DVD REVIEW - MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS (aka BABES IN TOYLAND) (with THE LUCKY DOG) Passport Video Review by John V. Brennan OVERVIEW      Not every U.S. Laurel and Hardy fan is in a position to invest in any of the European DVD sets so we must take our Laurel and Hardy DVD pleasures where we can find them.  During the 2004 Christmas season, I found this DVD in a bargain bin at a large entertainment outlet in Manhattan.  Expecting to get a bargain quality DVD, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality. THE DVD      Passport Video's MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS DVD contains a complete version of BABES IN TOYLAND (although in its retitled form) in black and white.  Although by no means digitally remastered, it is nevertheless a good, clean print that could be sharper but is very adequate for the price.  The sound is clear with very little background noise.  More care could have been used in centering the picture, as the left side shows a black bar running down the side of the screen.  This seems to have been an attempt at making sure the entire frame would fit a TV screen or monitor, as thinner black lines appear around the rest of the picture.      The film, itself, reviewed elsewhere on this site, is a loose adaptation of Victor Herbert's hit 1903 operetta BABES IN TOYLAND,  a huge hit in its day.  The film is one of three operettas adapted to fit Laurel and Hardy, and although it is not the funniest nor the classiest, it may be the most charming, depending on your tolerance for all the songs and the romantic leads (Charlotte Henry as Bo-Peep and Felix Knight as Tom-Tom).  More entertaining than the music or the love story is the performance of Henry Brandon as the evil Silas Barnaby, the most flamboyant villain ever to appear in an L&H film.  Why he never played with the Boys again is beyond me, although  he did reprise his Barnaby characterization in the fun Our Gang short Our Gang Follies of 1938.  Laurel and Hardy have plenty of screen time, despite the multiple production numbers, and their comedy is simple yet memorable.  Most of the time, they are carrying the plot, but they always do it in style, with fun sight gags and amusing dialogue. EXTRAS      The only bonus on this DVD is a complete version of The Lucky Dog, the first film in which Laurel and Hardy appeared together.  The print used is scratchy, pockmarked and lacks contrast but watchable, if only for historic interest.   The lively piano soundtrack works well to highlight the action and comedy of the film.      Scene access is available for MARCH. CONCLUSION      This DVD is definitely a low-budget production, with the cover art and DVD label both seeming to be fuzzy graphics taken from the Internet. The menu, which features a title that dances in and then disappears, military music and a little cannon which fires, is amusing and appropriate.      Bargain DVDs are what they are - a cheap way to own interesting films, such as early stuff by Hitchcock, late stuff with Bela Lugosi and, of course, public domain Laurel and Hardy films.  Sometimes you get more than you pay for, many times you get much less.  Passport's MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS DVD is right in the middle - a good print of a fun film, a passable print of a historical curiosity, no ruffles, flourishes, freebies or surprises. Copyright © John Larrabee, John V. Brennan 2005. All Rights Reserved.