History Theatre / BabesInToyland

* TooDumbToLive: Honestly, everyone could've been spared a lot of trouble if not for the Toymaker's arrogance and carelessness, constantly undermining Grumio's inventions and having a poor temper at that. So inattentive is he that [[NiceJobBreakingItHero he literally]] ''[[NiceJobBreakingItHero throws the shrink ray into Barnaby's hands]]'' [[NiceJobBreakingItHero when he tosses the "failed" device out the window, creating a world of trouble for everybody present]].

* WhenTreesAttack: The Gumps are animated trees with faces. They capture travellers in the night and escort them to the Toymaker.

In 1975, the Light Opera of Manhattan, with the approval of the Victor Herbert Foundation, presented an adaptation with a new book and lyrics by Alice Hammerstein Mathias (daughter of Oscar Hammerstein II) that ran every holiday season in New York from 1975-88 and still tours occasionally. In this version, Jane and Alan feel neglected by their workaholic, discipline-minded parents, so they run away to Toyland in the belief they will be happier there; they are welcomed by the Toymaker, who cautions them against falling too far under Toyland's spell, but the singing and dancing toys are too much for the siblings to resist. Barnaby is replaced as the main villain by a corrupt detective whom Jane and Alan's parents send to Toyland to retrieve them; once there, he forces the children to help him steal a new toy soldier design from the Toymaker. The music is largely unchanged, although it includes a few melodies from other Herbert operettas.

''Babes in Toyland'' began as a 1903 operetta by popular American composer Victor Herbert in which FairyTale and MotherGoose characters acted out a fairly standard Babes-In-The-Wood plot in [[LivingToys Toyland]], where EvilUncle Barnaby has attempted to do away with his niece and nephew Jane and Alan -- and incidentally to steal Alan's lady love, Contrary Mary. The operetta featured some of Herbert's most famous musical pieces, such as "Castle In Spain," "Go To Sleep, Slumber Deep," "I Can't Do The Sum," the "March of the Toys," and "Toyland."

In 1961, [[Creator/{{Disney}} Walt Disney Productions]] made a Live-Action version, starring Creator/AnnetteFunicello as Mary Contrary, Creator/RayBolger as Barnaby, Tommy Sands as Tom, Tom the Piper's Son, and Creator/EdWynn as the Toymaker. Barnaby's henchmen were portrayed by [[Franchise/{{Zorro}} Henry Calvin and Gene Sheldon]] in a manner directly reminiscent of Laurel and Hardy from the 1934 film. It marked Disney's first all-live-action musical, and after they began {{bury| your art}}ing ''Film/SongOfTheSouth'', they instead declared ''Babes'' their first live-action musical overall.

In 1934 [[Film/BabesInToyland1934 a film version]] starring Creator/LaurelAndHardy was made. The film is also known by its alternate titles ''Laurel and Hardy in Toyland'', ''Revenge Is Sweet'', ''March of the Wooden Soldiers'' and ''Wooden Soldiers''. The film[[note]]written by Hal Roach, extensively revised by Stan Laurel[[/note]] follows Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy in their misadventures, attempting to thwart the villainous Mr. Barnaby (the "crooked little man" from the nursery rhyme) in his lascivious designs upon the heroine, Little Bo-Peep.

In 1961 [[Creator/{{Disney}} Walt Disney Productions]] made a Live-Action version, starring Creator/AnnetteFunicello as Mary Contrary, Creator/RayBolger as Barnaby, Tommy Sands as Tom, Tom the Piper's Son, and Creator/EdWynn as the Toymaker. Barnaby's henchmen were portrayed by [[Franchise/{{Zorro}} Henry Calvin and Gene Sheldon]] in a manner directly reminiscent of Laurel and Hardy from the 1934 film. It marked Disney's first all-live-action musical, and after they began {{bury| your art}}ing ''Film/SongOfTheSouth'', they instead declared ''Babes'' their first live-action musical overall.

* DumbassHasAPoint: When the king of Toyland promises a reward for Barnaby captured "Dead or alive", Stannie and Ollie corner the crooked old man in his well. After waiting a while (Unaware that Barnaby has snuck off to Bogeyland) Stannie suggests they knock him out with a rock. "That way he'll be alive and dead." and Ollie applauds his idea. "now you're making sense!"

%%* ReflexiveResponse: How Stan and Ollie get caught trying to sneak Ollie into Barnaby's house. %% Zero Context

* AsideGlance: See BreakingTheFourthWall.
* BreakingTheFourthWall: The Disney version has at least two scenes in which characters talk to the viewers. And of course, in the earlier film version, Ollie does his legendary exasperated look toward the camera every time Stan does something frustrating.

* DirtyOldMan: Barnaby.

** Tom in the 1961 film, although it was hoaxed in the first place.

** In the 1934 version, there's a mouse who looks suspiciously like, well, [[WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse THE Mouse]].

* FairytaleWeddingDress: Mary at the end of some of the film versions.

* ForgottenTrope: ''Babes in Toyland'' is the only surviving example of the "extravaganza," the American equivalent of English {{pantomime}}, which was a family-friendly type of musical using typical pantomime characters and settings. In the first decade of the twentieth century, stage adaptations of ''Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz'' (which had Creator/LFrankBaum's involvement) and ''ComicStrip/LittleNemo'' followed the extravaganza format; the genre survived until the Great Depression.

* GoldDigger: Barnaby, especially in the film versions.

** "Never Mind, Bo Peep" also contains the lyric "So be gay, Bo Peep"
* LargeHam: Barnaby, especially in the film versions. (The stage version includes an even ''larger'' ham villain, the Master Toymaker. In one recording of the score, he's played by Creator/IanMcKellen at his most Shakespearean.)

* LivingToys

* SugarBowl: Though not without elements of {{Satire}} and occasionally horror.

* UncertainDoom: Commonly played with [[spoiler: Barnaby]] in the film adaptations. In the 1986 film, [[spoiler:he is implied to be killed by his trolls when they turn against him]]. In the animated film, [[spoiler: he is last seen being chased by goblins, presumably to be eaten, after insulting their recently-deceased king]]. In the 1961 film, [[spoiler: his fate seems a little less ambiguous, as he is stabbed by Tom during their swordfight and [[DisneyVillainDeath falls from a great height]] into a toy box, and is never seen again afterwards, but publicity stills and the comic adaptation [[SparedByTheAdaptation change the ending]] so he is imprisoned in the bird cage rather than stabbed, making his fate seem more ambiguous to some]]. Ironically, [[spoiler:in the original story his death is definitive when he drinks poison]].

* DeadpanSnarker: Sylvester the goose.

* DisneyAcidSequence: The song "I Can't do the Sum", during which Mary Contrary (played by Annette Funicello) sings mostly on a black background, with {{d|oubleVision}}uplicates who flip upside down and sideways while changing colors.

* FunnyBackgroundEvent: You can spot a woman accidentally close her dress in the door as she goes back inside her house. Just so you know: it's when Barnaby's henchmen announce the town meeting to announce Barnaby's marriage to Mary.

* SpeakNowOrForeverHoldYourPeace / ThisMeansWar: Let's just say, given the battle he and the toy soldiers launch on Mary and Barnaby's wedding, Tom really objects.
* SwordCane: Having been shrunk himself to toy size just like Tom, Barnaby is held by Tom at sword point, but he pulls on the head of his cane, which pulls free with no effort, revealing that it's actually a sword in disguise. This leads to a...
* SwordFight: This is the climax of the film, between Tom and Barnaby, both having been shrunk to toy size. Naturally, Barnaby loses.

* MrExposition: Georgie Porgie serves as this in the 1986 film.

In 1961 [[Creator/{{Disney}} Walt Disney Productions]] made a Live-Action version, starring Creator/AnnetteFunicello as Mary Contrary, Creator/RayBolger as Barnaby, Tommy Sands as Tom, Tom the Piper's Son, and Creator/EdWynn as the Toymaker. Barnaby's henchmen were portrayed by [[Franchise/{{Zorro}} Henry Calvin and Gene Sheldon]] in a manner directly reminiscent of Laurel and Hardy from the 1934 film. It marked Disney's first all-live-action musical, and after they began refusing to acknowledge ''Film/SongOfTheSouth'', they instead declared ''Babes'' their first live-action musical overall.

* WouldHurtAChild:
** The Master Toymaker, the BigBad in the original stage version, is a [[Film/ChittyChittyBangBang Childcatcher]]-like figure attempting to find ways of exterminating children.
** In the 1934 film, the Bogeymen have no qualms about kidnapping the children of Toyland. One even tries to attack Rock-a-Bye-Baby on the Treetop. Thankfully, a well-timed peewee saves the day.