User Reviews

Some amazing puppetry is the highlight of this second television version of the 1903 Victor Herbert operetta, basically forgotten outside the two movie versions, and even those appeal mainly to either Laurel and Hardy fans or Disney afficianados. In the 1950's, this appealed to the fans of the forgotten Wally Cox, aka Mr. Peepers. The young lovers here are Broadway baby Barbara Cook and "Jack Benny Show" co-star Dennis Day. Ballet dancer Bambi Linn and Karin Wolfe (the original musical Gigi on Broadway) are also prominently featured nicely, but Jack Leonard as the evil Barnaby is completely over the top and quite dated. An opening dance number features characters from other nursery rhymes (unrelated to the show), but those puppets are quite amazing. It's a rare chance to here much of the original score, but of course, the standards "Toyland" and "I Can't Do the Sum" are here, with the soldier's march another magical moment as well. I don't expect that this will be as successful as the movies or other still shown TV specials, but with any luck, little kids not yet spoiled by modern gadgets will find something to enjoy.