One of Disney's most beloved and elaborate productions, 1961's Babes in Toyland was a box-office disaster at it's release, but is now considered a cult classic and draws sold-out audiences when it is shown in theaters.
Possibly the first film to attempt combining nursery-rhyme characters with real actors, the movie's appeal lies in part due to it's "campiness", requiring the viewer to suspend belief and just enjoy the ride.
The plot itself is extremely complex, involving slavery, gypsies, plenty of violence, trees coming to life, evil toymakers, sword duels, toy cannons that aren't "toys", and a carnivorous toy box. The unforgettable toy soldiers in the film were later used in Disneyland and Disney World parades.
Directed by Jack Donohue and produced by Walt Disney himself, Babes in Toyland starred Ray Bolger, Annette Funicello, Tommy Sands and Ed Wynn. The film was patterned after Victor Herbert's popular 1903 operetta Babes in Toyland.
