Year Released:1961
Michael's Movie Grade:D
History
Babes in Toyland was Disney's first feature length live action musical. While various previous Disney live action films had songs in them, none of them were really musicals.
Walt Disney had a long history of trying to make a film based off the Oz books. He originally wanted to make an animated feature film based off the books to follow Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but discovered that MGM already bought the rights (their movie version would of course go on to become on of the most famous films ever made). In 1954 Walt had bought the rights to the books. Now Walt had the idea to make this as a live action film, staring the Mousketeers from The Mickey Mouse Club TV show. There was even an episode of the Disneyland TV show made to advertise this, where the Mousketeers dressed in Oz like costumes and sang songs that might be used in that never made movie. In 1958 the idea for an Oz film was dropped for unknown reasons (perhaps the extreme popularity for the 1939 MGM film?) and essentially replaced with Babes in Toyland. The first actual Oz movie made for the Disney studio was Return to Oz released in 1985, about 19 years after Walt passed away. It is also worth noting that appearing in Babes in Toyland as the villain Barnaby in this film is Ray Bolger, who played the scarecrow in the MGM version of the Wizard of Oz.
The director chosen for this film was Jack Donohue. Donohue had previously directed Watch that Birdie and The Yellow Cab Man, both with Red Skelton, as well as episodes of The Red Skelton Hour TV show. He would spend much of career directing episodes of TV shows, these included The Lucy Hour, Here's Lucy, The Brady Bunch, The Odd Couple and Chico and the Man. Babes in Toyland and a episode of Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color advertising the film would be the only work Jack Donohue ever did for the Disney studio.
Despite this film being live action some animation was used. The director for the animation was Disney legend Ward Kimball. Ward Kimball had been an animator for the studio since 1934 and would spend his entire career at Disney (he retired in 1971). Ward Kimball is probably best remembered by Disney fans for being the supervising animator for such characters as Jiminy Cricket, the Cheshire Cat, the Crows (in Dumbo), the Indians (in Peter Pan) and Lucifer (in Cinderella). He also would be the director of animation in a later live action Disney musical, a little film called Mary Poppins. Ward Kimball also served as one of the three writer on Babes in Toyland.
The other two writers were Joe Rinaldi and Lowell S. Hawley. Joe Rinaldi had written for such Disney animated classics as Dumbo, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan and Lady and the Tramp. Lowell S. Hawley had previously written for Disney's Zorro TV show and for the Disney live action classic Swiss Family Robinson. He would later be a writer for the Disney films In Search of Castaways, A Tiger Walks, The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin, The Young Loner and The One and Only Genuine Original Family Band.
This wasn't the first film version of Babes in Toyland. There was an amazing 1934 movie (watch this film it is so good). The reason I bring this up is because that version stars Laurel and Hardy, and Henry Calvin and Gene Sheldon as Barnaby's sidekicks are essentially playing Laurel and Hardy in this movie.
This film used both songs from the original musical on which it was based and original songs as well. The new songs were written by George Burns and Mel Leven. Mel Leven had previously wrote songs for 101 Dalmatians. George Burns had written songs for The Davy Crockett movies, Sleeping Beauty, Johnny Tremain, Tonka, and Westward Ho, The Wagons!.
Babes in Toyland did poorly at the box office, and was meet with very negative reviews from critics.
Until 1963 the films sets were available to see at Disneyland, and still to this day the toy soldiers are a staple of Disneyland's Christmas parade.
Review
Bland and forgettable, one of the few misses from the Disney studio during the Walt era.
The biggest problem with this movie is the characters, particularly the two main protagonists. They seem to be devoid of any personality besides just being nice people. Annette and Tommy Sands try their best but are given little to work with. Beyond this though there is not much of a feel of danger or excitement. We never truly believe that these protagonists are in any danger. All the threats are either too silly to be threatening or almost non-threatening. In other words most of the problems that they face just seem to delay the ending rather than cause excitement. This is strange to think that this could possibly be the same studio that brought us the evil queen in Snow White, the terrifying Pleasure Island scene from Pinocchio or the creepy banshee from Darby O' Gill. With how good the studio usually was (and is) at this it is shocking how much they miss the mark here.
Now there are some good things about this movie as well. Like all Disney films from this era it looks great. The sets are absolutely gorgeous and the special effects hold up very well. The songs are often quite pleasant, even if they are not always the best Disney songs. While much of the comedy does miss (Henry Calvin and Gene Sheldon are very talented performers but no one plays Laurel and Hardy better than Laurel and Hardy), there are some pretty funny moments here and there. Ed Wynn as always is delightful here. Unfortunately these good points can not make up for the major problems this film has.
Skip this film and watch the 1934 Babes in Toyland instead. Luckily misses like this were very rare exceptions at Disney during this era, and the studio would continue to make many great films after this.
Film Credits
Director: Jack Donohue
Writers: Ward Kimball, Joe Rinaldi, Lowell S. Hawley
Based off an operetta by Glen Macdonough
Cast: Annette Funicello (Mary), Tommy Sands (Tom), Ray Bolger (Barnaby), Gene Sheldon (Roderigo), Henry Calvin (Gonzorgo), Ed Wynn (Toymaker), Tommy Kirk (Grumio), Ann Jillian (Bo-Peep), Kevin Corcoran (Boy Blue), Marty McCarty (Mother Goose), Brain Corcoran (Willie Winkie), Don Anderson (Villager), Marilee Arnold (Twin), Melanie Arnold (Other Twin), Robert Banas (Dancer), Eileen Diamond (Dancer), Jack Donohue (Sylvester), Ilana Downing (Jill), James Martin (Jack), Bess Flowers (Villager), Jerry Glen (Simple Simon), James Gonzales (Villager), William Meador (Villager), John Perri (Jack Be Nimble), David Pinson (Bobby Shaftoe), Bryan Russell (Boy), Jeannie Russell (Singer)
Producer: Walt Disney
Cinematographer: Edward Coleman
Editor: Robert Stafford
Art Directors: Carroll Clark, Marvin Aubrey Davis
Animation Director: Ward Kimball
Set Decorators: Hal Gausman, Emile Kuri
Costume Designer: Bill Thomas
Makeup Artist: Pat McNalley
Hair Stylist: Ruth Sandifer
Assistant Director: Austen Jewell
Unit Manager: Arthur J. Vitarelli
Sound Artist: Robert Cook
Music: George Burns
Song Writers: Victor Hubert, George Burns, Mel Leven
Effects Artists: Eustace Lycett, Robert A. Mattley
Animators: Joshua Meador, Bill Justice, Xavier Atencio
Matte Artist: Jim Fetherolf
Choreographer: Tom Mahoney
Resources Used
The Disney Films by Leonard Maltin
-Michael J. Ruhland
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