This article is about the 1951 animated characters. For the 2010 live-action characters, see The Tweedle Boys.
Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum are minor characters in Disney's 1951 animated feature film Alice in Wonderland, originally featured in the original book's sequel, Alice Through the Looking Glass.
The Tweedles are identical twins and two fat brothers dressed in schoolboy uniforms and wearing red propeller caps. They take particular delight in reciting poems and songs. They're playful and jolly, which can make them seem a little annoying. They enjoy company and will always insist in a little game. They also have the ability to multiply. When they move, the sound of a honking noise can be heard.
In the movie, when Alice tries to chase after the White Rabbit, she comes across Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. The twin brothers offer to play a game called "Who's Got the Button?" or fight each other, which Alice turns down as she explains that she is following the White Rabbit because she is curious to know where he is going. This makes the brothers think about the Little Oysters who were curious and that something sad happened to them when they were. Alice decides to stay to listen to the story which is actually a poem called "The Walrus and the Carpenter". Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum tell Alice how one time in the middle of the night, The Walrus and the Carpenter managed to lure the Little Oysters away from their mother in the sea and offered them to dinner. Then while the Carpenter went to get some stuff to go with the meal, the Walrus ate up all the Oysters for himself. This made the Carpenter mad and the Carpenter chased the Walrus away. At the end, Alice tells Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum that the story was very sad, to which the brothers reply, "Yes. And there's a moral to it." Alice replies "Oh yes, a very good moral. If you happen to be an oyster." She then tries to leave but Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum insist that she listen to another one called Father William, but when the brothers are not looking Alice manages to sneak off and continue her search for the White Rabbit.
Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum are seen again during the reprise of the caucus race, and briefly during the scene when Alice is running away from the Queen of Hearts before she wakes up from her dream.
Cameos[]
The Tweedles play a role in the educational Figment film The Case of the Missing Space as characters mentioned in a mysterious letter and making an appearance at Figment's window in the end.
Tweedle Dum can be spotted during the final scene of Who Framed Roger Rabbit. He is seen in a brief back view leaving toward Toontown while the song is finishing. Both Tweedles were going to appear, but Tweedle Dee was cut for unknown reasons.
The Tweedles make numerous appearances as guests in House of Mouse, primarily in crowd shots aside other Wonderland characters. They also were shown being interviewed in a few Mouse on the Street segments in episodes like "The Three Caballeros" and "Clarabelle's Christmas List".
The Tweedles appear in the group photo in the Disney 100th Anniversary short film, Once Upon a Studio.
The Tweedles appeared in the series, played by Robert Barry Fleming and Harry Waters Jr. as adults, and by Thomas Hobson and Julian Roy Doster as children in the flashback scene of "Bah, Hamburger" (whereas Fleming played their mother, and Waters played their father). The Tweedles wear bright, colorful clothing and sing and dance in the style of hip hop music. As brothers, they share a strong sibling rivalry, often competing with each other about nearly everything. They are the most athletic residents of Wonderland, often playing sports and organizing games. The two's brotherly love usually triumphs over petty problems, and they usually offer Alice some sensible advice on any problems she may have. Instead of white, short and fat they are black, of average height and skinny.
When Alice returns to Wonderland with Will and the White Rabbit, they immediately find themselves in a sticky situation; quite literally. The two amateur portal jumpers land in a mallow marsh and begin sinking. A worried White Rabbit runs off to get help for them. He runs down a seemingly quiet road in Wonderland, but he soon stops when he comes across something terrifying to him; the Red Queen's royal carriage. Tweedledum and Tweedledee, who are both dressed in masquerade styled clothes and are both presumably working for the Red Queen as slaves under a threat, open the door and accompany her majesty off the carriage so she can meet with the rabbit. Another guard apprehends the rabbit and the Red Queen approaches him, with Tweedledum and Tweedledee by her side. She angrily tells the rabbit that he is late, to which he responds that he came as fast as he could. The party then takes him back to the queen's palace, where it is revealed that the White Rabbit is working for the queen under threat of death, and he brought Alice back to Wonderland per her request.
The Tweedles make a brief appearance during chapter 1 of the comic book based on the movie. The Queen intended to execute them both at the same time for the crime of "being unnecessarily annoying" (which is a fitting accusation, given their characters). However, they are able to escape their punishment by lying that the White Rabbit was conspiring against her with the "Alice Monster". The duo is last seen munching on the Queen's various pastries while the Queen angrily rushes off to kill the White Rabbit.
Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum at one of the Disney Parks.
The Tweedles are rarely-seen meetable characters at all theme parks except Hong Kong Disneyland, mostly appearing in parades, live shows, and other entertainment entries. Currently, they are rarely ever found for meet-and-greet sessions.
