Babes in Toyland (1961)

Tom the Piper's Son is about to marry Mary Quite Contrary. On the eve of their wedding, evil miser Barnaby hires two henchmen to drown Tom and steal Mary's sheep, cared for by Little Bo ... See full summary »

Director:

Jack Donohue

Writers:

Victor Herbert (operetta), Glen MacDonough (operetta)

Stars:

Ray Bolger, Tommy Sands, Annette Funicello

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ray Bolger	...	Barnaby Barnicle
Tommy Sands	...	Tom Piper
Annette Funicello	...	Mary Quite Contrary (as Annette)
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

Storyline

Tom the Piper's Son is about to marry Mary Quite Contrary. On the eve of their wedding, evil miser Barnaby hires two henchmen to drown Tom and steal Mary's sheep, cared for by Little Bo Peep, thus depriving Mary and the children she lives with of their livelihood, forcing her to marry Barnaby. The sheep are stolen, but Gonzorgo and Roderigo, Barnaby's henchmen, double-cross him by selling Tom to a band of gypsies instead, leaving Tom with the opportunity to escape and make his way with Mary, Bo-Peep, and other Mother Goose characters to Toyland.

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Plot Keywords:

color remake of black and white film | sheep | gypsy | mother goose | goose | 

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Taglines:

It's Bright! It's Wonderful! A Musical Holiday of Fun for Everyone!

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 December 1961 (USA)

Also Known As:

Carnaval en el bosque

Filming Locations:

Walt Disney Studios, 500 South Buena Vista Street, Burbank, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$10,218,316

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Many of the sets from this movie - including Mary's garden and fountain, the shoe house, the pumpkin house and the trees from the forest - were on display at Disneyland in Anaheim from November of 1961 through 1962 as a walk-through attraction.

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Goofs

When Barnaby, in his opening scene, closes the window shutters on Gonzorgo's and Roderigo's hands, the window sill bends as if made of foam instead of wood, so that the actors' hands wouldn't be injured.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Sylvester J. Goose: Hello, everybody. My name is Sylvester, Sylvester J. Goose. My friends call me Syl, or sometimes silly.
[chuckles]
Sylvester J. Goose: At this time, it is with unmitigated pleasure...
Mother Goose: [behind curtain] Sylvester, talk faster.
Sylvester J. Goose: "Talk faster"? You're lucky to find a goose who can talk at all! As I was saying, it is my pleasure to present your hostess for this occasion, weighing one hundred and eighty nine pounds...
Mother Goose: Sylvester!
Sylvester J. Goose: Hmph! I present the one and only Mother Goose.
[Mother Goose enters]
Mother Goose: Thank you, ...
[...]

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Connections

Featured in The Age of Believing: The Disney Live Action Classics (2008)

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Soundtracks

We Won't Be Happy Till We Get It (Reprise #1)
Music by Victor Herbert
Music adapted by George Bruns from the song "He Won't Be Happy Till He Gets It"
New Lyrics by Mel Leven
Sung by Henry Calvin

User Reviews

Colorful but unexciting

Disney version of the Victor Herbert operetta about Mother Goose characters, previously filmed in 1934 with Laurel & Hardy. That version is the best of the ones I've seen but this one isn't without some positives. For starters, it's a beautiful-looking film with great sets, props, and costumes. That goose is creepy, though. It's a movie full of bright vivid colors that pop out at you. The cast is good, with Tommy Sands and a stunning Annette Funicello as likable (if dull) leads. Ray Bolger has fun as the villain Barnaby. Gene Sheldon and Henry Calvin, playing Barnaby's henchmen, are obviously impersonating Laurel and Hardy, and having a good time doing so. Ed Wynn is a scene stealer as the Toymaker. Disney legend Tommy Kirk plays his assistant and seems to be having fun. Director Jack Donohue does a respectable job bringing Toyland and its Mother Goose characters to life on the screen. But somehow the whole thing just doesn't click the way it should. You get the feeling from the start that the movie is trying way too hard. There are songs on top of songs and none of them are particularly strong. Most are terribly corny. There are interesting things about the film (particularly the visuals) so it's not a complete dud. It helps to avoid comparisons to the superior 1934 version. If you're a fan of the story or a Disney buff, by all means give it a shot. Also if you're a parent of a young child perhaps they'll like it. Everyone else go in with lowered expectations.