Babes in Toyland (March of the Wooden Soldiers) (1934)

In the last few years, with the rise of Netflix and other streaming services, the local TV stations have essentially dropped movies from their schedules to focus more on television series.  As a result, many Christmas classics that were in heavy rotation during the 1980s and 1990s have been dropped to the wayside to make room for more contemporary programming.  This is the fate that has, unfortunately, befallen the Laurel and Hardy classic Babes in Toyland (March of the Wooden Soldiers).

I first saw Babes in Toyland in third grade; our principal owned a 16 mm print and screened it for the entire school. This came shortly after I had discovered Laurel and Hardy, so naturally I was elated when I saw their names in the opening credits. The rest of the students were indifferent at first, but eventually got into the movie. Imagine my joy a few years later when, while browsing through the (then) brand new Wal-Mart, I found it to buy on VHS (in color) for the low prices of 12.99. WHAT A DEAL!!!  I just recently purchased the DVD for five dollars, so I guess it wasn’t much of deal after all. 

The first thing that immediately stands out about Babes in Toyland is that it fully embraces its theatrical roots (it’s based off a 1903 operetta by Victor Herbert).  For instance, most of the sets are two dimensional mocks ups, and the costumes look like something you might find at Target during the Halloween season.   The idea is to give it the feel of a storybook come to life. This is actually confirmed in the opening song number (“Toyland”) when Mother Goose emerges from a storybook and sings about the setting of the story. Midway through the number, she opens the book, and with each turn of the page, we are introduced to each of the principle characters (Little Bo Peep, Tom Tom, Little Old Lady That Lived in a Shoe, Barnaby, and Stannie Dum and Ollie Dee). 

 This is actually a really clever way of introducing the characters and allows the filmmakers to do away with stilted exposition that might impede the plot.  When Little Bo Peep is looking for her sheep, Tom Tom appears and the movie can immediately jump into song because we know who Tom Tom is. A lesser movie would have some awkward dialogue exchange between the two:  “Don’t worry, Bo Beep. I, Tom Tom the Piper’s son, will help you find your sheep.”  I also have to wonder, given the way this scene is set up; did Walt Disney use it as a template for “Some Day My Prince Will Come” scene in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs? Hal Roach and Walt Disney were friends; Disney gave Roach permission to use the song “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?” in this movie.  There is also a mouse that looks suspiciously Mickey who appears sporadically throughout the movie. It seems likely Walt Disney saw the movie, so was it a source of inspiration, or just a mere coincidence?

This story book setting also pays dividends in the movie’s climax when Toyland is under siege by Barnaby and the Boogeymen.  In a more “realistic” fairy tale, the Boogeymen would be absolutely laughable and embarrassing. They are essentially stuntmen in furry body suits, grass skirts, and weird rubber masks with Troll-like hair. They are less than convincing, but work extremely well in the context of this movie. These are the type of monsters you would find in a classic children’s storybook.  The fact that they are genuinely menacing (especially in the scene where they emerge from hiding to terrorize Little Bo Beep and Tom Tom) speaks volumes about the skill of the filmmakers.  Gus Meins and Charley Rogers will never be considered cinematic geniuses, but they keep things moving at a nice pace; even the “slow” musical numbers are the right length.  I would also like to point out that Babes in Toyland is one of those rare instances where I prefer the colorized version to the original black and white. The gaudy colorization process actually adds to the overall storybook feel of the movie. 

The weakest aspect of Babes in Toyland (at least from a child’s point of view) is the romance between Little Bo Peep and Tom Tom. This is largely due to the fact that neither character is particularly interesting; though, Charlotte Henry has an appealing screen presence as Little Bo Peep. Felix Knight, as Tom Tom, doesn’t fare quite as well, but at least he can sing.  What separates this romance from other Laurel and Hardy comedies of the era is that it actually plays a significant part in the movie’s plot.  There was tendency among many comedies (starring famous comedy teams) of the era to shoe horn in a romantic subplot that had nothing to with the actual story (see Bonnie Scotland as example).  While the Little Bo Peep/Tom Tom story might be a tad bit boring at least it has a point and isn’t overly obnoxious. 

Henry Brandon, appropriately, chews the scenery as the villainous Barnaby – he is wonderfully loathsome. Brandon’s performance is even more impressive when you realize that he was only twenty one years-old when the movie was made. He is very convincing as a miserly old man – he constantly walks in a stooped manner, sneers at everyone around him, and leers at the much younger Little Bo Peep. He also brings a physicality to the role that would be far too demanding of an older actor – he gets into fist fight with Tom Tom and later on carries off the screaming Little Bo Peep (who, in a bad piece of continuity, disappears from Barnaby’s arms when he is hit by a giant cork shot from a cannon).  It’s a terrific performance and Brandon nearly steals the movie with it. 

Babes in Toyland (next to Way Out West) is probably the most tightly scripted out of all Laurel and Hardy’s full length feature.  Their other full length features tended to be more episodic in nature; they were essentially three two reel comedies stitched together to make up a full length feature (A Chump at Oxford is great example of this).  There is also a time element at work: Barnaby owns the mortgage on Widow Bo Peep’s house (a giant shoe) and if she can’t pay it off by morning he will have her (and her entire family) thrown out on the street.  Barnaby is willing to forget the mortgage if her daughter, Little Bo Peep, will agree to his wife, but she will have none of that.  The boys, Stannie Dum and Ollie Dee, are tenants in Widow Bo Peep’s shoe and will do anything in their power to help her out. It also does a nice job of setting up events that happen later in the movie:  the six foot tall wooden soldiers that drive out the boogeyman at the end don’t just appear out of thin air, there is a scene early on that establishes their existence.  Stan and Ollie are toymakers and Stan manages to botch an order that was placed by Santa; instead of making six hundred solider at one foot high, Stan misreads it as hundred soldiers at six feet high.  This scene effectively establishes two things:  that Stan is absent minded and the army of six foot wooden soldiers.   There is a button on the back of the soldiers that activates them and once they are started up they are near impossible to stop. 

I need to point out just how efficiently paced the movie’s climax is:  between the siege of Toyland by the Boogeymen and their being driven out by the wooden soldiers, only ten minutes of screen time has passed.  The movie cross cuts between the Boogeymen terrorizing the citizens of Toyland and the boys (as well as not-Mickey Mouse and the Three Little Pigs) fighting back. It’s an incredibly suspenseful sequence and it’s not until Stan and Ollie activate the wooden soldiers that we are allowed to breathe. Imagine if this same sequence where done today: It would be half an hour long with lots of CGI thrown at our faces, rapid editing, and a few explosions thrown in for good measure. It would also be incredibly boring.  There’s also something wonderful about Toyland being saved by two lowly toy workers as opposed to your typical muscle bound badass.   

It also surprised me while re-watching Babes in Toyland how Tom Tom completely disappears from the movie in the last ten minutes. You would think the romantic lead would play a part in bringing down Barnaby, but nope he spends the entire battle in hiding.  This is either a brilliant deconstruction of the pointless juvenile lead, or it’s just sloppy writing. It’s probably the latter, but I’m going to keep convincing myself that it is the former.

Credits
Cast: Stan Laurel (Stannie Dum), Oliver Hardy (Ollie Dee), Charlotte Henry (Little Bo Peep), Henry Brandon – billed as Henry Kleinbach (Silas Barnaby),  Felix Knight (Tom Tom), Florence Roberts (Widow Bo Peep), Virginia Karns (Mother Goose), Kewpie Morgan (Old King Cole), Marie Wilson (Mary Quite Contrary).

Directors: Gus Meins, Charley Rogers
Screenplay: Frank Butler, Nick Grande
Running Time: 78 min.

Way Out West (1937)

It’s really hard to describe the impact that Laurel and Hardy had on my life; they were my gateway to classic cinema. I first saw Way Out West when I was six years old (in 1985) and was amazed to find that I actually enjoyed a movie that my father found hilarious. Prior to this, I spent most of my time watching He-Man (and other dreadful 1980s cartoons) and had no desire whatsoever to watch “old” movies. When my dad purchased Way Out West on video (a colorized copy), I was absolutely skeptical. “It’s so old,” I cried. “How can it possibly be any good?”  Then I watched it and I have been hooked on Laurel and Hardy ever since. If this “old” movie was funny, then maybe other “old” movies were just as good, too.

Way Out West is my favorite Laurel and Hardy film. It is well directed by James W. Horne, who not only manages to get great performances from his supporting cast, but more, importantly never allows for the pace to lag; it is an extremely fast moving film. Way Out West is, thankfully, devoid of the unnecessary romantic subplot that often plagued comedies from that era (for a good example, see Bonnie Scotland, or The Marx Brothers' A Day at the Races). It also benefits from a great supporting cast: James Finlayson as the shady bar owner, Mickey Finn, Stanley Fields as the gruff Sheriff, and, most memorably, Sharon Lynn as the bitchy saloon singer, and Finn's wife, Lola Marcel.  Finlayson was a regular member of the Laurel and Hardy stock company and always proved to be a great foil for the boys. 

This was  Stanley Fields only appearance in a Laurel and Hardy film, but he is convincingly menacing in the role of the Sheriff. My favorite bit is when he tells the boys to get out of town in the next coach, or they’ll riding out of town in a hearse. Then after having made his threat, he adds, “Good day, strangers.”

Lynn is genuinely funny as Lola, especially when pretending to be Mary Roberts; she dabbles in  melodrama by adopting a fake southern accent and exaggerated body gestures (putting the back of her hand to her forehead, etc).  In the tradition of Laurel and Hardy, she is a very domineering woman and completely has Mickey Finn whipped.  She can turn on the charm in a heartbeat, but when crossed, LOOK OUT!!! 

What also helps Way Out West is that it actually has a solid story to build its jokes on; the boys have been entrusted to deliver the deed to a gold mine to Mary Roberts, the daughter of a deceased prospector. Mary lives in Brushwood Gulch with her guardians, Mickey and Lola, who treat her like a slave. When Finn finds out why the boys are in town, he tricks them into giving him the deed by having Lola pose as Mary.  The boys eventually get wise to the ruse and the rest of the movie concerns them trying to steal the deed back, so they can give it to the “real” Mary Roberts.  This adds an element of suspense that is generally lacking in Laurel and Hardy’s films, because we are curious to see whether or not the boys will succeed in their goal.  Mary Robert is played by Rosina Lawrence, who is fairly likable in the role, even if she isn't really given much to do.

Way Out West has four musical numbers in it, but they actually add to the charm, rather than detract from the overall comedy. The opening scene has Lola doing a song and dancer number at the saloon, “Will You Be My Lovey Dovey,” and is punctuated by shots of old men ogling her. The scene ends when one of the wives of the men arrives unexpectedly and starts slapping him across the head. This is the main reason why the musical numbers in Way Out West work so well; the filmmakers wisely incorporate comedy into the narrative. Compare this to the Marx Brother’s vastly overrated A Day at the Races (released the same year) where the comedy comes to a complete standstill while Allan Jones warbles out a few tunes. These musical numbers are completely dull and seem to go on forever.  Not only are the songs in Way Out West catchy, but they are fairly short, too. The most endearing scene in the film is when Stan and Ollie do a soft shoe dance while the Avalon Boys sing, “At the Ball.” From a narrative stand point there’s no reason for this scene to exist, but it is an absolute joy to watch, and, more importantly, it feels organic to the actual movie. They are about to enter Finn’s saloon, but notice the Avalon Boys singing and stop to listen to them. The music eventually overtakes them and they being to dance. It is a very naturalistic moment and doesn't seem contrived, unlike the dreadful musical numbers in A Day at the Races. 

Way Out West is loaded with hilarious comedy bits, here are a few of my favorite moments: 

Stan and Ollie have hitched a ride in a stagecoach and find that the other passenger is an attractive blonde (Vivien Oakland).  Ollie attempts to flirt with her and breaks the ice with, “A lot of weather we’ve been having.” He then follows up with, “Only four months until Christmas.”

 The movie repeatedly cuts to a close up of the woman who constantly wears an annoyed expression on her face. In a turn of events, it is revealed that the woman is the Sheriff’s wife.  She complains to her husband that Stan and Ollie annoyed her throughout the entire trip and he then tells them to take the next stagecoach out of town, or else. It’s a quintessential Laurel and Hardy moment; they are genuinely well meaning guys, but they have a tendency to get on other people’s nerves.

After having learned of Mickey and Lola's deception, Stan and Ollie confront them, and it turns into one big wrestling match; the deed constantly changes between hands and Stan ultimately stuffs it in his shirt, this leads to risque scene in which Lola locks Stan in her bedroom and then wrestles the deed away from him underneath her bed. Stan is extremely ticklish and whenever he is touched by Lola, he begins to laugh maniacally. This scene is interesting, because, with the exception of a few bits of dialogue, it plays like a silent movie; the humor is completely visual. 

Stanley's ability to use his thumb as a lighter. This gag gets repeated throughout the film; whenever the boys need a light, Stanley will snap his thumb and a flame with shoot out from the tip of it. This baffles Oliver and he constantly attempts to do it himself and, after numerous failures, is finally successful, but this completely freaks him out and he begins to scream, nearly blowing the boys cover in the process. 

Way Out West is one of the earliest movies to directly reference another movie, in this case Frank Capra's It Happened One Night. In that film, Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert are attempt to hitchhike, but with no success. Finally, Colbert is able to get a motorist to stop by slightly pulling up her dress and revealing her shapely leg. In Way Out West, Stan and Ollie are trying to catch a stagecoach, but with little success. Finally, Stan is able to get a stagecoach to stop by rolling up his trousers and showing off his right leg. It's a joke that would have resonated with 1930s audiences, yet is still able to work on it's own merits. When I first saw this movie when I was six, I (obviously) had not seen It Happened One Night, but I still laughed at this moment; it is so wonderfully absurd.  

While the film is brimming with slapstick, there is a lot of extremely funny dialogue as well. My favorite exchanges is Lola, impersonating Mary, asks, "Tell me about my dear, dear Daddy! Is it true that he's dead?"
To which Stan replies,"We hope so, they buried him."  

Way Out West is the kind of movie that gets ignore when film critics/historians (namely AFI) compose their Greatest Films list. It's certainly not a top 10 film, but it's definitely on par with the likes of Duck Soup and A Night at the Opera (critics have a raging hard on for the Marx Brothers), movies that often end up on  top 100 lists. C'mon AFI. 

Note: Just for the record I like the Marx Brothers. Duck Soup is one of my favorite comedies, but I definitely prefer Laurel and Hardy. 

Just for the hell of it, here are my top 10 Laurel and Hardy movies:

1)      Way Out West (obviously) (1937)

2)      The Music Box (1932)

3)      Sons of the Desert (1933)

4)      Two Tars (1928)

5)      Men O’ War (1929)

6)      Big Business (1929)

7)      Babes in Toyland (1934)

8)      Blotto (1930)

9)      Me and My Pal (1933)

10) The Live Ghost (1934)

Credits

Cast: Stan Laurel (Stanley), Oliver Hardy (Ollie), James Finlayson (Mickey Finn), Sharon Lynn (Lola Marcel), Rosina Lawrence (Mary Roberts), Stanley Fields (Sheriff), Vivien Oakland (Sheriff’s wife), The Avalon Boys (Singers), Harry Bernard (Man Eating at Bar), Tex Driscoll (Paw), Flora Finch (Maw), Mary Gordon (Cook).

Director: James W. Horne
Screenplay: Charley Rogers, Felix Adler, James Parrott.
Running Time:  65 min.