THE MANY FACES OF HENRY BRANDON

Edge of Darkness

HENRY BRANDON (1912 - 1990). Born Henry Kleinbach in Berlin.

I always got a kick out of watching the evil Barnaby in Laurel and Hardy's Babes in Toyland (aka March of the Wooden Soldiers), but little did I realize when I was a child that the actor playing the old wretch was only 22 at the time -- and that the actor, Henry Kleinbach, was also Henry Brandon, who appeared in a great many movies, starred in The Drums of Fu Manchu, and was one of those versatile actors, along the lines of Jay Novello, who got so lost in the role that he, unfairly, never became quite famous.

Anything -- and I mean anything -- you'd like to know about Brandon has been exhaustively covered on the web site Poseidon's Underworld, and you can read about Brandon, his life and career right here. (You can even learn about his strange connection to Judy Garland!) Loads of photographs, too!

Babes in Toyland as Barnaby

 Other Brandon appearances were in Doomed to  Die, The Land Unknown, Jungle Jim, Tarzan's  Magic Fountain, Captain Sindbad, Secret Agent  X-9, and even Auntie Mame, among many others.  (Notice how in virtually every one of these I  refer to "the incredibly versatile Henry  Brandon!")

 Brandon also did TV, appearing on everything  from Bourbon Street Beat to Kolchak.  the Night  Stalker.

Lady Godiva of Coventry

The Searchers

BABES IN TOYLAND aka MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS

BABES IN TOYLAND (1934). Directed by Gus Meins and Charley Rogers.


Stannie Dum (Stan Laurel) and Ollie Dee (Oliver Hardy) are tenants in the shoe of Mrs. Peep (Florence Roberts), mother of Little Bo-Peep (Charlotte Henry). Unfortunately the mortgage on the shoe is held by the sinister Silas Barnaby (Harry Kleinbach -- see more on him below), who will accept the hand of Bo-Peep in marriage in lieu of the latest payment. Trying to help Widow Peep secure the money, Stannie and Ollie only make things worse. After many very amusing complications, it all ends up with the boys saving the town from the boogie men in Boogeyland with the 100 wind-up soldiers that they accidentally made six feet tall instead of 12 inches.


Babes in Toyland (retitled March of the Wooden Soldiers for TV and to distinguish it from a later Walt Disney production) is irresistible and utterly charming. Laurel and Hardy are at the top of their game, and the supporting cast is very well chosen. As Bo-Peep's boyfriend Tom-Tom, Felix Knight exhibits a fine singing voice; he should have had a bigger career in movies. The score by Victor Herbert is romantic and melodious (albeit most of the lyrics are pretty silly). There are too many great scenes to mention but I always get a kick out of the mouse (a chimp in a mouse outfit? -- I've never figured it out) flying across Toyland in a miniature zeppelin and lobbing firecrackers at boogeymen! The boogeymen themselves are scary enough to frighten big children, and the whole production is wonderfully elaborate.


NOTE: Harry Kleinbach was also known as Henry Brandon (his usual billing in later years); a very busy and versatile actor with many, many credits, he had the title role in the serial Drums of Fu Manchu (1940) and was also in the cast of The Land Unknown (1957) and many others.

Verdict: A delight from start to finish! ****.