Le pays des jouets

I can remember watching this movie over and over when I was little-- of course, as the years went by I eventually taped over it. Well, when I finally grew out of my "I'm too cool for this movie" phase, I regretted my hasty decision. Luckily, last night it was on in the middle of the night on the Disney Channel and I practically programmed the VCR with lightening speed. I still love it, and I always associate certain scenes with certain memories, and now that I'm older I understand what is going on a little bit better (not to mention some of the jokes that flew right over my head when I was four!)! If you don't watch it for yourself, you're kids'll love it. Believe me, I know!

This is a film that cries out to be seen on the big screen. As a child, I saw this in the theater, and the color just dripped off the screen. With the magnificent soundtrack and wonderful special effects, it was a special event. However, on the small screen it does lose something of its effect, but it's still a good movie. The scene where TomTom has been shrunk, and takes his revenge on Barnaby by losing the wooden soldiers on him still gives me goosebumps.

Probably better for younger children, I still wouldn't miss this film.

You know, this is one of those grossly underrated, wonderful treasures of a movie. It's rather simple, with the fanciest effects being the movement of the toy soldiers, which was ahead of its time, but it's a true case of simple is beautiful. It's a fantastic movie for those who just wish to sit back, and laugh with the family, and have an adventure in fantasy land. The play is still being put on around the world, and this, to me, is just the best captured version. There's really something for everyone - Ray Bolger ( who looked really spectacular, very handsome in his role as Barnaby), Annette (who is always charming for being the sweetheart we all know), Tommy Sands as the daring hero, and the team of Henrey Calvin and Gene Sheldon, along with the forever amusing Ed Wynn. This movie turns out more of a comedy, and the adventures that encompass Mary and Tom Piper, when crossed by Barnaby, double crossed by Gonzorgo and Rodrigo are hilarious. This is primarily a Christmas movie, but it's set so you can watch it anytime of the year - and so you should! I still cannot get over Ray bolger as a villian....he does a lovely job, and looks terrific, but if you only know him as the scarecrow, you'll especially need to see this! He makes the statement relavent that he is very, very, very versatile, and one of our greatest entertainment treasures.

It was sixty years since Victor Herbert and Glen MacDonough's magical musical for kids premiered on Broadway when this version came out and now it's nearly 50 years since the film was in theaters. It doesn't rank up with the one that Laurel&Hardy did in the Thirties. For one thing the Victor Herbert score was cut, but not added to. Secondly Stan and Ollie were the center of things even though they are supporting characters. That in itself made their March Of The Wooden Soldiers memorable.

Still this version that Disney did featured several of his stable of young stars like Annette Funicello and Tommy Sands as the young lovers of Toyland who want to wed. But evil Barnaby reprised in this version by Ray Bolger is going to put a stop to that. He's got designs on Annette's virtue and more important on the inheritance he knows she will get upon her wedding day. Bolger is having a great old time hamming it up as Barnaby.

Stan and Ollie are saluted by Disney with Gene Sheldon and Henry Calvin, fresh from the Zorro series. They're funny, but are clearly relegated to supporting players as Bolger's inept stooges. As Stan Laurel was still alive when Babes In Toyland was in the theaters, I've often wondered what he thought of Sheldon and Calvin.

Tommy Kirk who was barely out of his teens got a real treat to work with one of the great funny men of all time. Babes In Toyland is a great example for those of us to see the zany humor in the character of Ed Wynn as the Toymaker with Kirk as his assistant. The two of them work very well together.

Even Tommy Sands gets into the humor of things when he dons an outrageous gypsy drag persona to foil one of Bolger's schemes. A scheme that goes awry when Calvin and Sheldon don't precisely obey orders. You just can't get good help, even in Toyland.

I even think Victor Herbert would have approved of the way his numbers were done though he probably would not like the Disney interpolations that were made. He was a stickler for such things in his life.

Viewing March Of The Wooden Soldiers back to back with Babes In Toyland doesn't make this version look inferior by any means.

It's a 1960s Disney Musical, I should not have to say more than this about the movie.

It's great for kids, unfortunately.

I remember seeing it, and liking it as a kid - and got it for my 3 yr old daughter.

My wife hates me for it. Not that the movie is that horrible - but my daughter is in love with Tommy Sands and wants to watch this movie every night.

My wife even took my daughter to the library and checked out kids movies - she was excited until she got home, and just said she wanted to watch Tom and Mary (The names of the main actors in the movie) If you have little kids - they'll love it. You might even enjoy it some yourself - until it's overplayed.