Babes in Toyland (1961)
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30% of critics liked it
(10 reviews) -
53% of users liked it
(10,164 ratings)
This second film adaptation of the Victor Herbert operetta Babes in Toyland was producer Walt Disney's Christmas offering for 1961. The 1903 Herbert original had very little in the way of a plot, so screenwriters Joe Rinaldi, Lowell S. Hawley, and Ward Kimball lifted elements from the 1934… More This second film adaptation of the Victor Herbert operetta Babes in Toyland was producer Walt Disney's Christmas offering for 1961. The 1903 Herbert original had very little in the way of a plot, so screenwriters Joe Rinaldi, Lowell S. Hawley, and Ward Kimball lifted elements from the 1934 filmization of Toyland, which starred Laurel and Hardy. Annette Funicello plays Mary Contrary, about to wed Tom Piper (Tommy Sands) in the heart of Mother Goose Village. The villainous Barnaby (Ray Bolger), who covets Mary for himself, orders his bumbling henchmen Gonzorgo (Henry Calvin) and Roderigo (Gene Sheldon) to do away with Tom. Hoping to turn a profit, Gonzorgo and Roderigo sell Tom to a band of gypsies, enabling Tom to make a surprise return-in old-lady drag to rescue Mary from Barnaby's clutches. Later, Mary's younger siblings (including Disney regular Moochie Corcoran) wander into the Forest of No Return, compelling Tom and Mary to go after them. Everyone winds up in Toyland, where they try to help the Toymaker (Ed Wynn) and his invention-happy assistant Grumio (Tommy Kirk) meet their quota for Santa Claus despite the continued meddlings of Barnaby. Keep an eye peeled for 11-year-old Ann Jillian, making her screen debut as Bo Peep. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Jack Donohue
- Written By
- Lowell S. Hawley, Ward Kimball
- Genres
- Kids & Family, Romance, Musical & Performing Arts, Science Fiction & Fantasy
G,
- In Theaters
- Dec 14, 1961 Limited
- Studio
- Buena Vista
Critic Reviews
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Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
a flat, stagy, artificially cheerful affair that falls far short of the memorably creepy Laurel and Hardy version of 1934.
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James Plath, Movie Metropolis
An audience of preschoolers and kindergarteners should still appreciate this colorful Disney film, and curious parents might enjoy seeing certain actors at work.
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Brian Orndorf, Blu-ray.com
Perhaps 105 minutes of this sugary concoction borders on punishment, but when the movie hits a creative groove the results are highly amusing, generating a heightened sense of theatrical entertainment with a definite Disney twist.
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Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Disney's first live-action musical is the second, inferior version of Victor Herbert's operetta; the first, in 1934, stars Laurel and Hardy.
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Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
So-so 1961 Disney take with Annette Funicello, Tommy Sands, and Ed Wynn.
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Cast
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Ray Bolger
as Barnaby
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Tommy Sands
as Tom Piper
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Annette Funicello
as Mary Contrary
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Ed Wynn
as Toymaker
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Tommy Kirk
as Grumio
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Kevin Corcoran
as Boy Blue
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Henry Calvin
as Gonzorgo
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Gene Sheldon
as Roderigo
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Mary McCarty
as Mother Goose
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Ann Jillian
as Bo Peep
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Brian Corcoran
as Willie Winkie
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Marilee & Melanie Arnold
as Twins
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Jerry Glenn
as Simple Simon
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John Perri
as Jack-be-Nimble
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David Pinson
as Bobby Shaftoe
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Bryan Russell
as The Little Boy
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James Martin
as Jack
