Sunday, February 8, 2009

Babes In Toyland

Well, today is my sister's birthday - Happy birthday, Lorlore!!
I remember that for her birthday party one year (I think it had to have been in 1962), we went to the Empire Theater on Main Street in Placerville to see Babes In Toyland with some of her classmates. It's a movie I loved back then, and I have loved it ever since! So -and you knew this was coming - I have collected a number of items from the year the movie was released. Like this Dell comic book:
And, the VHS movie:
The album (we had the picture window version of it when we were kids):
I also found the music book. We loved all of the songs, I especially remember "The Forest Of No Return" with the scary singing trees, and "We Won't Be Happy 'Til We Get It" - Ray Bolger was so great as Barnaby:
The Big Golden Book:
The Golden Picture Story Book. This is large (10&1/2 X 14 inches), and the inside is like a comic book)
Little Golden Book #1 - and if you read my blog, you may already know how much I adore Annette:
Little Golden Book #2
And a Top Top Tales Book:
I still love the soundtrack. I think we learned all of the songs. Some of the lyrics from "I Can't Do The Sum" are: "The price of milk and eggs and bread is rising every day.Now with our bank book in the red these bills are hard to pay. If we stopped buying chocolate cake , and lived on green string beans, exactly how much would it take to live within our means?" and "The stove and rugs and furniture will soon be repossessed. This makes me feel quite insecure and mentally depressed." "If we walk on our hands with care, instead of on our feet - would what we save on shoe repair suffice to make ends meet? Walking on our hands with care - off our feet - make ends meet. Saving on our shoe repair, leaving holes in our soles! What should I be adding to, or subtracting from?" "I'm not a great financial whiz, of that there is no doubt. The outcome of our income is, our income's all gone out." Clever lyrics! Mary's dilemma in the story about paying her bills reminds me, unfortunately, of what a lot of people might be going through these days.
And one last thing - I also have these Viewmaster reels:
And I know my collection isn't complete!

5 comments:

Tina Dawn said...

I love Babes in Toyland too! Of course! I liked our tradition of going to the movies for a birthday party. We saw a lot of great movies that way. Happy birthday LorLore! Love ya. Dinner is in the works. Too bad she has to make her own birthday cake. Love T

yosemite faith said...

i remember seeing this movie in the theatre as well. my mother (and father) was very particular as to what i could see - since all the movie theatres were within walking distance. i had the LP also but no one seems to know what happened to the few LPs we had. (i managed to salvage the box with all the 45's). a very happy day to your sister and to you!

Unknown said...

What a magical movie this was to me when I saw it! I'm not so sure any other movie has been so special in my lifetime. Love, Deb

Deanna said...

Happy Birthday to your sister!

I love Annette as well. She was my mother's favorite Mouseketeer. She always wanted to look like Annette.

I had to smile at the Viewmaster...my mother still has ours. I remember the reels of Disneyland, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks' home Pickfair, the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth and so many others. She has them stored away and when we go home she takes them out and we just have a ball looking at all of them.

Great post, you always bring nostalgia to us and that in turn makes us think of our wonderful childhood.

Deanna :D

Dixie Howard said...

Babes in Toyland - my aunt had a record she played with all the songs - sure brings back memories. The trees part was so very scary and I still gives me chills when I think of it to this day! Thanks for all your wonderful, nostalgic blogs!

D. in Sacramento