Babes In Toyland #3

Over the years, there have been a number of Babes in Toyland television specials and two theatrical films. The best of this lot, in the opinion of many of us Victor Herbert aficionados, is the 1934 feature film starring Laurel and Hardy. Although the original story had to be altered to work them into the plot, much of Victor Herbert’s music, faithfully rendered, was retained. Beginning with the Laurel and Hardy version, all adaptations of this show have altered the original plot, taking it further and further from its original version. Speaking of the Laurel and Hardy film, a beautifully restored version, re-titled March of the Wooden Soldiers is currently available on DVD. Not only does it have the original black & white version, but also a colorized version. (While I’m not a big advocate of old black & white films being colorized, this is one case where the color really does add to the film’s enjoyment. Stan Laurel always felt that it should have been made in color and he was right.)