March of the Wooden Soldiers has a comedic take on the Babes In Toyland story. How could you not with Laurel and Hardy. The story focuses on the Silus Barnaby and his devious quest to marry little boo peep. He evicts her mom from the show as leverage to marry her. It is up to Laurel and Hardy (also tenants) to save the day.
The highlight of the fairy tale is Laurel and Hardy as the bumbling toy makers. You will see a mix of fairy tale stories along with Santa and his workshop.
For a film made in 1934, it stands the test of time. Part fairy tale, part holiday classic, and a bit of Mother Goose, this film is a great film for kids. They will laugh and partake in the antics without realize the film is almost 90 years old. It also is a soft spoken film with a kind story kids will surely rally around.
Some interesting facts about the movie:
Walt Disney loaned out a live Mickey Mouse for this film as a live version character. This would be the only time Walt Disney would ever allow this to happen.
The film has historical references to themes of the Great Depression and social justice. Rarely seen today in children's films.
The film was never a success until the 1960s. A local television station in New York City, WPIX resurrected the film for syndication as a holiday tradition each year. It would have surely stayed in the vault and obscurity if not for the television station's efforts.
The film was originally in black and white. If you can find a copy, it is a great introduction for kids to enjoy black and white films.
You can livestream the movie on Hulu Plus in HD or watch it on Youtube. The link will be provided:
No comments:
Post a Comment