Customer Reviews

Shirley Temple Storybook Collection: "Winnie the Pooh" and "Babes in Toyland"

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Yet another delightful disc packed with two choice episodes from Shirley Temple's anthology series, SHIRLEY TEMPLE'S STORYBOOK (aka "The Shirley Temple Show"). Acting as a precursor to later series like "Faerie Tale Theatre" and Jim Henson's "The Storyteller", SHIRLEY TEMPLE'S STORYBOOK was a big ratings winner for NBC. Temple hosted and also indulged in an occasional starring role, surrounded by an amazing cast of noted Broadway and Hollywood talents.

Both of the episodes from this disc are taken from the 1960-61 season.

WINNIE THE POOH (Season 2 Episode #3): The characters of A.A. Milne's Hundred Acre Wood come to thrilling life thanks to the marionettes workshopped by Bil and Cora Baird in this lovely episode, starring Shirley Temple as Mother and featuring Teddy Eccles as Christopher Robin.

BABES IN TOYLAND (Season 2 Episode #14): Originally broadcast for Christmas 1960, this adaptation of the Victor Herbert operetta is co-hosted by Shirley and her three children. Temple also takes the role of gypsy witch Floretta, with Jonathan Winters as evil Uncle Barnaby, chasing after his two young relatives (Michel Petit and Angela Cartwright), so he can steal their inheritance.

I'd love to see Legend Films expand their range of SHIRLEY TEMPLE'S STORYBOOK discs. For example, Shirley Temple and Fernando Lamas in "Little Men", Claire Bloom and Charlton Heston in "Beauty and the Beast", Jules Munshin and Shirley Temple in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", Jack Albertson and Anthony Eustrel in "The Land of Green Ginger", and Carol Lynley and Agnes Moorehead in "Rapunzel".

This is two episodes of Shirley Temple's Storybook theatre series. IMDB lists the Babes in Toyland episode as from 1960. It stars Angela Cartwright, Jonathan Winters, Joe Besser, Jerry Colonna, and of course, Shirley Temple. Compared to the Disney version from '61 or '62, this is a much weaker show. It's also not as good as Laurel and Hardy's version (aka March of the Wooden Soldiers) from the 30's.
The main value of this DVD is as an example of a simpler time, when television could get away with simple (think high school production values) sets, minimal writing and acting, and call it entertainment. The storyline bears little resemblance to any version of Babes in Toyland I've seen. The dancers seem under rehearsed, and the actors mug shamelessly. The child actors have to hold back laughter at the adults' antics and prop failures.
The Winnie the Pooh segment is a little better, done with marionettes by Bill and Cora Baird, who did the "Lonely Goatherd" sequence in Sound of Music. It would be fine for kids to watch.

Yet another delightful disc packed with two choice episodes from Shirley Temple's anthology series, SHIRLEY TEMPLE'S STORYBOOK (aka "The Shirley Temple Show"). Acting as a precursor to later series like "Faerie Tale Theatre" and Jim Henson's "The Storyteller", SHIRLEY TEMPLE'S STORYBOOK was a big ratings winner for NBC. Temple hosted and also indulged in an occasional starring role, surrounded by an amazing cast of noted Broadway and Hollywood talents.

Both of the episodes from this disc are taken from the 1960-61 season.

WINNIE THE POOH (Season 2 Episode #3): The characters of A.A. Milne's Hundred Acre Wood come to thrilling life thanks to the marionettes workshopped by Bil and Cora Baird in this lovely episode, starring Shirley Temple as Mother and featuring Teddy Eccles as Christopher Robin.

BABES IN TOYLAND (Season 2 Episode #14): Originally broadcast for Christmas 1960, this adaptation of the Victor Herbert operetta is co-hosted by Shirley and her three children. Temple also takes the role of gypsy witch Floretta, with Jonathan Winters as evil Uncle Barnaby, chasing after his two young relatives (Michel Petit and Angela Cartwright), so he can steal their inheritance.