March of the Wooden Soldiers (1934)

Opposing the evil Barnaby, Ollie Dee and Stanley Dum try and fail to pay-off Mother Peep's mortgage and mislead his attempts to marry Little Bo. Enraged, Barnaby's Bogeymen are set on Toyland.

Directors:

Gus Meins, Charley Rogers (as Charles Rogers)

Writers:

Frank Butler (screen play), Nick Grinde (screen play)

Stars:

Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Virginia Karns

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Virginia Karns	...	Mother Goose
Charlotte Henry	...	Bo-Peep
Felix Knight	...	Tom-Tom
Florence Roberts	...	Widow Peep
Henry Brandon	...	Barnaby Barnicle (as Henry Kleinbach)
Stan Laurel	...	Stannie Dum
Oliver Hardy	...	Ollie Dee

Storyline

Ollie Dee and Stanley Dum try to borrow money from their employer, the toymaker, to pay off the mortgage on Mother Peep's shoe and keep it and Little Bo Peep from the clutches of the evil Barnaby. When that fails, they trick Barnaby into marrying Stanley Dum instead of Bo Peep. Enraged, Barnaby unleashes the bogeymen from their caverns to destroy Toyland.

---

Plot Keywords:

toy soldier | toy maker | forced marriage | sheep | fairy tale land | 

---

Taglines:

Victor Herbert's Immortal Musical Extravaganza!

---

Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Musical

---

Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 December 1934 (USA)

Also Known As:

March of the Wooden Soldiers

Filming Locations:

Hal Roach Studios - 8822 Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hal Roach Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

77 min 73 min (re-release) (cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White (Sepiatone)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Henry Brandon was only 21 when he was cast as the decrepit old villain Silas Barnaby, and the filmmakers took advantage of his youth to make the character more flamboyantly physical. This included a vigorous fight scene with Tom-Tom (played by Felix Knight), culminating with Barnaby taking a 15-foot tumble off a rock ledge to the ground below. After "Babes in Toyland" became a hit Brandon was personally criticized by several old Hollywood character actors, who thought it was unfair that the role went to someone so young. He recalled, "I didn't have the courage to tell them that the part would have killed them - because they ran me ragged! An old man couldn't have played it!"

---

Goofs

At the very end of the song "Never Mind Bo-Peep" (just after the crowd disperses, and only Tom-Tom and Bo-Peep remain), Tom-Tom is wearing a ring on his right hand (perhaps a wedding band?) It disappears when he sits down next to Bo-Peep, and isn't seen again for the rest of the movie.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Chief of Police: Come, come, children. On your way to school.

---

Crazy Credits

(main title of re-release version) March of the Wooden Soldiers formerly Babes in Toyland

---

Alternate Versions

Some prints omit the opening verses of the song "Toyland" ("When you've grown up, my dears", etc.), and begin the song with the main chorus ("Toyland, Toyland," etc.). Other prints omit Mother Goose's vocal of the song entirely, and have only the chorus singing the song.

---

Connections

Referenced in Babes in Joyland (1987)

---

Soundtracks

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf
(1933) (uncredited)
Music by Frank Churchill
Played by the orchestra over Three Little Pigs scenes

User Reviews

Still a Great Movie

I have read some of the other comments about this movie and it seems some think it is a childish movie and doesn't do justice to Stan and Ollie. If you ever saw this movie as a youngster, you would not think so. I remember it in black and white back in the sixties and the first time I saw it, it was scary to see the bogeymen and Barnaby's twisted demeanor. I still watch it and I am fifty years old. It almost takes me back to those younger days when life was more simpler and there weren't so many worries. For a little over an hour it is a welcome escape and as far as I am concerned, it is as much a part of Thankgiving as turkey dinner. I can really relate to the toymaker's attitude after years of working and surely we have ALL met enough real life Barnabys and that is what makes the movie still very entertaining and amusing. So I urge you all that while that turkey is cooking to kick back and be a kid again for just a little while.