Starring Barbara Cook, Red Buttons, Stubby Kaye, and Hans Conried
Directed by Paul Bogart
Music by Alec Wilder; Lyrics by William Engvik
Let's take in one more fantasy before moving on to our Halloween Horror-a-Thon next week. The success of Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella in 1957 prompted a series of fairy-take musicals on TV in the late 50's. NBC, who had originally commissioned Cinderella, gathered an impressive cast for this charming retelling of the famous Grimm's story about two children who end up in the clutches of a witch in a candy house. Does it reach the heights of Cinderella? Let's begin in the town square, as the Town Crier (Kaye) announces the beginning of Market Day, and find out...
The Story: A poor woodcarver (Rudy Vallee) and his wife (Rise Stevens) are having trouble selling their wares at the market. The witch (Conried) and her helpers Eenie (Will B. Able), Meenie (Paula Laurence), Miney (Shaike Ophr) and Moe (Sondra Lee) buys all of their wares after she discovers they have two children, Hansel (Buttons) and Gretel (Cook). The children, horrified when they drink all the milk and don't leave any for their parents, follow the witch into the woods. The town crier and their parents realize that the witch turns any children she gets her hands on into gingerbread and follows them.
The Song and Dance: Buttons and Cook may seem like an odd choice to play the young brother-sister duo, but they're both hilarious and adorable. Conried is a riot as the witch who eats greedy little children. What I can see in the terrible copy currently on YouTube indicates a charming fairy-tale production, with lavish peasant dresses for the ladies and lederhosen for the men. Some of the songs aren't bad, either, especially the siblings' song "Much Too Happy Dancing."
The Numbers: We open with the Town Crier announcing "Market Today" and the town showing off its wares. Father, the Town Crier, and the shopkeepers in town insist there's a reason that "Men Run the World." "Morning Song" and "Evening Song" are Gretel's introductory numbers. She insists to Hansel that they're "Much Too Happy Dancing" to mind their empty stomachs. "Ernie, Meenie, Miney, and Moe" sing about what they do in the woods, and they wonder "What Little Girls are Made Of?" with Gretel.
What I Don't Like: First of all, I wish someone would take a crack at restoring this! The copy currently on YouTube is dreadful, barely viewable. More importantly, this is kind of strange for a TV musical production. Though some of the songs aren't bad, they really don't seem to relate to the story. They spend so much time with the Town Crier and the parents, we honestly don't see as much of Hansel and Gretel as you might think.
The Big Finale: Between the bad copy on YouTube and this being just ok despite the great cast, you're better off looking for the soundtrack CD and letting this one be consumed by the witch.
Home Media: As mentioned, this can only be found in a blurry, faded black and white copy on YouTube. At the least, the copy does include the original commercials for Rexall Drug Stores.
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