Babes in Toyland (1934)

So much average

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

A Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy classic, and a great sentimental favourite. Whether Babes in Toyland is among their best is up for debate but when it comes to personal favourites of theirs Babes in Toyland is very high up. Of the four films with the title Babes in Toyland, this is by far and away the best and the only great one. The others being the 1961 Disney film, which is decent but one of their lesser live-action musicals, the 1986 Drew Barrymore/Keanu Reeves film which had its moments but most of it was pretty messy and the 1997 animated film which as I recall was only okay but a re-watch is due asap. Laurel and Hardy certainly don't disappoint. Their antics and jokes are a sheer delight, corny at times but in an endearing way, and they look so animated. And thankfully they don't swamp the supporting cast. Henry Brandon is particularly good and sinister as the villain Barnaby, and Charlotte Henry and Felix Knight are charming with wonderful singing voices, thankfully they don't drag things down which is a tendency with star-struck lover roles and subplots. William Burress is winning as the kindly toy-maker too, if not quite as memorable as Ed Wynn in the Disney version. The costume and set design are colourful and brings the inner child within you, like a fantasy world that you don't want to leave. The photography is equally nice and the effects have their acceptable charms, by today's standards they're not all that cheap. Victor Herbert's score and songs are not among his best but they are pleasant and memorable, the incidental scoring has the right amount of whimsy and Toyland and March of the Wooden Soldiers are deservedly the highlights of the songs. The dialogue is tight with plenty of jokes to enjoy, and there is a real sense of joy, fantasy and enchantment in the story that the other Babes in Toyland films don't quite manage, well the Disney film did but the 1986 film didn't. March of the Wooden Soldiers was the highlight and cleverest moment of the Disney film and it is every bit as memorably staged here. The Boogeymen are still frightening now. This version is the best directed by a mile, the film actually goes at a good pace(the Disney film had a few dull stretches while the 1986 film never really came to life as well as being indifferently directed) and is directed by people who clearly knew what they wanted to do and had enthusiasm for it. All in all, timeless for children and for adults. Those who like the operetta will be enchanted and will cherish this as the best version, and even if it is a little different to what Laurel and Hardy usually did even Laurel and Hardy fans can find much to enjoy(some die-hard fans will disagree, just for the record I've always liked Laurel and Hardy a lot). 10/10 Bethany Cox

There are many films based on Victor Herbert's famous operetta, Babes in Toyland. There's the 1961 Disney film with Ray Bolger, there's the 1997 animated film, there's the 1980s TV film with Drew Barrymore, but the one I'm going to look at today is the 1934 Hal Roach Studios film starring the legendary comedy duo, Laurel and Hardy. I've I had to spill the truth, I'd say that this is my third favorite film of all time. It's up there with The Wizard of Oz and in my opinion, it should get a lot more recognition. For 1934, it's a wonder what they were able to accomplish with the hour and a half long film, not just with the special and practical effects, but with the pure spectacle and enchantment. This is a magical film, a film that grabs me and sucks me into it's realm every time I set eyes to it. It's got spectacular songs, brilliant set designs, a monkey in a Mickey Mouse costume and wondrous stop motion effects that rival that of King Kong. If I were to recommend it, I'd say see it in color, which is usually the version that airs on television anyway. The color, in my opinion, makes everything pop more and makes the fantasy land of Toyland seem more enchanted, more storybook like. It's like you are right there, experiencing the film's events with Stannie Dumb and Ollie Dee and routing for the Wooden Soldiers as they kick Bogeyman rump. Laurel and Hardy are at their finest in this film and it's obvious this dim witted duo were one of the many inspirations for Star Wars' R2-D2 and C-3P0. They're always getting into trouble, getting dunked in a pool of water and getting fired from their job after a wooden soldier reigns havoc in the toy factory. Felix Knight, who portrays Tom-Tom Piper is a fantastic singer and Henry Brandon, who was just 21 years old at the time pulls off a menacing and wicked Silas Barnaby. And those Bogeyman, hoggish and haggard monstrosities are the most terrifying adversaries ever put to film. When I was a kid, these ghoulish, grotesque abominations were one of the elements of this film that made my jaw drop to the floor. I ran to the closet and grabbed my plush stuffed bunny rabbit and hoped the Bogeymen would go away. Luckily, the Wooden Soldiers arrive to take out the villainous creatures and Barnaby as well. The Wooden Soldier March makes me feel brave and triumphant, like I can take on any peril and come out on top. These soldiers kick the living tar out of the Bogeymen and in one scene, a wooden soldier looses his head as he chases a Bogeyman into a house. In the very end, Barnaby and the Bogeymen are banished, everybody cheers and Ollie Dee gets a butt full of sharp darts launched from a cannon. What a rather macabre ending to an otherwise marvelous and magical motion picture. This is the pinnacle Thanksgiving movie for me and while there are many versions of the operetta in existence, this will always be the definitive version for me. Laurel and Hardy are grand, the look of the film is grand and this film just screams childhood. It takes me back to the carefree, innocent days of youth.Bring on the Wooden Soldiers!

. MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS (1934) **** Laurel & Hardy are wonderfully cast in this adaptation of the childhood fave that incorporates all of the Mother Goose tales/characters in Babeland where the doofus duo –Ollie Dee and Stanley Dum, respectively – try to help Old Mother Peep and Little Bo-Peep keep their shoe, um, their house, from the clutches of the evil tyrant Silas Barnaby. A cornucopia of classic characters like The Three Little Pigs and even Mickey Mouse (a monkey in a costume!) make for a delightful diversion. Oddly enough the 'colorized' version actually enhances the dream-like quality of the production. A true family fare classic that is best seen during the holidays.

Christmas comes but once a year. Of course we think of Frank Capra's IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946), which until recently had been thought to be in public domain. It was subject to almost constant showings. From Thanksgiving until New Year's, it was run on any channel and was. (We even remember seeing it run on 2 channels, simultaneously!) Well, due to some technicality concerning the music's not being out of copyright straightened out that Public Domain business. But that, Schultz, is another Story! Other Seasonal Favourites include: WHITE Christmas (1954), Christmas IN CONNECTICUT(1945), A CHARLIE BROWN Christmas (1965), HOW THE GRINCH STOLE Christmas (1966), Jean Shephard's A Christmas STORY (1983), MEET JOHN DOE (1941)*, GOING MY WAY (1944)*, THE BELLS OF ST. MARY'S (1945)* and Charles Dickens'A Christmas CAROL (all versions).One film that makes its appearance with out any fanfare each Yuletide is BABES IN TOYLAND aka MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS (Hal Roach/MGM, 1934). The Musical Fantasy, based on the Victor Herbert Operetta, first performed on October 13, 1903. Its premiere was at the Majestic Theater, on Broadway in New York City. Much of the music that was retained for the film was very well known to the general public.The Movie of BABES IN TOYLAND takes the characters of Tweedle-Dumb and Tweedle Dee, prominent in English literature even before being featured in Lewis Carroll's ALICE IN WONDERLAND; and transforms into Stannie-Dumb & Ollie-Dee. It was a near perfect adaptation; putting Laurel & Hardy right in the story, both as Mother Goose type characters and in their familiar roles.OUR STORY……The Boys have jobs working in the Toy Factory and share the rental of a room from Mother Peep (Florence Roberts), who is a Widow and lived in a huge Shoe and had so many Children, etc. Her eldest child, Bo-Peep (Charlotte Henry, Woo,woo,woo,woo!) has the job of tending the sheep, which she continually looses. After "playing hard to get", she agrees to marriage with Tom-Tom, the Piper's Son (Felix Knight). All of Toyland is jubilant at the announcement. That is, except for one citizen.Lecherous, dirty old man type, Silas Barnaby (Henry Brandon) is the old miserly guy who is desirous of Bo-Peep, and has unsuccessfully proposed marriage to her. But, the "Crooked Little Man, who lives in a Crooked Little House" also holds the now overdue, subject to foreclosure Mortgage on Widow Pep's house.The Boys attempt to help Mother Peep both in trying to borrow the money from their stern and crabby boss, the Toymaker (William Burness) and in an unsuccessful attempt to steal the Mortgage agreement from Barnaby's house.Rather than see Stannie-Dumb & Ollie-Dee face punishment and to save her Mother and family from eviction, Bo-Peep agrees to nuptials with Barnaby. With help of Stan & Ollie, Barnaby is fooled (he didn't know that the highly veiled Bride was really Laurel!), but he frames Tom-Tom, who faces punishment of "Banishment to Bogeyland". Bogeyland's being a cavernous wasteland populated by the Bogeymen (or 'Boogiemen', if you please!) They are monstrous, half beast-half man, vicious, wild creatures; who turn out to be followers of, you guessed it, Silas Barnaby! In the finale, after Stan & Ollie rescue Bo-Peep & Tom-Tom, Barnaby leads the Bogeymen in the invasion an sacking of Toyland; until Laurel & Hardy turn the tables by using "The March of The Toys" and some hereto for useless Toy Soldiers.BABES IN TOYLAND (or MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS) successfully touches all the bases and hits the ball right out of the ball park, a Grand Slammer! As a Christmas story, as Family Viewing Fare, as a Musical and of course, as a Laurel & Hardy starring vehicle it cannot be beat! The Laurel & Hardy bits of business just roll out naturally, without any slowing of the story. And we are treated to a vast array of the great Comedians' best stuff; what, with Stan's prowess for a sort of "stick ball game" ("Peewees") and some references to bits of comic business from previous pictures.Producer,Mr. Hal Roach, Sr. did an excellent job of assembling a supporting cast featuring many a veteran of the old silent comedy days, like Old King Cole (Sennett veteran Kewpie Morgan), Chief of Police (Billy Blecher) and Townsmen (Sam Lufkin, Ham Kinsey & Roach Studios regulars, Baldwin Cooke & Charlie Hall). Additionally we see veteran "B" film actors like: Stanley "Tiny" Sandford, Frank Austin, Richard Alexander, Jack "Tiny" Lipson, Virginia Kams, Marie Wilson, Jean Darling and many more.We must take notice of our Bo-Peep,Miss Charlotte Henry the young, delicate, beauty of a starlet, who regrettably made only about 30 films; opting for early retirement. Her screen persona was so sweet and sexy, even! (What a "dirty old man" I have become!) The music is all Victor Herbert, but for short quotations from Disney's "Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf"; as the Three Little Pigs and a couple of additional characters added were "The Cat and the Fiddle's" foil, a Monkey dressed as Mickey Mouse! If you see it on Broadcast, Cable or Satellite TV, you're stuck with whatever the format that is being shown. If you rent or buy a DVD or VHS, check its running time to make sure that it isn't an abridged version, as you'll miss out on a lot.It's a shame that this movie was not done in Technicolor, as the MGM Musical Extravaganza, THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939) would be 5 years later. This is one time where I could approve of the "Colorization", which has been done to some VHS & DVD editions are; for the effect is one of its being a Gigantic Story Book. And, that's exactly what it is, Schultz!NOTE: * Strictly speaking, these 3 are not Christmas pictures, but do come to their endings at Christmastime; but,so does NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (1955).