The people of Mother Goose Village are preparing for the wedding of Tom (Sands) the Piper's son and Mary Contrary (Funicello). Everyone is happy about the wedding, except for Barnaby (Bolger). He hires 2 mercenaries, Gonzorgo (Calvin) who's clothes are too small and mute Roderigo (Sheldon) who's clothes are too large, to get rid of Tom. With Tom out of the picture, he plans to marry Mary and steal her sizable inheritance.
Gonzorgo and Roderigo sell Tom to gypsies and steal Mary's sheep. Tom manages to escape and reunite with Mary, but they must search for her missing siblings, Bo Peep (Jillian), Boy Blue (Corcoran), Willie (Brian Corcoran), the Twins (Marilee Arnold and Melanie Arnold), and her missing sheep. With Barnaby chasing after them, can the lovebirds get their happy ending?
I first saw this film as a child... I remember parts of the film (like the ending sequence) and Barnaby's repeated line "come pussyfoot with me" (and the weird walk that accompanies the line). I remembered enjoying the film and decided to give it a try as an adult. If definitely loses something with time.
The film is based on Victor Herbert's operetta "Babes in Toyland" from 1903. The operetta was also the basis for a 1934 film starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Disney's version is very different from other versions. The story is different and the songs were re-written to fit their vision.
Annette Funicello was a major Disney star and popular Mouseketeer. She is paired with pop singer Tommy Sands. Both are fine in their roles, but Mary and Tom are not particularly interesting characters. Their singing and dancing is great, but the villains are more interesting. Ray Bolger is best known for his role as the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz. Here he is having a blast as the mustache twirling villain and gets an extended dance sequence. Henry Calvin and Gene Sheldon, best known for their roles on Disney's Zorro TV show, are funny as the incompetent henchmen. They are a great team and do a solid Laurel and Hardy impression. The rest of the main cast are Disney regulars. Ed Wynn appeared in numerous Disney films and provided the voice of several animated Disney characters. Tommy Kirk and Kevin Corcoran regularly worked together in Disney films, although their characters do not interact in this film. Two years before this film, Kirk and Corcoran appeared in The Shaggy Dog with Funicello.
The film mostly jumps from song to song, with minimal dialogue in between. None of the songs are particularly memorable, with the exception of the title song (which comes towards the end of the film). The story moves very slowly and feels twice as long. There are funny moments and the final battle is entertaining, but it isn't enough to make up for the rest of the film. This film was a flop for Disney (and was Disney's musical until Mary Poppins 3 years later). Children will enjoy the film more than adults.
Babes in Toyland (1961) 106 minutes
Director: Jack Donohue
Starring: Ray Bolger as Barnaby
Tommy Sands as Tom Piper
Annette Funicello as Mary Contrary
Ed Wynn as Toymaker
Tommy Kirk as Grumio
Kevin Corcoran as Boy Blue
Henry Calvin as Gonzorgo
Gene Sheldon as Roderigo
Mary McCarty as Mother Goose
Ann Jillian as Bo Peep
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