Live Action Discussions: Babes in Toyland

[ichabod]

<center>Babes in Toyland (1961)



Originally released - 14 December 1961
Director - <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0232902/">Jack Donohue</a>

Main Cast
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002088/">Annette Funicello</a> - Mary Contrary
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0762378/">Tommy Sands</a> - Tom Piper
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001961/">Ray Bolger</a> - Barnaby
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0943956/">Ed Wynn</a> - Toymaker
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0456565/">Tommy Kirk</a> - Grumio
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0130886/">Henry Calvin</a> - Gonzorgo
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0791021/">Gene Sheldon</a> - Roderigo
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0565416/">Mary McCarty</a> - Mother Goose
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002019/">Kevin Corcoran</a> - Little Boy Blue
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0422713/">Ann Jillian</a> - Little Bo Peep

Songs
Lemonade
Just A Whisper Away
We Won't Be Happy Till We Get It
Slowly he Sank Into the Sea
Castle in Spain
I Can't Do the Sum
Floretta
The Forest of No Return
Toyland
The Workshop Song
Just a Toy
March of the Toys

Academy Award Nominations - 2
Best Music / Scoring of a Musical - <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005980/">George Bruns</a>
Best Costume Design - <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0858528/">Bill Thomas</a></center>

Tom the Piper's Son is about to marry Mary Quite Contrary. On the eve of their wedding, evil miser Barnaby hires two henchmen to drown Tom and steal Mary's sheep, cared for by Little Bo Peep, thus depriving Mary and the children she lives with of their livelihood, forcing her to marry Barnaby. The sheep are stolen, but Gonzorgo and Roderigo, Barnaby's henchmen, double-cross him by selling Tom to a band of gypsies instead, leaving Tom with the opportunity to escape and make his way with Mary, Bo-Peep, and other Mother Goose characters to Toyland.
-------------------------------------

Babes in Toyland is a musical on a grand scale. Set in a storybook land where people live in pumpkins and shoes with heart shaped windows, Babes in Toyland in a film full of magic and fun. I adore the sets for this film, it appears the concept for their design was along the same lines as those for Mary Poppins to have a "stage" feel to them, only Babes in Toyland's are even more theatrical. From the opening scene where Sylvester the goose sticks his head through the curtain, the "stage" aspect is all too apparent. Everything in this film is over the top, but in the good ever so slightly tongue-in-cheek way. Slapstick, silliness, in terms of acting, and assault of colour from the sets and costumes, even sheep that have been dyed various colours, in fact it could almost pass as a black and white film that had been badly colourized the palette is so vivid. However like I say the silliness, wackiness and rhyming dialogue must have been all too apparent throughout the making. Naturally next to the happy storybook village is the forest, called what else but "The forest of no return", which upon discovery that Bo Peep's sheep have been seen going in there results in the entire village simultaneously gasping!

As a child I adored this film, and still do. It is so carefree, light hearted and whimsical would be the perfect adjective to describe this movie. This movie often takes a lot of flack because it is a remake, but undeservingly so. Obviously the comic relief quasi-villains Roderigo and Gonzorgo are derived from Laurel and Hardy, it's unmistakable, but the two actors, so survive well on their own.

In fact the word 'plethora' is one befitting the cast of this movie, you'll recognise many faces that are crammed in here Mouseketeer Anette Funicello as Mary, Ed Wynn as the toymaker, Gene Sheldon and Henry Calvin familar from the Zorro TV show, Tommy Kirk and Kevin Corcoran who often starred as brothers in films such as Swiss Family Robinson and Old Yeller to name a couple and many other minor characters who turned up in various other Disney projects over the years.

The villain Barnaby again is very over the top, the quintessential "villain" caricature. Sleek black hair and moustache to twirl, clad in black with a black hat and cape and carrying a cane, in fact compare Barnaby to the Bowler hat guy from the upcoming Meet the Robinsons, notice any similarities? Barnaby naturally lives in a creepy old house, which naturally is creepy and crooked to an extreme caricature. I just love a villain who uses dialogue like "Come, let us lurk!" He wants rid of Tom so he can marry Mary himself.

Begin Disney's first live action musical, the movie is bursting with music and song, very little is pure dialogue. All there are a couple of dance numbers in the production too. Some of the musical numbers are very memorable too, why they have never found their way to begin included on any of the many many Disney compilation albums is beyond me. The very funny "Slowly, Slowly he sank into the sea" still makes me chuckle even now thanks to the Roderigo's daft antics as Gonzorgo tries to inform Mary of Tom's supposed death through song.

Another very memorable song is "The Forest of No Return" sung by the trees, and the "I can't do the Some" number which 5 Anette's sing in a variety of colors. Along the gypsy song/dance/acrobat number is another highlight and Tommy Sands is very convincing as a decrepid old crone, in another amusing musical number "Floretta".

As the movie progresses in Toytown other highlights from the film include Grumio's inventions which usually end in disaster no thanks to the bumbling toymaker, such as the toy making machine and the toy shrinking machine. The latter being responsible for the film's climax. As the evil Barnaby gets his hands on the shrinking gun, the toymaker, Tom and the two sidekick villains all find themselves shrunken down to a couple of inches high, adding a Honey I Shrunk the Kids vibe into the mix. He may only be a few inches high, but Tom gets in the cavalry, natuarally the toy cavalry to prevent Barnaby marrying Mary through forcing the dwarfed toymaker to perform the service. Which leads to the films amazing climax

Hands up if you though Babes in Toyland was just a live action film? Well you're wrong, the climax features some wonderful stop motion animation, The toy soldiers rally to the aid of Tom and attack the towering Barnaby. It makes for a wonderful, exciting climax and again voices the time, and money that went into this project. The marching toy soldiers are probably the longest surviving aspect of this film, Park visitors may have clapped eyes on them, but many probably wouldn't know the connection to the unfairly forgotten masterpiece musical. After Barnaby also gets himself shrunk the battle concludes with a sword fight between the tiny Tom and Barnaby. And what better to conclude after the victory that Tom and Mary getting married as the snow falls from the sky and off they go in a horse drawn sleigh.

<center></center>

I'm going to say it, this is my all time favourite live action Disney film. It's such a care-free, whimsical film. It conjours up feelings of childhood and innocence, even to this cynical old moaner. Even though aside from the snowy finish the film is not set at Christmas time, it has a Christmassy feel to it. Probably because of the toy workshop, the wooden houses with heart shaped shutters, the carved wooden doors and interiors with painted flowers. This is a film which desperately needs more attention by fans and by Disney themselves. Come on Disney give us all a present and give us a restored 2 disc special edition soon!
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Next time: The Santa Clause

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[Flanger-Hanger]

Yay! finally a film I've seen!

Anyway, unlike you, ichabod, I never saw this film as a child dispite the fact that we have always had it on VHS. Earlier this yaer I finally decided to force myself to watch it. The first time aound, I got bored shortly after "He slowly sank into the sea" and I decided to stop watching. The second time I actually saw the hole thing and had mixed feallings. Sure the sets and costumes are great and songs like "I can't do the sum" are really entertaining, I felt the movie was to long at some parts and that the march of the wooden toy soldiers was not as good as it could be.

However something strange happened. The songs got stuck in my head and I couldn't stop thinking about how much fun the dancing looked and I actually started to really like the movie. To the point where I even bought the DVD dispite it having the same picture quailty as my VHS and no bonus features.

Sure, the movie still has its problems (TOMMY SANDS) but who cares when you've got "Castle and Spain" and "Down in the Villagie Square" to entertain you? The march of the wooden toy soldiers and Toyland have become my favourite Christmas songs and I feel other people should give the movie a second chance if they didn't like it the first time.

Because when your feeling bad, you can always put on Babes in Toyland and travel to Mother Goose village.

[dvdjunkie]

If you watch this movie more than twice in a day it becomes so addicting. It is probably one of the best of the remakes. There was an animated one that sucked the big one, and two television versions that were really bad, but this one with such a great cast is just a joy to watch whether you are young or old (like me!).

Ed Wynn, Tommy Sands, Annette Funicello, and very young Ann Jillian as Bo Peep make this movie go, and then you add Ray Bolger to the mix and you have one of the most fun movies you will ever see. My grandkids (the three oldest ones) love this movie, and in fact we watched it just a couple of days ago.

Great time of the year to bring this one into the discussion. It is a worthy choice, and one of my many favorites.

[jediliz]

One of my favorites! I remember watching this on television once and I just loved it. I bought the DVD a few years ago. I loved that toy making machine!

[goofystitch]

My mom rented this for me one Christmas when I was little and I ate it up. I remember crying when we had gone to every store in town and nobody had it (it was out of print). I finally found it at Suncoast the next Christmas when Disney finally re-released it in a soft VHS box. I rushed out the day it came to DVD to upgrade because the VHS was so worn out. I really wish Disney would release the soundtrack to iTunes like they recently did with "Summer Magic" because I love all of the music and the only song I own is "Castle in Spain" from a compilation, and that's not one of my favorites. I just watched this 2 weeks ago with my brother. The sets are fantastic and it is the most entertaining version of the story (much more-so than the Keaneu Reeves/Drew Barrymore version). I recently got back from a trip to Disney World and the soldiers were in the Christmas parade and it was amazing to get to see them. They were also predominantly features under the giant Christmas tree on Main Street. I'm surprised Disney doesn't make a bigger deal of this movie. It's one of my favorite Disney and Christmas movies and is a tradition to watch it every year in my family.

[littlefuzzy]

Actually, the Laurel & Hardy version is my favorite... I'm not sure if I have even seen much of this one...

[akhenaten]

i first know about this movie when one of the song played during a christmas parade in '95. then i found the video, bought it, watched it once, hated it. i regretted buying it because it felt like the stupidest mistake i ever made. i was so ashamed to accept that disney made this. so 10 years later i thought i'd give it another chance. this time i could endure it. then my friend got the dvd and we watched it together. it was still ok for me. maybe its the fact that the music aren't original and the character were one dimensional or that it tries too much to be wizard of oz-y or that animators should just stick to directing animation. (an issue which persists till today, IMO)

so overall, okay but id prefer darbie o gill or the happiest millionaire.and i can never get annette.what's appealing bout her?

C+

[MichaeLeah]

Since my parents recorded this off the tv many years ago, this is one of the Disney movies I have seen the most. I know have it on the disappointing DVD release. I think this film is a lot of fun but I think it emotionally comes short. It is lots of fun but I don't think it has enough heart. I think a film should be more emotionally involving to be really fantastic. Furthermore, I think people need to be able to relate to some of the characters to really enjoy a film. I don't think people can relate to this film.

I do think Babes is lots of fun. I really love watching Henry Calvin and Gene Sheldon. I believe this film is the last thing they did at Disney and their absence was a great loss. I always thought Gene Sheldon really was a mute until I saw Toby Tyler when it came to DVD. I was shocked to hear words come from his mouth.

[Super Aurora]

Actually, the Laurel & Hardy version is my favorite... I'm not sure if I have even seen much of this one...

Yes that one is the best. I've seen both, and March of the Wooden Soliders(Laurel & Hardy) wins in my fav. It's just that good.

[slave2moonlight]

I do love this film, but I suppose I have always seen it a bit as Walt's answer to "The Wizard of Oz" (consider the talking trees, for example), and in that comparison it falls short. I have to confess to never being a huge Annette fan, though this is the film where she is most appealing, and in general, the cast is a mixed bag to me. I LOVE Ray Bolger and Disney faves like Ed Wynn, Tommy Kirk, Moochie, etc..., but I was less than impressed by the screen presences of Mother Goose and the lesser children, and didn't care much for Tommy Sands either. Ann Jillian was fine though, but few characters were really standout (besides the villains and toy makers). I believe I also have mixed feelings about the stagey opening and style of the film, though I'm sure it didn't bother me as a child. The whole thing is a bit odd and plastique, which I guess is what can be viewed as both appealing and off-putting about the film, depending on what you're in the mood for or what you tend to like in general. It's a bit like the Santa Clause sequels in that sense, I suppose. But, Babes In Toyland has something very special: Fantastic musical numbers! I'd have to say that they are what carry the film, which, yes, can feel overly long at times (I'm thinking mainly towards the end, in the Toy Shop). The villains are also a high point too, and who didn't love Tommy Kirk's inventions?!!! As for any of the songs making it to Disney compilations over the past few years, I am certain I have an audio cassette collection of Disney songs that includes Castle In Spain, and surely Toyland has been released before (I know I used to have it on a vinyl compilation as a kid, though it probably was a rerecording by misc. singers).

Overall, this is an enjoyable film, particularly at Christmastime, though I don't feel it is one of Disney's best. It is very colorful and fun, but it could have used some better stars in the leads in my opinion, along with some other little tweaks. I mean, if they really wanted it to shine. Still, I definitely want to get the DVD eventually, and wish there was a better version out there than what is available. Luckily, I did get to watch it this year, because my family has the VHS release.

[MickeyMousePal]

Babes in Toyland is one of the best holiday musical films too bad it got boneless features. I haven't seen this film recently but I remember watching Babes in Toyland and it's entertaining. The only thing I really didn't like about this film is that the special effects are kind of cheap I know this isn't a Matrix film but it could have had better special effects. This movie should have a 2 Disc DVD treatment down the road.

[Flanger-Hanger]

Can someone help me figure out what Babes in Toyland's original aspect ratio is please?

[carter1971]

It wasn't filmed in scope, so a matted 1.85:1 is likely the correct ratio.

[carter1971]

I just checked imdb.com, and they also list it as 1.85:1. I know they're not exactly reliable, but at least it's a second opinion.

[goofystitch]

When I watched it at Christmas time, I noticed that the boarders around the credits are croped on the sides. I'm very certain that this film wasn't filmed in 1.85:1, but closer to 1.33.1 with the intention of being matted to 1.85:1. That was common practice for live action Disney films back then and in recent years, Disney has been pretty good about releasing these films matted into their OAR. I'm hoping Babes in Toyland gets another DVD release in widescreen with bonus features. It will be missing some picture on the top and bottom, but gaining some on the sides and it will be the way the director intended for all of the shots to be framed.

[blackcauldron85]

Yesterday I was reading the UD review of this movie (what a coincidence), and this is what it says about the aspect ratio:

http://www.ultimatedisney.com/babesintoyland.html

(it lists it as 1:33:1 Fullscreen)

Here's where our reviewers disagree. MickeyMouseboy declares that the film is not presented in its original widescreen theatrical aspect ratio: "This is clearly a pan & scan job; a back cover picture of the scene where Barnaby comes to congratulate Mary is in widescreen compared to the scene on the DVD. Some information is missing on the sides of the frame, such as the wall that's out of sight until the character moves to the far right. The same goes for the stairs on the far left of the frame."

While it's true that in the early '60s, Disney was usually exhibiting live action films in the 1.66:1 or 1.75:1 ratios, MichaeLeah believes "there is a possibility that this DVD is open-matte. Throughout the course of the film, there is open space at the top and bottom of the frame. There is just one scene where two shots look like they should be slightly wider. Those shots might be the result of cropping, or it could just be tight framing. A widescreen television might be used to approximate the presumable theatrical ratio by zooming in on the picture with the television to matte the picture and zooming out with the DVD player to compensate for overscan. Be warned this method will diminish the quality of the picture."

Without any notices from Disney to theaters at our fingertips, Babes in Toyland is yet another one of the studio's live action films which may or may not be reformatted from its intended ratio for DVD. For now, there is no definite conclusion on whether the disc is open-matte, pan-and-scan, a mix of the two, or presenting the Academy Ratio the film may have been shot for.

[ichabod]

Maybe this could be moved to flesh out the somewhat unloved Babes in Toyland discussion thread? http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... hp?t=17931

Anyway I was going to bump the discussion thread (when I had time), but what I'll say is that the DVD is definitely reframed. For those of you with the Your Host DVD, check out the scenes in backstage party. They appear more correctly framed and appear to show an open matte picture, possibly intended to be cropped to 1.75:1? The scene which is the biggest giveaway is the "We Won't be Happy till we Get it' number' number. On the DVD one of them (possibly Roderigo, I forget) is half missing. Whereas in Backstage Party, he's all there.

Alas, that I could take R1 screencaps or both DVDs.

[Flanger-Hanger]

Here are some screencaps:

the first are the opening titles. Note the border is only slightly cut (probably the difference between 1.33:1 and 1.37:1)







then the poorly framed shots from "We Won't be Happy Till We Get It"





plus a shot from "I Can't do the Sum" that I thought looked odd



I'll later post the shots from Your Host Walt Disney (though I didn't notice a difference when I first viewed it ichabod)

[UncleEd]

I watched this A LOT as a kid until I wore out the tape and I cried and cried I couldn't watch it anymore. I don't think they aired it again for years.

I too bought the DVD the day it came out and almost got killed in a car accident in the process...I avoided being in the accident but it still shook me up. I haven't watched it as often as a result because it reminds me of how I almost bought the farm buying this DVD.

I heard Walt hated this film though. I've heard he said things like it was the worst film he ever made and "Maybe we can't make musicals here at Disney". I never thought it was a bad film but I wish a CD would be released already before I wear my LP out.

[gardener14]

Although a cd is not commercially available, the soundtrack can be purchased from I-tunes.