All roads lead to magical, merry Toyland as Mary Contrary and Tom Piper prepare for their wedding! But villainous Barnaby wants Mary for himself, so he kidnaps Tom, setting off a series of comic chases, searches, and double-crosses! The "March Of The Wooden Soldiers" helps put Barnaby in his place, and ensures a "happily ever after" for Tom and Mary!
Ray Bolger
Barnaby
Tommy Sands
Tom Piper
Annette Funicello
Mary Contrary
Ed Wynn
Toymaker
Tommy Kirk
Grumio
Kevin Corcoran
Boy Blue
Henry Calvin
Gonzorgo
Gene Sheldon
Roderigo
Mary McCarty
Mother Goose
Ann Jillian
Bo Peep
Brian Corcoran
Willie Winkie
Jack Donohue
Sylvester J. Goose (uncredited)
Bryan Russell
The Little Boy (uncredited)
Thurl Ravenscroft
Trees (singing voice)
Candy Candido
Trees (singing voice)
Bess Flowers
Villager (uncredited)
Leon Alton
Villager (uncredited)
Bernard Sell
Villager (uncredited)
James Gonzalez
Villager (uncredited)
Don Anderson
Villager (uncredited)
Director
Jack Donohue
Director
Austen Jewell
Lyricist
Glen MacDonough
Writer
Joe Rinaldi
Writer
Lowell S. Hawley
Writer
Ward Kimball
July 3, 2020
8
Well that surpassed all my expectations!
I thought: "A Christmas musical film? Uh oh." I've stated before that musicals are not my favourite, I usually struggle to get into them due to their discombobulated nature. However, to my surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed <em>'Babes in Toyland'</em>.
The ending does fall flat minutely, but everything up until that point is a true joy. The opening scenes are terrific. Are they utterly random? Yes. Does it really make any sense? Heck no. Was I smiling? I sure was! "We Won't Be Happy Till We Get It" is a great opener to Barnaby & Co.
Barnaby is portrayed very well by Ray Bolger, with his side-kicks acted by the fun duo of Henry Calvin (Gonzorgo) and Gene Sheldon (Roderigo) - two who I liked in <em>'The Sign of Zorro'</em>. Tommy Sands (Tom), Annette Funicello (Mary) and Ed Wynn (Toymaker) are also good.
As noted, the conclusion is what knocks my rating down ever so slightly. It isn't even a bad way to wrap things up, it just isn't as entertaining as what occurs beforehand. The other stuff is grand though, the film knows it's somewhat bonkers and commits to it positively.
I'm not a big fan of musicals so I'm probably not the best person to ask about the genre, but all I can say is that I really enjoyed this.
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$0.00
Revenue:
$0.00