March Of The Wooden Soldiers Legend Films DVD

I'm a Laurel & Hardy fan and had been pondering buying this new version for quite awhile but I held-off since I already had another different "colorized" version of it. I had heard good things about this newer version, though. I'm not into the colorization of films as a general rule either but it always seemed like a shame that they weren't able to film this movie in color (even though I do realize that color films weren't exactly prevalent back in 1934. I have seen some experimental color test footage shot of the Marx Brothers' "Animal Crackers" from around the same era, though). It is nice that they give you both the color and black and white versions to choose from on the disc.

Anyway, thanks for the review. The pastel effect you describe might work well with this film since it does seem to have a dreamy fantasy-like quality about it. I may have to pick this one up after all.

 

The Legend Films DVD's that I have seen that include colorized footage has looked pretty good. Somewhere I read that Legend colorized the I Love Lucy "Lucy Goes To Scotland" episode that is available on the complete series box. I have not seen that show - just clips - but matching scenes up with color home movie footage taken on the set, Legend matched things perfectly. This is why I am not surprised that their Wooden Soldiers DVD looks good, and this thread actually makes me want to now locate a copy to add to the collection.

 

BTW...I don't know all the nuts and bolts of how the Legend DVD was put together, but according to various reports on the internet, the film was reconstructed from more than one source. The B&W version has a superimposed copyright notice for the old colorized version. (Other companies got around this by replacing the end title.) I really can't comment on the colorization...I have both the Legend and Goodtimes versions, but when I watch the film, I generally watch it in B&W.

The good news is that there actually is a legitimate clean, original B&W version of this film available on DVD, from the original materials. It's been released by M-G-M (distributed by 20th Century Fox). However, there are no extras at all, not even the theatrical trailer. (The Goodtimes DVD has some great extras, including an Oliver Hardy interview where he talks about Atoll K/Utopia, in much better quality than on the 20th Century Fox L&H set, plus some later silent Stan Laurel home movies in color.)

http://www.amazon.com/March-Wooden-Soldiers-Frank-Austin/dp/B001D8W7FE/ref=pd_bxgy_d_img_a

(As is the case with the Legend DVD, they are marketing it as March Of The Wooden Soldiers, but the original opening title is left unaltered with the film's original title, Babes In Toyland. The opening title sequence on the M-G-M DVD version is even more complete, with the correct fanfare audio when the lion roars.)

 

Double sigh .... when I clicked on the Amazon link, I see that the cover is the exact same version I saw for sale at Barnes and Noble two weeks ago for $7.49 (plus my additional members discount) but passed because I thought it was a public domain release. Now I see it was the official release. Hopefully I will make it back to the store before the holiday, or maybe catch it on a clearance sale after the holidays. Either way, I need to learn to pay closer attention to details next time!

 

This was on TV tonight, so I always have to watch it.
I've seen all of Laurel and Hardy's things since I was a kid, but this one is one of my favorites.

Laurel and Hardy are hilarious in the movie, the songs are good and the whole production has a bizarre surrealistic quality that I find really interesting.

I think I have the video release stashed away somewhere long forgotten, but can anyone tell me if there is a version available currently where the sound isn't abysmal ? The TV version I was watching tonight sounded awful.

 

The MGM DVD is the one to get. It appears to be from the original elements (or the closest thing to it available). However, it has no extras, not even a trailer. I was going to link to it here on Amazon, but it doesn't appear to be there except as part of a box set or as "instant video." Other versions are on there like the Legend Films one which is OK, but the MGM one is the definitive version.

 

Thanks for the info.

 

Picked up the Legend disc last February to fill in my Laurel and Hardy collection. Watched it this morning with the wife and she loved it. She thought she would be bored but she got into it. The colorization was VERY good, and it makes the film even better.
I wonder what Disney thought of it? They stuck Mickey Mouse into it and even ripped off Disney's Three Little Pigs and their theme music.
Now can anyone explain the title change?

 

Apparently Disney gave his blessing for Roach using his characters and music. Disney had used Roach's Laurel & Hardy in three cartoons.

The title change: I always thought it was because of Disney's Babes in Toyland ('61), and that Disney had it changed. But it looks like it was changed 'way before that during re-releases in the late '40s. It lost Roach money during its first runs.

Does the Legend disc have the original titles?

 

Original titles on the film itself.

 

Legend and MGM DVDs have the original titles. The Goodtimes one does not.

The title change to March Of The Wooden Soldiers occurred in the 1940s for a theatrical reissue. It also was reissued as Revenge Is Sweet (I once saw a print in a theatre with that title). The whole story of the history of the film and its distribution is covered in the book Laurel & Hardy: From The Forties Forward by Scott MacGillivray. I highly recommend the book. Not only is it a good overview of the 1940s L&H films, but also goes into some detail about the various reissues and entanglements with their catalog of Hal Roach films.