Babes in Toyland (1934)

Babes in Toyland is one of the greatest Laurel and Hardy features. Often times features with comedy teams in the 1930's and 40's had to have some drama and musical numbers as well, because many felt no one would sit through a feature length comedy that were nothing but comedy. The problem with this is that too often these elements worked against each other. So when one of these films comes where the comedy, drama and music work together so well it definitely is a treat. One reason they work together so well in Babes in Toyland is that the comedy contributes to the story and the other way around as well.

Hal Roach (this film's producer) and Walt Disney were good friends. Because of this Walt allowed this film to use the song, Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf, from the Disney cartoon The Three Little Pigs. If you look closely a joke from that cartoon is also used in this film. He also allowed this film to feature Mickey Mouse as a character in Toyland. This Mickey Mouse was not animated, since this is a live action film. It was instead a monkey in a Mickey Mouse suit.  In Disney's 1961 film version two Laurel and Hardy impersonators appeared. To not be confused with Disney's movie this film was later renamed The March of the Wooden Soldiers. Laurel and Hardy were originally going to play Simple Simon and the pieman. It did not happen this way but in the Disney Silly Symphony cartoon, Mother Goose Goes Hollywood, the duo would be caricatured as Simple Simon and the pieman.

Hal Roach had much different plans for this film in the beginning. He wanted it to star all the studios stars, including the Our Gang kids, Thelma Todd and Charlie Chase. However no one but Hal Roach seemed to be pleased with the original outline for the film, and it was put on hold. When the idea was picked up again, all the other stars of the Hal Roach studios except Laurel and Hardy would not be in the film anymore. Everyone but Hal Roach became happy with this new film. Hal Roach would still like the original idea better.

One director of this film was Charley Rogers, whose directorial efforts are nearly all Laurel and Hardy films. He had also appeared in many uncredited minor roles including some in Laurel and Hardy films. The other is Gus Meins who was a major director at the Hal Roach studio, working mostly on Our Gang films.

The story stars Stanley Dum (played by Stan Laurel) and Ollie Dee (played by Oliver Hardy), who live with the woman in the shoe (played by Florence Roberts)  and her daughter Little Bopeep (played by Charlotte Henry). The woman in the shoe can't pay here rent and if she doesn't get the money soon Bopeep will have to marry the evil Barnaby (played by Henry Brandon), despite Bopeep being in love with Tom-Tom (played by Felix Night). Stan and Ollie try to do everything they can to help Bopeep, the woman in the shoe and Tom-Tom.

This film is very charming on all levels it is very funny, it has a good story, nice musical numbers, and a great atmosphere. The Bogey Land sequence is very atmospheric. The Stan and Ollie characters are just as likable as ever. Laurel and Hardy had appeared in three other comedy operettas at this time, Fra Diavolo, Swiss Miss and  The Bohemian Girl, and this is questionably the best one. Again though what makes this film so great is that all the different elements work together perfectly. None of them distract from the others, and they all are done well individually as well. Though the look of this film may be dated it is very charming and is a delight to see. This is a classic.


-Michael J. Ruhland

Resources Used
The Complete Films of Laurel and Hardy by William K. Everson
Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies by Randy Skretvedt