Babes in Toyland (operetta) - Adaptations

Adaptations

Laurel and Hardy's 1934 film version of Babes in Toyland (reissued as March of the Wooden Soldiers) includes only five of Herbert's songs and almost none of the original book. It features Charlotte Henry and Henry Brandon. It does not interpolate songs by any other composers.

Between 1950 and 1960, there were three telecast versions of Babes in Toyland. A 1950 television version starred Dennis King as a new villain called Dr. Electron, and a 1954 adaptation for television featured Wally Cox, Barbara Cook, Dave Garroway, and Jack E. Leonard. A 1960 adaptation for television featured Shirley Temple as the old gypsy Floretta, Angela Cartwright as Jane, and Jonathan Winters as Barnaby. It was shown as an episode on the anthology series The Shirley Temple Show It is the only screen or television version which retained the operetta's original plot, altered so that Barnaby and the Toymaker survive at the end. The Toymaker is portrayed as a kindly old man, and Floretta ends up helping the children and turning against Barnaby.

Walt Disney's Technicolor 1961 film production starred Ray Bolger, Tommy Sands, Annette Funicello, Ann Jillian and Ed Wynn. This had a heavily revised plot, but much of the Herbert music was included, although some of it was played in an entirely different tempo from that intended by the composer, and the songs had completely new lyrics. A stage version of Babes in Toyland, with a plotline very similar to the Disney adaptation, has a book by Rebecca Ryland and music and lyrics by Bill Francoeur.

A 1986 made for television version featured Drew Barrymore, Pat Morita, and Keanu Reeves, only two songs from the Victor Herbert score, a new plot, and many new songs by Leslie Bricusse. An animated film version, with a new plot and only one of the original songs, was released in 1997 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer featuring the voices of Christopher Plummer, James Belushi, Bronson Pinchot, and Lacey Chabert.