We've talked about this movie before, it had Marie Wilson in it. As well as Laurel and Hardy, and Jean Darling. Here is an article from PICTUREGOER about BABES IN TOYLAND.
Reblogged from
http://www.laurelandhardy.org/toyland.htm :
PICTUREGOER
WEEKLY
Dated 22nd. December 1934. -
Behind the scenes of "BABES IN TOYLAND"
The
production of the screen version of Victor Herbert's famous operetta,
Babes in Toyland, which features Laurel and
Hardy, taxed all the physical resources of the Hal Roach studio and, in
addition, swamped several motion picture supply concerns with a deluge of orders
for extra electrical equipment, stage properties and other accessories essential
to the filming of such a mammoth spectacle.
Despite the fact that the Hal Roach studio is conceded to be one of the best
equipped in all film land, it was found necessary to rent and purchase hundreds
of extra sun-arcs and other electrical lamps and lo lease additional generator
lorries to supply the vast amount of illumination required to light up the huge
sets used in this picture.
Two stages, in tact, had to be
combined so that all the buildings In the street scenes of the Toyland village
could be presented simultaneously. The result was a structure
250 feet
wide by 500 feet in length; 125,000 square feet in all.
The entire structure, completely soundproofed, was transformed into a
wonderland. Lining both sides of the mythical thoroughfare were such buildings,
made famous by the Mother Goose rhymes and other children's stories, as the Drum
House, Noah's Ark, the Home of the Old Lady who lived in a shoe, House of Wooden
Blocks, the Windmill, as well as a Toyland school, toy factory, toy warehouse,
barracks, police station and many other smaller buildings.
On this street appear
many of childhood's most popular characters; Widow Peep and her daughter,
Bo-Peep, Tom Thumb, Simple Simon, Mother Goose herself, Little
Red Riding Hood, Santa Claus, Jack and Jill, Three Little
Piqs, Little Boy Blue, Puss-in-Boots, Jack Homer, The Queen of Hearts, king Cole
arid many others A number of giant trees and scores of fern plants were supplied
by outside nurseries toaugment the shrubbery raised on the studio grounds, all
of which are used in "bogeyland" scenes. Every independent costumer in Hollywood
was called upon to help supply the necessary costumes for the production after
the wardrobe department at the studio became swamped. For the "bogeymen" alone,
200 furry and grotesque costumes were required, while the dressing of the
colourful toyland villages necessitated the making of 100 period costumes.
Each of the principals of the cast had to be fitted with outfits dictated by
the tradition of the
fantasy, which were fashioned in triplicate to avoid
production delays in the event of anyone's wardrobe becoming soiled or otherwise
rendered useless.
A Hollywood crocodile "farm" supplied the reptiles used in the swamp scenes.
The lizard like amphibians ranged in size from 6 to 9 feet long, and were so
ferocious that it was necessary to have armed guards stand by while expert
swimmers, playing the role of "bogymen", were in the water with them. There are
more than 100 of them, and they will testify that the life of a film "extra" is
not always a bed of roses.
in several of the scenes in the spectacular fantasy, the bit players were
required to do battle with this school of mammoth crocodiles. Inasmuch as there
is "no such animal" as a tame or educated crocodile, the lives of the "extras"
were constantly endangered during this bit of action, despite the presence of
the armed guards. Because of the watchfulness of these men, not a single actor
was injured, although there were several close calls.
The unusual stage properties used throughout the production gave many outside
cabinetmakers and iron and steel workers' employment, supplementing the activity
of the studio workshops. Wig-makers, too, prosperity as a picturization of
fantasy.
Three hundred wigs, ranging in quality from the beautiful blonde tresses used
by "bo-peep," to the tawny mane-like hair of "Barnaby," the villain, were
supplied by outside specialists and were cared for during production by a staff
of 12 hairdressers.
No other motion picture of recent years required the services of so many
independent workers as did Babes in Toyland . The picture was twelve weeks in
the making and for each of the 300 players appearing in it, there were at least
two men working "behind the scenes," so to speak.
Those interested in statistics may be interested to learn acme astounding
facts relative to the building materials and electrical energy that goes into
the making of a feature production.
Some authentic
figures on this subject were complied by Hal Roach during the course of
production
The following items were used:-
Slightly more than 1,700 gallons of various kinds or paint and varnishes.
with a total weight of 20.400 lb.
196,000 square feet of lumber, weighing 588.000 lb.
240.000 square feet of wall board.
192,000 lb. of plaster, 80,000 square feet of chicken wire. 80,000 square
feet of burlap. The weight of the nails used in constructing the sets and
properties was 7,000 lb.
A total of 2,952,000 watts per hour were generated to illuminate the sets;
this energy was consumed in burning 812 filament lamps ranging in size from
massive sun arcs in baby spots
On completion of the picture, Hal Roach made the City of Los Angeles a
present of the Toyland Street and its unique structures, the sets to be erected
at the children's playground in Griffith Park, the recreational contra of tho
city
All of which gives you some idea of the magnitude of the task that has been
successfully undertaken by Hal Roach. and promises to be something of a
milestone in talkie production.
BABES IN TOYLAND Page at WAY OUT WEST:
http://www.wayoutwest.org/toyland/index.html
PICTUREGOER Archive:
http://www.picturegoer.net/
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