Babes in Toyland

1954TV Special⏱️ 1h 30m

Musical

⭐ 7.1

IMDB Rating

36 votes

A special, live, television adaptation of Victor Herbert's operetta.

Director

Max Liebman

Writers

Billy Friedberg, Glen MacDonough, Fred Saidy

Stars

Rod Alexander, The Baird Puppets, Bil Baird

Release Date

December 18, 1954

Language

English

Country

United States

💬 3

Reviews

📽️ View on IMDB

🎭 Top Cast

👤

Rod Alexander

as Self - Dancer

👤

The Baird Puppets

as Themselves

👤

Bil Baird

as Self - Clyde

👤

Cora Baird

as Self

Ellen Barrie

as Self - Joan

Lee Bowman

as Self - Host

👤

Edward Brian

as Self - Peter Piper

Wally Cox

as Self - Toymaker Grumio

Dennis Day

as Self - Tommy Tucker

Dave Garroway

as Self - Santa Claus

🎬 Technical Specs

Aspect Ratio

1.33 : 1

Sound

Mono

Color

🏷️ Keywords

literary characterdepartment storesanta clausdreamchristmas

🎯 Categories

Musical

⭐ Featured Review

The triumph of kitsch!

by catuus • 2009-09-01

3/10

"The year is 1954. Oldsmobile has decided to sponsor a Yule-season special. The subject: Victor Herbert's saccharine musical, "Babes in Toyland". The production starred some very well-known names of the time – names that today are largely (and undeservedly) unknown. TV in those days was of course all-live, no retakes. The production starred the inimitable Dennis Day as Tommy Tucker. Day, the quintessential Irish tenor, was in the early part of his primary career (1950-1965) as one of Jack Benny's constant on-air foils. Playing a department store Santa Claus, who tells the s..."

💡 Did You Know?

This version of "Babes in Toyland" was so popular that it was restaged the next year (these were the days of live television), with Barbara Cook replacing Jo Sullivan.