Reviews (2)

Our Gang returns!
I loved "The Little Rascals" when I was growing up. I'm glad to see they have a nice mix of episodes with my favorite characters. Spanky, Alfalfa, Jackie, Buckwheat, Marianne, and Pete (the dog!) are all here!

If you are unfamiliar with the Little Rascals, it was a series of short comedies filmed in the 1920's and 1930's called "Our Gang". The films were about poor kids and their very funny escapades. (Note: there is racial stereotyping that was common at the time of filming, not that that is any excuse!) These were intended to be stand-alone films. In some films, the gang had parents. In others, they live in an orphanage. There were plenty of other inconsistencies like this from episode to episode. Hal Roach sold the original series to MGM, bought it back, and renamed it, "Hal Roach's Little Rascals". More episodes were filmed into the early 1940's. No episodes were ever produced for TV, but it started playing on TV in 1955 under the name, "The Little Rascals". Jackie Cooper played "Jackie". (Robert Blake played "Mickey", but not in any of these episodes.)

Here is an episode guide, with a tiny description:

Teacher's Pet: Jackie brags to a nice woman about the tricks they plan to play on the new teacher. Guess who their new teacher is?

School's Out: Jackie is worried that the new teacher, Miss Crabtree will get married and leave. So when the gang thinks she has a boyfriend, they try to discourage his interest.

Readin' And Writin': Brisbane tries to get kicked out of school after his mother reminds him that he can be president if he does well.

Spooky Hooky: Spanky and Alfalfa want to skip school and go to the circus, so they send Buckwheat and Porky to put a fake doctor's note on the teacher's desk. When they find out the teacher is taking the class to the circus, they do everything they can to get the note back.

Sprucin' Up: Spanky and Alfalfa show off to the new truant officer's daughter.

For Pete's Sake!: After Marianne's doll is destroyed by the local bully, the gang tries to get her a new one. They end up trading Pete, the dog, for a doll!

The Kid From Borneo: The gang decides that a wild man from Borneo wants to eat them up.

Dogs Is Dogs: Pete, the dog, ends up at the pound after he is accused of eating Mr. Brown's chickens.

The Pooch: Stymie steals a pie, but is forgiven when he gets the other kids' dogs from the dogcatcher.

Dog Heaven: Pete, the dog, is upset because Joe spent money on a girl rather than a promised dog collar. Pete saves the girl from drowning, but gets in trouble when Joe thinks Pete pushed her into the water.

CLASSIC LITTLE RASCALS
I am now 27 Years old From United Kingdom and these Kids where apart of my Youth, when i was about 7 Years old i remembered watching these kids and love how they had there Own Fire Engine..How much i wanted to be there with them, Remembering how they hated Girls at that youthful age, That Always made me grin Because at that age of 7, they where Public Ememy to me aswell..Since then years have gone By, and it look like i never see then again, But I check your Site and was made up to see that i was able to Own these classic Episodes again and even better on DVD.. Now i will be able to share these classic Little Rascals moment with my 3 Neices and let them see the Great Fire Engine....***CLASSIC** :o) ... Read more

Amazon.com

The most lavish feature built around Laurel and Hardy, 1934's March of the Wooden Soldiers is also the most bizarre. Opening unpromisingly with one of several mawkish numbers derived from Victor Herbert's musical Babes in Toyland, the antics of toyshop laborers Stannie Dum and Ollie Dee are worked into a scenario midway between Lewis Carroll and the Brothers Grimm. Nursery-rhyme characters come and go in a surreal fantasy, with the evil Mr. Barnaby threatening to evict Widow Peep from her shoe unless he receives her daughter Bo in marriage. The movie culminates in a full-scale invasion of Toyland by the yeti-ish Bogeymen and their defeat by the 100 six-foot wooden soldiers which Stan and Ollie have built by mistake. Henry Brandon gives a characterful performance, while 1930s child star Charlotte Henry is an appealing heroine. Directors Gus Meins and Charles R. Rogers milk the slapstick to an increasingly unnerving degree. Reputedly Hardy's favorite among the double act's features, March of the Wooden Soldiers emerges now as their most audacious screen appearance. --Richard Whitehouse ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Laurel & Hardy Timeless Christmas Classic (Colorized DVD)!
Adapted from Victor Herbert's Opera "Babes in Toyland" this 1934 Laurel and Hardy Operetta presents us with a timeless Holiday Classic for the entire family to watch during the holidays. The DVD presentation has been meticulously Remastered and Colorized (for the next generation's enjoyment and for the Black & White traditionalists just turn off the color).

Laurel & Hardy have never been better. The characters (Based on Mother Goose and popular Nursey Rhymes),the story line of Toyland(Santa's Toy making Headquarters preparing for the upcoming holiday's) & the Villian with his henchmen (Powerful Landlord and his Bogeyman Army) can't lose. The basis is an Operetta (loosely conducted) musical showcasing the infamous song, "Babes in Toyland".

Laurel & Hardy play Stannie Dum and Ollie Dee respectively Santa's toymaker workers who are in constant trouble. Stannie accepts a Xmas toy order but mixes it up and he and Ollie are fired. (Mistakens the order of 600 soldiers at 1 foot tall for 100 soldiers at 6 foot tall, can you imagine?). Along with the Villian Landlord, Silas Barnaby trying to evict the "Old Woman in the Shoe" for non payment sets the story for this Family Christmas Classic, "MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLIERS"!!!!!

You & the family will love and laugh continuously!! A great value. A must for the Holiday library!!!!

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. The 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.

Great fun for the ENTIRE family
The GREATEST comedy team in movie history,STAN LAUREL & OLIVER HARDY, star in this whimiscal, musicl fairy tale base on Vicotr Hubert's famed 1903 operetta 'BABES IN TOYLAND'. The boys portray 'STANNIE DUM & OLLIE DEE', hapless employees of Toyland's toy factory, who room in 'MOTHER PEEP'S'shoe. Faced with eviction by the evil 'SILAS BARNABY',our heros' plan to get the money from the 'TOYMASTER' goes awry. It seems that Santa Claus ordered 600 wooden soldiers at 1 foot high. But as fate would have it -STANNIE took the order and the end result is 100 wooden soldiers at 6 foot high. As with all the other films that i have reviewed, I also have this movie in my video library collection. I STRONGLY suggest and urge all buyers and viewers to order this timeless classic for their own video library collection.

"I Don't Love 'im!"
What a pleasure to find March of the Wooden Soldiers in glorious black & white! This Passport Video release (listed by Amazon as Koch Entertainment for some unfathomable reason) presumably contains the full-length version (77+ minutes) and is of very high quality. Audio is nice clear mono, and the video is just fine--flicker occurs occasionally, but nothing major and the images are sharp with good contrast. One is easily able to navigate the chapters and can scan in either direction and pause, which sometimes isn't the case with budget DVD's. It would be nice if subtitles were available (I have foreign-born friends who like to "see" and hear English simultaneously), as well as a printed list of chapters, but these are minor quibbles. A bonus short of the boys' first screen appearance together is also included and is lots of fun.
As much as I detest colorization of black & white classics, both in principle and for aesthetic reasons, I've read so many favorable reviews of the colorized version of this film that I'd be willing to give it a shot, especially considering its price. One reviewer wrote that she remembers seeing a hand-tinted print of this film at the movies when she was a child in the 50's, so clearly there's precedent. It would be nice to get a choice of both on one disk--maybe something along this line will turn up eventually. In the meantime, my recommendation is that first-time viewers see it the way audiences in 1934 saw it and then move on to "color" if so inclined. Either way, this is a fabulous film--it's about time justice was done to it, but better late than never. Thank goodness I no longer have to depend on the whims of local TV stations with their edits and commercials to watch one of my holiday favorites.

Beware of the two versions
There are two versions offered for sale at Amazon. The Koch Vision Entertainment version, despite the description in the technical details, is NOT COLORIZED. The Goodtimes Home Video version version IS colorized. Which you prefer is entirely up to you, but don't order the Koch Vision version if you want the movie in color. The Koch Vision version has an extended silent film extra of the first time Laurel and Hardy appeared together (NOT as a team, however). The extra is interesting, but (by today's standards anyhow) a little slow. The Goodtimes Entertainment (Colorized) version, although a few cents cheaper than the other version, is, in my opinion, a much "cleaner" print. Even with the color level turned down so it appears as the original B&W, the Goodtimes version is sharper and more distinct. March of the Wooden Soldiers, holds up pretty well. ... Read more

Description

Created by producer Hal Roach, The Little Rascals (aka Our Gang) starred in more than a hundred shorts from 1922 to 1944 (one of which, Bored of Education, won an OSCAR®) and one feature, General Spanky.With the Gang aching to hit the gridiron, team captain Spanky’s got to play Little Papa and mind the baby, while Pete is framed by Wheezer’s hateful stepbrother, Sherwood, and sent to the pound in Dogs Is Dogs.Sherwood’s dog kills a chicken, so he blames Pete, but Wheezer and his sister Dorothy have the last laugh; then Spanky and the Gang try to impress the daughter of Mr. Jones, the new truant officer, by Sprucin’ Up. Black & White. 56 Minutes ... Read more