Babes in Toyland (1961 film)
| Babes in Toyland | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Jack Donohue |
| Produced by | Walt Disney |
| Written by | |
| Based on |
Babes in Toyland by Victor Herbert and Glen MacDonough |
| Starring | |
| Music by |
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| Cinematography | Edward Colman |
| Edited by | Robert Stafford |
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Production
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| Distributed by | Buena Vista Distribution |
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Release date
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Running time
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105 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $3 million |
| Box office | $4.6 million (US/Canada rentals) |
Babes in Toyland is a 1961 American Technicolor Christmas musical film directed by Jack Donohue and distributed to theatres by Buena Vista Distribution. It stars Ray Bolger as Barnaby, Annette Funicello as Mary Contrary, Tommy Sands as Tom Piper, and Ed Wynn as the Toymaker.
The film is based upon Victor Herbert's popular 1903 operetta Babes in Toyland. There had been a 1934 film also titled Babes in Toyland starring Laurel and Hardy, and three television adaptations prior to the Disney film, but Disney's was only the second film version of the operetta released to movie theatres and the first in Technicolor. The plot, and in some cases the music, bear little resemblance to the original, as Disney had most of the lyrics rewritten and some of the song tempos drastically changed, including the memorable song "Toyland", a slow ballad, which was speeded up with only the chorus sung in a march like rhythm.
The toy soldiers would later appear in Christmas parades at the Disney theme parks around the world.
The film begins as a stage play presented by Mother Goose and her talking goose, Sylvester, about Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary and Tom, Tom, the Piper's Son, who are about to be married. The miserly and villainous Barnaby hires two crooks, dimwitted Gonzorgo and silent Roderigo. They are to throw Tom into the sea and steal Mary's sheep, depriving her of her means of support, to force her to marry Barnaby. Mary is unaware that she is the heir to a fortune, but Barnaby is aware and wants it all for himself. Gonzorgo and Roderigo decide to sell Tom to the Gypsies instead of drowning him, in order to collect a double payment.
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