On this day in 1961, Disney's first live-action musical Technicolor feature Babes in Toyland was released.
Babes in Toyland was originally an operetta composed by Victor Herbert with a libretto by Glen MacDonough. It wove together various characters from Mother Goose nursery rhymes into a musical extravaganza. (You may recall Laurel & Hardy's 1934 big screen version also known as March of the Wooden Soldiers.)
Disney's version (directed by Jack Donohue) had a heavily revised plot, but featured much of Herbert's music with new lyrics. It starred Ray Bolger as Barnaby, Tommy Sands as Tom Piper, Annette Funicello as Mary Contrary, Ed Wynn as Toymaker, and Tommy Kirk as Grumio.
The film's music won a Grammy for Best Soundtrack Album or Recording of Original Cast from Motion Picture or Television.
Click HERE for more December 14 Disney history.
No comments:
Post a Comment