Nearly four decades ago, NBC brought Babes in Toyland back to life with an all-star cast. The holiday project was based on the 1903 operetta, which features Victor Herbert’s score — including Christmas staple “Toyland” — and a libretto from Glen MacDonough that draws together numerous Mother Goose characters. It followed such previous adaptations as a 1934 Laurel and Hardy film, a 1960 Shirley Temple-led TV version and a 1961 Disney movie starring Annette Funicello.
Filmmaker Clive Donner — whose 1965 comedy What’s New Pussycat? marked Woody Allen’s first produced screenplay — directed Babes in Toyland from a script by Paul Zindel (Mame). Shot in Munich, it starred 11-year-old Drew Barrymore as Lisa, who has no interest in toys until she gets magically transported to Toyland on Christmas Eve, where she teams up with the Toymaster (Pat Morita, fresh off The Karate Kid Part II) to stop the villainous Barnaby Barnicle (Richard Mulligan) from taking over the realm. Rounding out the cast were Eileen Brennan as Mother Hubbard and an early-career Keanu Reeves playing Jack Be Nimble. NBC’s take featured new music from Oscar-winning composer Leslie Bricusse, who would visit the production from his home in France to help the cast nail the tunes. Mulligan — in his first role as a villain and his first musical — enjoyed everything that the locale had to offer and quipped to THR at the time, “If my wife doesn’t drag me away from German cheese and noodles very soon, they’ll have to widen the TV screen for a new and plump Richard Mulligan.”
Babes in Toyland aired Dec. 19, 1986, and developed a cult following — but had been tough to track down until recently. Among those celebrating November’s Blu-ray release of a shortened version was actress Jill Schoelen, who played Reeves’ love interest and also dated him in real life. “My memories of working with Drew is how sweet and joyful she is,” Schoelen shared on Instagram. “I was so happy to shoot a Christmas film and with a wonderful cast.”
This story first appeared in the Dec. 15 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.