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March of the Wooden Soldiers Customer Reviews (22 - 23 of 23 Reviews)

A Heartwarming Classic
A shame that this has been colorised, which is a wholly unnecessary adornment to an otherwise very good film. However, if you can stand the tinkering, you will probably still enjoy this rather strange Laurel and Hardy extavaganza.

To begin with it doesn't look like it's going to turn out well. It looks like it has been padded out by songs that may have been entertaining in 1934 but grate on modern audiences. However, once you get into the fairytale setting and its logic it all makes a certain amount of sense. It's certainly endearing, and has - as all great childrens movies should - some jokes just for the grown-ups and some moments that could genuinely terrify the kids - I bet the march of those titular wooden soldiers was a bit daunting if you were eight in 1934.

This is probably the most sentimental and romantic of Laurel and Hardy's features, and also possibly the least "slap-sticky" but it's none the worse for that. It certainly leaves me with a big smile on my face by the end... Although I have to come clean with you: I've got the original black and white version.

I can see why the temptation was there to colorise. It's a fantasy world, and they probably thought they'd make it a bit like the Wizard of Oz if they pepped it up. But it was a bit like the Wizard of Oz in any case and there's really no need to monkey about with it.

A heartwarming minor classic with some great gags.

THE ORIGINAL "BABES IN TOYLAND"
Few films in history achieve the rank of a beloved family classic, enjoyed anew by each succeeding generation. "March of the Wooden Soldiers", based on Victor Herbert's famed 1903 operetta, "Babes In Toyland", is one such timeless masterpiece. Tghe greatest comedy team in films, Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy, star in this elaboarate musical fairytale of innocence and optimism.

The boys are Stannie Dum and Ollie Dee, hapless employees of Toyland's toy factory, who room in Old Mother Peep's shoe. Faced with eviction by they evil Silas Barnaby (Henry Brandon. Credited as Harry Kleinbach), Mother Peep (Florence Roberts) needs to raise her mortgage. But the boys' plan to get the money from the Toymaker (William Burress) goes awry. It seems Santa Claus (Ferdinand Munier) ordered 600 wooden soldiers one foot tall. But, unfortunately (as fate would have it), Stannie took the order. And the result is 100 soldiers six feet tall. The boys are fired.
An attempt to steal the mortgage from Barnaby's house ends in the boys being found guilty of burglary. Sentenced to be dunked and exiled to Bogeyland forever, the charges are dropped by Barnaby when Bo-Peep (Charlotte Henry) consents to marry him, although she is in love with Tom-Tom the Piper's son (Felix Knight). Tricked into giving up the mortgage with a bogus wedding, Barnaby gains revenge by pignapping one of the Three Little Pigs, and planting the evidence in Tom-Tom's house. Stannie and Ollie discover the ruse.
Chasing Barnaby into Bogeyland, they rescue Tom-Tom and Bo-Peep. But Barnaby leads the Bogeymen to destroy all of Toyland. In the thrilling finale, Stannie and Ollie activate the wooden soldiers. And to the strains of the majestic "March of the Toys", rout the Bogeymen and save Toyland.

A spectacular entertaining film, with familiar music, high production values, and charming performances by the much loved Laurel & Hardy, "March of the Wooden Soldiers" is a must for any video collection. One of the truly great movies of all time.

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