Babes in Toyland is an operetta composed by Victor Herbert with a libretto by Glen MacDonough, which wove together various characters from Mother Goose nursery rhymes into a musical extravaganza. Following the extraordinary success of their stage musical The Wizard of Oz, which was produced in New York beginning in January 1903, producer Fred R. Hamlin and director Julian Mitchell hoped to create more family musicals. MacDonough had helped Mitchell with revisions to the Oz libretto by L. Frank Baum. Mitchell and MacDonough persuaded Victor Herbert to join the production. Babes in Toyland features some of Herbert's most famous songs – among them "Toyland", "March of the Toys", "Go to Sleep, Slumber Deep", and "I Can't Do the Sum".
Adaptations (3)
Babes in Toyland has been adapted into 3 films, from 1961 to 1997.
Babes in Toyland1961 · film · 106 min · dir. Jack Donohue · IMDb ↗All roads lead to magical, merry Toyland as Mary Contrary and Tom Piper prepare for their wedding! But villainous Barnaby wants Mary for himself, so he kidnaps Tom, setting off a series of comic chases, searches, and double-crosses! The "March Of The Wooden Soldiers" helps put Barnaby in his place, and ensures a "happily ever after" for Tom and Mary!
Babes in Toyland1986 · film · 96 min · dir. Clive Donner · IMDb ↗IMDb5.211-year-old Lisa has no time for toys; she's too busy taking care of her siblings and cooking for her mother. During the Christmas Eve blizzard, Lisa travels to Toyland in Wizard of Oz-like fashion and arrives just in time for a wedding. Young Mary Contrary is about to marry mean, old Barnaby Barnacle, despite the fact that she loves Jack Be Nimble. Lisa tries to stop this terrible wedding and, together with her new friends, discovers that Barnaby wants to take over Toyland. Lisa, Mary, Jack, and Georgie Porgie ask the Toymaster for help, but he can't help them as long as Lisa doesn't truly believe in toys.
Babes in Toyland1997 · film · 74 min · dir. Toby Bluth, Charles Grosvenor, Paul Sabella · IMDb ↗IMDb4.8With just days to go before presents are scheduled for Christmas delivery, Toyland is buzzing with activity. However, curmudgeonly creditor Barnaby Crookedman is hatching a devious scheme to destroy Toyland – meaning no presents for the world's children! Siblings Jack and Jill, alongside toy factory workers Tom and Mary, rush into action to stop the villain, receiving some assistance from the likes of Humpty Dumpty and even Santa Claus himself.
