Merry Christmas all. Now that Thanksgiving is over it is officially the Christmas season and as such I am glad to spend some time writing about some Christmas movies I love. Enjoy.
Because of the success of the duo's first comic operetta The Devil’s Brother (1934), Laurel and Hardy appeared in more comic operettas. The best was probably Babes in Toyland based off of Victor Herbert’s operetta of the same name.
The story centers on Stanley Dum (Stan Laurel) and Ollie Dee (Oliver Hardy), who live with the woman in the shoe (Florence Roberts) and her daughter Little Bopeep (Charlotte Henry). The woman in the shoe can't pay her rent and if she doesn't get the money soon Bopeep will have to marry the evil Barnaby (Henry Brandon), despite Bopeep being in love with Tom-Tom (Felix Night). Stan and Ollie try to do everything they can to help Bopeep, the woman in the shoe and Tom-Tom.
Henry Brandon would later revive his role as Barnaby in the Our Gang short, The Our Gang Follies of 1938. The script even refers to the character as Barnaby.
Producer Hal Roach had much different plans for this film in the beginning. He wanted it to feature all the studio's stars, including the Our Gang kids, Thelma Todd and Charley 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.
Hal Roach would later state, "Why I let Laurel and Hardy go was because of Babes in Toyland. I knew that after Babes in Toyland, I knew that I was through making Laurel and Hardy pictures. At that time it got the point where it was no longer fun, or anything else to me. When I let Laurel and Hardy go, it had nothing to do with money. I said, I didn't want to make any more pictures with them." In truth Laurel and Hardy would continue making movies for Hal Roach through 1939 but the experience of Babes in Toyland, left a bitter taste in his mouth for the rest of his life. This started as a passion project for him and for one of the few times in his career Hal Roach actually wrote the script for a movie. Hal Roach later recalled presenting this new story to Stan Laurel. "I thought Stan was going to go nuts over it. I gave Stan the story when I got home and he said, 'Oh we can't do this.' I said 'Why?' He said, 'Well we can't work without our derby hats. They are our trademark.' I said, 'In the first place they are Chaplin's trademark. You can put a bandana handkerchief on your head, and you'll still be Laurel and Hardy.' We argued for about two weeks. Babes in Toyland was a big property, and I was paying real dough for it. I had worked so hard on this thing, and I was so disgusted in light of this opposition, and I just said 'Enough. I'm out of this thing completely. Go make the picture.' I never paid a bloody bit of attention to what they did, and it was a flop. It didn't even get the cost back. And I know that the story I had written would've gone very well. Could've been one of the biggest pictures in the business."
Hal Roach and Walt Disney were friends and because of this Walt allowed him to use the song, Whose Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf, from the Disney Silly Symphony short cartoon, The Three Little Pigs. Also this film featured Mickey Mouse as one of the characters in Toyland. Since this was a live action movie Mickey was achieved by using a monkey in a mouse suit.
On July 17, 1933 Hal Roach wrote Walt Disney, the following letter.
"Dear Walt:
On the idea of using the Three Little Pigs in 'Babes in Toyland,' that I talked to you about the other day, the only thing we would like from you is the right to use the theme music and possibly get the girls who sang the music or a sound track of their voices.
"We would use but a very small part of the music - just enough to introduce them. If the make-up on the children that I mentioned, does not work out satisfactorily, we will use three real little pigs instead.
"Please let me know what you would like to do about this.
"Kindest regards Sincerely Hal Roach."
On July 27th Walt Disney responded.
"Dear Hal:
Answering your letter of July 17th, you have our permission to use the characters and music from The Three Little Pigs in your Laurel and Hardy feature, Babes in Toyland, in the manner you have outlined to me recently.
"However our contract with Irving Berlin Inc. is such that you will have to pay Berlin music royalities for use of any music from The Three Little Pigs. I am sure you will have no trouble in making arragnements with them but if you should, please get in touch with us and we will see that you are taken care of properly.
"Please be assured that we are more than willing to cooperate with you on this and anything that might come up in the future, and this letter is more or less a form which is made necessary because of the many licensee contracs we have already entered into for use of the characters.
"If you would like to use the original girls who did the voices, I would be glad to get them together for you or you many use any piece of the soundtrack, as well as any models of the characters. In other words, with my best regards I am,
Sincerely yours, Walt Disney."
Babes in Toyland was directed by Charles Rodgers and Gus Meins. Nearly all of Charles Rodgers’ directorial credits are Laurel and Hardy films. Gus Meins was one of the main directors of Our Gang films.
The production number for this film was F-5. Hal Roach's originally story was completed in December 1933. A new story and screenplay treatment went into work in June 1934 and the final script was completed by July 28.
Sets and the stop motion sequences were prepared in January 1934. Though shooting was originally meant to start on February 26, due to all the production issues shooting did not actually begin until August 6th. Shooting occurred from August 6th through August 16th, until the production was suspended. Shooting would resume on Sept. 24 and wrap up on October 17th. Editing took place in late October. The film's preview took place on November 9th, and it was finally released on November 30th.
I love how movie theaters used to go to great lengths to promote a film. This can be seen in the following page from a 1934 issue of The Film Daily. If you have any trouble reading it click on the page and use your touch screen to zoom in. If you don't have a touch screen, click here.
Babes in Toyland 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. 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 (though not much) it is very charming and is a delight to see. Everything comes together perfectly here. The story, music, and humor all come together to create something very special and what is probably the best of the duo’s operettas and one of their greatest feature films.
The following are two exhibitor’s reviews from the Motion Picture Herald (dated February 2, 1935).
“Babes in Toyland: Laurel and Hardy – Played to fair business and all liked it. Good for both children and adults. Played January 11 – Warner McLaughlin, Empire Theatre, Port Henry, N. Y. Small town patronage.”
“Babes in Toyland: Laurel and Hardy – Wonderful. Laurel and Hardy do some fine work and the story is good. Production, cast, story, sound, sets and in fact everything is all that one could ask or except. – S.H. Rich, Rich Theater, Montpeiler, Idaho.”
The following pages come from an issue of Hollywood Low-Down dated January 1, 1935.
Because of the success of the duo's first comic operetta The Devil’s Brother (1934), Laurel and Hardy appeared in more comic operettas. The best was probably Babes in Toyland based off of Victor Herbert’s operetta of the same name.
The story centers on Stanley Dum (Stan Laurel) and Ollie Dee (Oliver Hardy), who live with the woman in the shoe (Florence Roberts) and her daughter Little Bopeep (Charlotte Henry). The woman in the shoe can't pay her rent and if she doesn't get the money soon Bopeep will have to marry the evil Barnaby (Henry Brandon), despite Bopeep being in love with Tom-Tom (Felix Night). Stan and Ollie try to do everything they can to help Bopeep, the woman in the shoe and Tom-Tom.
Henry Brandon would later revive his role as Barnaby in the Our Gang short, The Our Gang Follies of 1938. The script even refers to the character as Barnaby.
Producer Hal Roach had much different plans for this film in the beginning. He wanted it to feature all the studio's stars, including the Our Gang kids, Thelma Todd and Charley 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.
Hal Roach would later state, "Why I let Laurel and Hardy go was because of Babes in Toyland. I knew that after Babes in Toyland, I knew that I was through making Laurel and Hardy pictures. At that time it got the point where it was no longer fun, or anything else to me. When I let Laurel and Hardy go, it had nothing to do with money. I said, I didn't want to make any more pictures with them." In truth Laurel and Hardy would continue making movies for Hal Roach through 1939 but the experience of Babes in Toyland, left a bitter taste in his mouth for the rest of his life. This started as a passion project for him and for one of the few times in his career Hal Roach actually wrote the script for a movie. Hal Roach later recalled presenting this new story to Stan Laurel. "I thought Stan was going to go nuts over it. I gave Stan the story when I got home and he said, 'Oh we can't do this.' I said 'Why?' He said, 'Well we can't work without our derby hats. They are our trademark.' I said, 'In the first place they are Chaplin's trademark. You can put a bandana handkerchief on your head, and you'll still be Laurel and Hardy.' We argued for about two weeks. Babes in Toyland was a big property, and I was paying real dough for it. I had worked so hard on this thing, and I was so disgusted in light of this opposition, and I just said 'Enough. I'm out of this thing completely. Go make the picture.' I never paid a bloody bit of attention to what they did, and it was a flop. It didn't even get the cost back. And I know that the story I had written would've gone very well. Could've been one of the biggest pictures in the business."
Hal Roach and Walt Disney were friends and because of this Walt allowed him to use the song, Whose Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf, from the Disney Silly Symphony short cartoon, The Three Little Pigs. Also this film featured Mickey Mouse as one of the characters in Toyland. Since this was a live action movie Mickey was achieved by using a monkey in a mouse suit.
On July 17, 1933 Hal Roach wrote Walt Disney, the following letter.
"Dear Walt:
On the idea of using the Three Little Pigs in 'Babes in Toyland,' that I talked to you about the other day, the only thing we would like from you is the right to use the theme music and possibly get the girls who sang the music or a sound track of their voices.
"We would use but a very small part of the music - just enough to introduce them. If the make-up on the children that I mentioned, does not work out satisfactorily, we will use three real little pigs instead.
"Please let me know what you would like to do about this.
"Kindest regards Sincerely Hal Roach."
On July 27th Walt Disney responded.
"Dear Hal:
Answering your letter of July 17th, you have our permission to use the characters and music from The Three Little Pigs in your Laurel and Hardy feature, Babes in Toyland, in the manner you have outlined to me recently.
"However our contract with Irving Berlin Inc. is such that you will have to pay Berlin music royalities for use of any music from The Three Little Pigs. I am sure you will have no trouble in making arragnements with them but if you should, please get in touch with us and we will see that you are taken care of properly.
"Please be assured that we are more than willing to cooperate with you on this and anything that might come up in the future, and this letter is more or less a form which is made necessary because of the many licensee contracs we have already entered into for use of the characters.
"If you would like to use the original girls who did the voices, I would be glad to get them together for you or you many use any piece of the soundtrack, as well as any models of the characters. In other words, with my best regards I am,
Sincerely yours, Walt Disney."
 |
| The Philadelphia Exhibitor, 1934 |
Babes in Toyland was directed by Charles Rodgers and Gus Meins. Nearly all of Charles Rodgers’ directorial credits are Laurel and Hardy films. Gus Meins was one of the main directors of Our Gang films.
The production number for this film was F-5. Hal Roach's originally story was completed in December 1933. A new story and screenplay treatment went into work in June 1934 and the final script was completed by July 28.
Sets and the stop motion sequences were prepared in January 1934. Though shooting was originally meant to start on February 26, due to all the production issues shooting did not actually begin until August 6th. Shooting occurred from August 6th through August 16th, until the production was suspended. Shooting would resume on Sept. 24 and wrap up on October 17th. Editing took place in late October. The film's preview took place on November 9th, and it was finally released on November 30th.
I love how movie theaters used to go to great lengths to promote a film. This can be seen in the following page from a 1934 issue of The Film Daily. If you have any trouble reading it click on the page and use your touch screen to zoom in. If you don't have a touch screen, click here.
Babes in Toyland 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. 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 (though not much) it is very charming and is a delight to see. Everything comes together perfectly here. The story, music, and humor all come together to create something very special and what is probably the best of the duo’s operettas and one of their greatest feature films.
The following are two exhibitor’s reviews from the Motion Picture Herald (dated February 2, 1935).
“Babes in Toyland: Laurel and Hardy – Played to fair business and all liked it. Good for both children and adults. Played January 11 – Warner McLaughlin, Empire Theatre, Port Henry, N. Y. Small town patronage.”
“Babes in Toyland: Laurel and Hardy – Wonderful. Laurel and Hardy do some fine work and the story is good. Production, cast, story, sound, sets and in fact everything is all that one could ask or except. – S.H. Rich, Rich Theater, Montpeiler, Idaho.”
The following pages come from an issue of Hollywood Low-Down dated January 1, 1935.
Resources Used
Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies by Randy Skredvedt
March of the Wooden Soldiers: The Amazing Story of Laurel and Hardy's Babes in Toyland by Randy Skredvedt
March of the Wooden Soldiers: The Amazing Story of Laurel and Hardy's Babes in Toyland by Randy Skredvedt
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