Customer Reviews

March of the Wooden Soldiers [VHS]

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

There are two versions offered for sale at Amazon. The Koch Vision Entertainment version, despite the description in the technical details, is NOT COLORIZED. The Goodtimes Home Video version version IS colorized. Which you prefer is entirely up to you, but don't order the Koch Vision version if you want the movie in color. The Koch Vision version has an extended silent film extra of the first time Laurel and Hardy appeared together (NOT as a team, however). The extra is interesting, but (by today's standards anyhow) a little slow. The Goodtimes Entertainment (Colorized) version, although a few cents cheaper than the other version, is, in my opinion, a much "cleaner" print. Even with the color level turned down so it appears as the original B&W, the Goodtimes version is sharper and more distinct. March of the Wooden Soldiers, holds up pretty well.

This Laurel and Hardy treasure remains the definitive holiday movie. "March of the Wooden Soldiers" (the original "Babes in Toyland") is a timeless musical-comedy with Stan and Ollie in top form - abetted by stylish sets and visual effects. Most "colorized" films are an artistic desecration; however, this particular video is rendered in low-key pastels that resemble early Technicolor. The results are better than expected. Laurel and Hardy fans should be doubly pleased because this uncut version contains a delightful "storybook" sequence which hasn't been shown since the film's initial release in 1934. There have been several remakes of "Babes in Toyland," but none can match the original's effortless charm.

Adapted from Victor Herbert's Opera "Babes in Toyland" this 1934 Laurel and Hardy Operetta presents us with a timeless Holiday Classic for the entire family to watch during the holidays. The DVD presentation has been meticulously Remastered and Colorized (for the next generation's enjoyment and for the Black & White traditionalists just turn off the color).

Laurel & Hardy have never been better. The characters (Based on Mother Goose and popular Nursey Rhymes),the story line of Toyland(Santa's Toy making Headquarters preparing for the upcoming holiday's) & the Villian with his henchmen (Powerful Landlord and his Bogeyman Army) can't lose. The basis is an Operetta (loosely conducted) musical showcasing the infamous song, "Babes in Toyland".

Laurel & Hardy play Stannie Dum and Ollie Dee respectively Santa's toymaker workers who are in constant trouble. Stannie accepts a Xmas toy order but mixes it up and he and Ollie are fired. (Mistakens the order of 600 soldiers at 1 foot tall for 100 soldiers at 6 foot tall, can you imagine?). Along with the Villian Landlord, Silas Barnaby trying to evict the "Old Woman in the Shoe" for non payment sets the story for this Family Christmas Classic, "MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLIERS"!!!!!

You & the family will love and laugh continuously!! A great value. A must for the Holiday library!!!!

March of the Wooden Soldiers (Babes in Toyland) is one of a few Laurel and Hardy features in which Hal Roach lost ownership. Over the years it has been reissued and mostly cut in the process on the grounds of the Bogeymen sequences being too grim or to remove some or all of the songs in a misguided attempt to concentrate Stan and Ollie`s scenes. It is only fairly recently that a complete pristine master has been produced and superbly computer colourised now looking better than it has for decades.

In its original form it is the best of the Laurel and Hardy operettas and, with its detailed studio created fantasy sets, is the most elaborate of all of their features.

The colour version is so carefully effected that it gives the appearance of an early Technicolour film providing an extra dimension and depth reinforcing a more credible Mickey Mouse and the Three Pigs which was not quite achieved in black and white.

Stan Laurel once said that his only regret about this film was that it had not been made in colour. This is probably the only Laurel and Hardy film to really benefit and be enhanced by an accurate colorisation.

The film is a successful attempt to appeal to all ages. It is interesting to note that Disney granted permission to use Mickey Mouse and the Three Pigs together with their theme song. Perhaps `Toyland` may just have given Walt some inspiration for his first Disneyland. In fact Disney studied this film quite closely and remade it under the original title `Babes in Toyland` with obvious mimics of Stan and Ollie, but it was a poor, jazzed-up, shadow of the original.

This version produced by Goodtimes Video, NY is very good. The picture quality and definition are excellent with superb colour rendering for a colourised movie. The sound is unfortunately the original mono track and somewhat flat. Nevertheless, it is good to see a high quality complete version including the original opening MGM titles which, oddly, is missing from the UK version of the film released by Eureka Video.

There are some interesting and unusual extras such as the original theatrical trailer a short (1.5 mins) probably 16mm silent home movie of Stan and a 3.5 min sound interview of Ollie. The extras are of varying quality due to the source material.

Overall this DVD presents a good quality, excellent value, version of a delightful, enduring minor classic.

ROBERT C GRAHAM (UK)

Thanks to the folks at Passport Video, we finally have an uncut black-and-white DVD of the Laurel and Hardy classic "March of the Wooden Soldiers" (1934). For purists who detest the "colorized" version, the Passport disc is a must-own. Transferred from a high-quality 35mm print, the DVD looks and sounds great - far superior to Hallmark's recent botch on "Sons of the Desert." As a special bonus, Passport has included the historic "Lucky Dog," a 1921 short that marked Laurel's first appearance with Hardy (who plays a villainous role). Stan and Ollie fans will not be disappointed with this long-overdue release.

Tom-Tom announces his engagement to Bo-Peep by jumping up on the stocks and proclaiming, "Citizens of Toyland! I want you all to meet, the future Mrs. Piper!" and then all the characters burst into a frenzied happy little dance to a whimsical piece of music--one of my favorite scenes in this classic adaptation of the famous Victor Herbert operetta, "Babes in Toyland".

You know, this is the kind of movie that could all too easily have been really awful: an operetta about nursery rhyme characters with, frankly, limited special effects? But instead, "March of the Wooden Soldiers" is without a doubt one of the best children's movies ever produced in Hollywood. And of course, the major reason for that is that it features the supertalented duo of Laurel and Hardy as the comic relief team who wind up the stars of the movie. They and everyone else in the movie play their roles in the sincerest possible way. That's why this movie is so good to show any child, no matter how young: there's nothing cynical in the movie, no one with a hidden nasty agenda peeking through. Sure, it can be a scary movie, alright, but meaness is punished and goodness rewarded.

Think about the wacky costumes of the bogeymen who are lead by evil Silas Barnaby to attack Toyland via raft. Rubber masks and hula skirts worn over longjohns, or so they seem. How on earth could 21st century children find that anything but laughable, with the best computer-generated villains in films today? But it just goes to show you that glitz isn't everything, because those little kids ARE freaked out still, to see the bogeymen jump down when Barnaby summons them in the cave. One of the other reviewers is right when he says that somehow this movie reaches right into childhood itself, what I would think is the German, Brothers Grimm part of childhood, of "things" under the bed. Today's creepy villains are made to frighten sophisticated adults, who've seen it all before. But that's over the head of children, really--rubber-faced bogeymen are all it takes! I think another appealing aspect is that most of the characters, even if they are all really adults, somehow seem like children pretending to be adults-that's even true of a relatively minor character like King Cole as well as for Tom-Tom and Bo-Peep, our leading man and lady. The un-bogeymen parts therefore have a sweetness to them that hearkens from very early chidhood, the kind you see in a Jessie Wilcox Smith painting. And the timing of Laurel and Hardy is perfect: they are just tops!

This movie played faithfully in the NYC area every year on Thanksgiving Day, duly followed (for some reason) by "King Kong", and I and my brothers and sisters watched it every time, from babyhood even through sullen teenage years, without ever poking fun at it; oh no, this was (and is) still held as reverentially as though it were right up there after the Bible. Not many childhood rituals can make it unscathed through adolescence, but "March of the Wooden Soldiers" did, and is now enjoyed by new generation Toddler Nephew. It deservedly lives on for each new set of youngsters, a true classic.

This DVD is the turnerized version.
Contrary to what people say, just turning the color off on your TV does not give you the original black and white image. They have messed with brightness values, shadows, gray tones, contrast, everything.

You will have a muddy, cruddy image.
Go to EBAY and find yourself a copy of the original B&W.

On the far end of the musical movie spectrum is the colorized Laurel and Hardy "MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS" from Goodtimes Home Video at a great price. As adapted from Victor Herbert's operetta "Babes in Toyland," there's more of the Holiday Spirit in this 1934 classic than in most of the insipidly lame attempts of movies that exploit the holiday season.

Dum (Stan) and Dee (Ollie) are Santa's toymakers preparing for the big delivery on Christmas eve. Mother Goose and nursery rhyme characters are all over the place and Stan and Ollie are in constant trouble ("Is that 100 six-foot toy soldiers or 600 one-footers?") Silas Barnaby, (remember "the meanest man in town"?), Bo Peep (she's being forced into marriage by Silas or he will evict Bo's mom, who is in fact The Old Woman In The Shoe). And there's Tom Tom the Piper's Son (Ms Peep's true love) and the big finale with the creepy attack of the Bogeymen.

This classic has been cleaned up, digitally remastered and colorized and looks about as perfect as the best of old style children's book illustrations and I bet Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy themselves would want this one in color. It's certainly no sacrilege. This is one beautiful, Fauvistic fever dream of a movie. A weirdly mesmerizing treat.

Laurel and Hardy forever! Let's all love each other, OK?

That said, there is something else to be considered.

For those who dare to read between the lines (or movie frames), this film can be seen as a sly and subversive horror fest that plumbs deeply disturbing psychological and political issues not touched on in contemporary films. I am amazed that someone hasn't examined this in detail and I have often wondered how much of it may have been intentional -- perhaps from the brilliantly demented mind of Stan Laurel. Only on the surface is this a children's movie.

What a pleasure to find March of the Wooden Soldiers in glorious black & white! This Passport Video release (listed by Amazon as Koch Entertainment for some unfathomable reason) presumably contains the full-length version (77+ minutes) and is of very high quality. Audio is nice clear mono, and the video is just fine--flicker occurs occasionally, but nothing major and the images are sharp with good contrast. One is easily able to navigate the chapters and can scan in either direction and pause, which sometimes isn't the case with budget DVD's. It would be nice if subtitles were available (I have foreign-born friends who like to "see" and hear English simultaneously), as well as a printed list of chapters, but these are minor quibbles. A bonus short of the boys' first screen appearance together is also included and is lots of fun.
As much as I detest colorization of black & white classics, both in principle and for aesthetic reasons, I've read so many favorable reviews of the colorized version of this film that I'd be willing to give it a shot, especially considering its price. One reviewer wrote that she remembers seeing a hand-tinted print of this film at the movies when she was a child in the 50's, so clearly there's precedent. It would be nice to get a choice of both on one disk--maybe something along this line will turn up eventually. In the meantime, my recommendation is that first-time viewers see it the way audiences in 1934 saw it and then move on to "color" if so inclined. Either way, this is a fabulous film--it's about time justice was done to it, but better late than never. Thank goodness I no longer have to depend on the whims of local TV stations with their edits and commercials to watch one of my holiday favorites.

This is a great family film, and a special treat for Laurel and Hardy fans like myself. I consider myself a film purist, and usually stay away from "colorized" versions of black and white films. However, since reading that Stan Laurel regretted that this film was not shot in color, I took a chance and purchased the original VHS copy. It looked very good, and the colorization was natural. When it came out on laserdisc, I purchased it again, and it looked even better. Now I have purchased the DVD version, and it looks even better! The color only enhances the fantasy of Toyland.
This restored print includes much that was cut out during televised showings of the past, and is as complete a version as you are likely to see. Picture quality is amazingly sharp. Contrast is perfect. This film looks like it was shot recently, and in original color.
A fine job all around, and I'm sure Stan Laurel would approve.