Babes In Toyland (March of the Wooden Soldiers) at 85, and How It First Came to Television

Newspaper ad for "Babes In Toyland " [March of the Wooden Soldiers] on KSL-TV Salt Lake City, Utah. for December 1952. This was one of several stations to present this Christmas classic on television that year. 

After 85 years, the fantasy classic Babes In Toyland (1934) starring the comedy team of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy still commands a viewing audience (especially in New York) every Thanksgiving and Christmas. Other than Shirley Temple films it is perhaps to only sound film older than Disney's "Snow White" that is still recommended for children and families.

Back cover of Motion Picture Daily, December 27, 1934. From the Media History Digital Library. http://www.archive.org/stream/motionpicturedai36unse_0#page/n727/mode/1up

Babes In Toyland received great reviews after it's November 1934 release and was praised as the film that was “Okay for All -- From Six To Sixty”. Like The Wizard of Oz, it really became even more of a praised classic of childhood after annual showings on television. This articles attempts to shed light on how this classic, also known as "March of the Wooden Soldiers" began on TV.

In 1949, 15 years after it's initial release, Babes In Toyland was re-released under the new title "March of The Wooden Soldiers". The film would show up repeatedly at matinees (not just at Christmas time) around the country over the next 3 years.

It was announced in the October 13, 1952 edition of Broadcasting Telecasting magazine that a company called "Peerless Television Production, Inc" had sold "March of the Wooden Soldiers" to at least 11 television market cities. These markets included Atlanta, Chicago, and Milwaukee. A week later this press release was shortened to say that it was being offered on an “exclusive” basis to select markets for Thanksgiving and Christmas. "Wooden Soldiers" was one of 26 features films made available to the television market that fall winter season. In fall/winter of 1952, the film was still available in some areas at the local movies theaters, so some audiences may have seen it both in a Christmas matinee or on television within a few months.

Newspaper ad for "Babes In Toyland" [March of the Wooden Soldiers] airing on WXYZ-TV from the Detroit Free Press, November 27, 1952. Detroit was one of several cities where this film became established as a Thanksgiving tradition. 

The exact number of stations that played this film that year would take a while to count, but other stations recruited by Peerless included KPHO-TV in Phoenix, and KING-TV San Diego. KRC-TV Channel 12 in Cincinnati, and WXYZ Detroit were among several stations that aired the film Thanksgiving Day (November 27).  The film premiered Christmas Day on WENR-TV in Chicago, and most significantly today, on WPIX-TV New York on December 24 at 7:30pm EST. To this day WPIX plays "March of the Wooden Soldiers" at least once during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons