse Who Came to Dinner" • "Max's New Car" • "Not So Goofy" • "Everybody Loves Mickey" • "Max's Embarrassing Date" • "Where's Minnie?" • "Super Goof" • "King Larry Swings In" • "Ladies' Night" • "Dennis the Duck" Season Three: "Suddenly Hades" • "Pete's One-Man Show" • "House of Crime" • "Mickey and Minnie's Big Vacation" • "Donald and the Aracuan Bird" • "Goofy's Menu Magic" • "Music Day" • "House of Scrooge" • "Donald Wants to Fly" • "Dining Goofy" • "Chip 'n' Dale" • "Humphrey in the House" • "Ask Von Drake" • "Salute to Sports" • "Pluto vs. Figaro" • "House of Magic" • "Mickey vs. Shelby" • "House of Turkey" • "Clarabelle's Christmas List" • "Pete's Christmas Caper" • "Snow Day" • "Pete's House of Villains" • "Halloween With Hades" • "House Ghosts" • "House of Genius" • "Mickey and the Culture Clash"
Original Worlds:Destiny Islands • Traverse Town • Radiant Garden/Hollow Bastion • Disney Castle/Disney Town/Timeless River • Dive to the Heart • End of the World • Realm of Darkness • Twilight Town/Mysterious Tower • The World That Never Was • Castle That Never Was • Land of Departure/Castle Oblivion • Keyblade Graveyard • Daybreak Town/Scala ad Caelum
