Babes In Toyland poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Charlotte Henry, Felix Knight, Henry Kleinbach ... see more see more... , Marie Wilson , Florence Roberts , Ferdinand Munier , William Burress , Virginia Karns , Frank Austin , Billy Bletcher , Alice Dahl , Jean Darling , Johnny Downs , John George , Sumner Getchell , Gus Leonard , Alice Moore , Kewpie Morgan , Charles 'Buddy' Rogers , Eddie Baker , Alice Cook , Pete Gordon , Henry Brandon

March of the Wooden Soldiers is the 1952 reissue title for Hal Roach's 1934 film version of Victor Herbert's Babes in Toyland. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy star as Stannie Dum and Ollie Dee, bumbling ... read more read more...apprentices to the master toymaker of Toyland. This joyous fairy-tale community is populated by all the colorful Mother Goose characters we know and love; the one sour apple in the barrel is mean old Silas Barnaby (portrayed by Henry Kleinbach, aka Henry Brandon). Barnaby holds the mortgage on the outsized shoe where Widow Peep (Florence Roberts) and her daughter Little Bo Peep (Charlotte Henry) reside, and where Stannie and Ollie pay room and board. Bo Peep will be forced to marry the odious Barnaby if the rent isn't paid, so Stannie and Ollie try to raise the money by asking the toymaker for a raise. But the boys are fired when Stannie messes up an order from Santa Claus: instead of making six hundred toy soldiers one foot high, the dumb Mr. Dum makes one hundred toy soldiers six feet high. The wedding between Barnaby and Bo Peep goes on as planned--except that it's Stannie, disguised as the bride, who ends up walking down the altar. Publicly humiliated, Barnaby vows revenge. He steals one of the Three Little Pigs and places the blame on Bo Peep's boy friend, Tom-Tom the Piper's Son (Felix Knight). The penalty for pignapping is banishment to Bogeyland, a fearsome subterranean world populated by hideous bogeymen (look closely and you'll see the zippers on their costumes!) Stannie and Ollie expose Barnaby's perfidy and rescue Tom-Tom from Bogeyland, whereupon Barnaby rallies the bogeymen and leads an all-out attack on Toyland. Taking refuge in the toy warehouse, Stannie and Ollie activate the 100 6-foot wooden soldiers (a neat bit of stop-motion photography, courtesy of Hal Roach's "fx" wizard Roy Seawright), who vanquish the Bogeymen and save the day. One of the best of all the Laurel and Hardy features, March of the Wooden Soldiers has been a television holiday perennial ever since the cathode tube was invented. Only a handful of Victor Herbert's songs are utilized, but these lilting compositions more than compensate for the omissions (one song, "I Can't Do That Sum", is used as the leitmotif for the clueless Stannie and Ollie). For years available only in the 70-minute reissue version, March of the Wooden Soldiers has recently been fully restored to its full glorious 78 minutes. The parent property Babes in Toyland was remade by Disney in 1961 (with Gene Sheldon and Henry Calvin as Laurel and Hardy wannabes) and for television in 1986, with new songs by Leslie Bricusse. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Flixster Users

77% liked it

4,421 ratings

Critics

100% liked it

12 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 17 min.

Directed by: Charley Rogers, Gus Meins, Charles Rogers, Charlotte Henry, Felix Knight, Florence Roberts, Henry Brandon, Oliver Hardy, Stan Laurel, Virginia Karns, Charles 'Buddy' Rogers

Release Date: December 14, 1934

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: November 10, 1999

Stats: 202 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Silas Barnaby
Upload a Photo | View All Babes In Toyland Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (202)

  • bbcfloridabound
    May 12, 2012
    bbcfloridabound
    Have Seen this movie so many times I stopped counting, I couldn't wait to see it on TV when I was a Kid. It was on every Christmas Day wither on WPIX or WOR TV, back when rabbit ears or the Antenna Dad put on the roof would get us maybe 5 channels total. Anyway I will watch it ag... read moreain come Christmas Day. Its the Best Christmas Movie out there.
  • ajv2688
    September 14, 2010
    ajv2688
    First of all I think the story of Babes in Toyland is pretty stupid itself, but this movie has Laurel and Hardy, who could have made the movie funny, but they're just distracting. Although I'd welcome a distraction from having to watch this movie, they're not as funny as they th... read moreink.
  • coollala0910
    August 23, 2010
    coollala0910
    This movie never gets old! I watch this every Thanksgiving at my grandparents's house and I enjoy it everytime. The characters are so sweet and lovable and this is so hilarious! A must-see for adults and kids alike.

    "Christmas? Christmas in the middle of July?!"
  • FiLmCrAzY
    February 15, 2008
    FiLmCrAzY
    ive seen babes in toyland of course the first time i wtched it i thought it was great and the lad who was in it was pretty cute bt now its still gd but gd for its time and he is no longer cute!
  • oakman67
    May 12, 2012
    oakman67
    Probably the best adaptation of Victor Herbert's holiday themed Operatta known as Babes in Toyland. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy lend their big named talent as Stannie Dumm and Ollie Dee and the film is magical and the effects for the early 30's are quite effective. Little Boo Pe... read moreep wants to marry Tom the Piper's son but the evil Barnaby has other plans. The songs are quite dated but again a very enjoyable film.
  • threefolddado
    May 12, 2012
    threefolddado
    A Christmas time classic.
  • Doctor0Quinzel
    May 12, 2012
    Doctor0Quinzel
    Really interesting with the characters in the fictional land. A couple of really nice songs. A few chuckles in there. Fun for the family.
  • SunilJawahir
    April 3, 2009
    SunilJawahir
    Used to watch this a lot around Thanksgiving and it was a silly fun time.
  • fb1211880945
    May 12, 2012
    fb1211880945
    Day 22 of The 25 days of Christmas Movies Marathon Countdown..... And next up is a classic in the Truest sense of the word.

    To me growing up in NYC nothing screams Holiday movie like "March of the Wooden Soldiers" starring Laurel & Hardy. Originally Released in 1934 as "Babes in... read more Toyland" it was re-released several times with a different title to make it seem to audiences that they were going to see a different film. Then it surfaced as a holiday movie on TV with the name "March of the Wooden Soldiers" it became A holiday staple on many television stations throughout the US. In New York, it ran on WPIX channel 11, as March of the Wooden Soldiers, and still runs on WPIX in daytime on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Matter a fact, March of the Wooden Soldiers has run more times than the nationwide network runs of The Wizard of Oz, It's a Wonderful Life, and A Charlie Brown Christmas.

    Set in the mythical land of Toyland, Widow Peep (Florence Roberts) is an old woman about to be evicted from her home by the evil Silas Barnaby (Henry Brandon) unless her mortgage is paid. Barnaby is willing to overlook the matter and offer her the deed in favor of being honored for having her daughter, Bo-Peep (Charlotte Henry) as his bride. Bo-Peep loves Tom Tom Piper (Felix Knight, dressed like Peter Pan), and will have nothing to do with him. Stanley Dum (Stan Laurel) and Oliver Dee (Oliver Hardy), a couple of toy-makers who take up room and board in Widow Peep's home, attempt to help by asking their employer, the toy master (William Burress) for an advance in salary, but because Stanley confused Santa Claus's (Ferdinand Munier) order 600 toy soldiers at one foot high, thus giving him 100 toy soldiers at six foot high instead of 600 soldiers at 1 foot high, they both get fired, and must come up with another solution in rescuing Bo-Peep from the clutches of Barnaby.

    Directed Gus Meins and Charles Rogers, is a musical fairy tale based on a 1903 operetta. The story was perfect for the comedy team of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy in what's considered to be their very best and highly acclaimed adaptation taken from an operatic work, thanks to its fine script, comedy material and notable storybook characters brought to life on the screen. In spite of Stan and Ollie having to take time away from the screen in favor of plot development, musical interludes and romantic subplot, even appearing nearly ten minutes from the start of the story, the movie, overall, succeeds. Henry Kleinbach's portrayal of the Evil Barnaby is perfect on so many levels.

    "March of the Wooden Soldiers will always have a special place in my heart and in the memories of my childhood. I remember it was always shown on Thanksgiving Day after the Macy's parade and I would watch it with my Father, Uncle and Grandmother. It's a timeless classic that passes my Test of Time Test: I mean, I have shown this film to every younger family member of mines and they were hypnotized throughout, all enjoying and laughing at Laurel and Hardy's comedy, and were appropriately scared by the sight of the bogey-men. This movie is perfect for anyone young or old.
  • placeinthesun455
    December 15, 2009
    placeinthesun455
    not really that outstanding--kinda felt like a Marx Bros picture without the humour. there were a few moments where the Laurel & Hardy charm shined through, but most of the film was filled with a very thin plot and dreadful exaggerated acting. still, a few classic gags and funn... read morey jokes save this film from being a total disaster--it's entertaining, it just hasn't aged well.

View All Babes In Toyland Reviews

Critic Reviews

Andre Sennwald
March 25, 2006
Andre Sennwald, New York Times

The film is an authentic children's entertainment and quite the merriest of its kind that Hollywood has turned loose on the nation's screens in a long time. Full Review

February 13, 2001
Chicago Reader

This is a kid's movie rife with all the Freudian squalor that Disney repressed. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
June 23, 2010
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Appealing to both children and adults. Full Review

Steve Crum
October 24, 2004
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy made this definitive, charming version of 'Babes in Toyland' in 1934.

May 24, 2003
Film4

The innocent colour, humour, vibrancy and decent songs here should be capable of distracting anyone away from the Nintendo for an hour or so. Full Review

Bob Bloom
December 25, 2002
Bob Bloom, Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

A delightful treasure, especially in its uncut, original Babes in Toyland release.

Gary Brown
November 28, 2002
Gary Brown, Houston Community Newspapers

A Christmas favorite.

Ken Hanke
August 26, 2002
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Fair is fair, so it really isn't a Christmas movie, but it'd take an outright Scrooge to complain about that. Full Review

March 26, 2009
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Emanuel Levy
August 14, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Babes in Toyland
    Babes in Toyland (67%)

More Movies like Babes In Toyland

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

Babes In Toyland : Watch Free on TV

Babes In Toyland Trivia

  • Which movie was the first movie that Keanu Reeves played in?  Answer »
  • Which 1986 film starred a young Keanu Reeves alongside an even younger Drew Barrymore?   Answer »
  • What movie had this tag line ! and 1/2 hours of laughter ?   Answer »
  • What film has this quote:Toy Maker: What do you think of the Wooden Soldiers? Santa Clause : They're nice but they're not what I ordered . I ordered 600 soldiers one foot high. Toy maker: Oh I thought you said 100 soldiers six feet high"?  Answer »
More Babes In Toyland Trivia

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

Upload a Video |

All Babes In Toyland Videos

Meet Other Fans

Add Babes In Toyland to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?