By Steven Suskin
24 Dec 2007

Alongside the "MGM Classic Musicals" comes the MGM Holiday Collection [Fox]. Not quite so stellar, but the three films make suitable holiday viewing. "The Bishop's Wife" is one of those touching Christmas-time romantic comedies (though a little less inviting than other examples of the genre such as "Miracle on 34th Street" or "Christmas in Connecticut"). This is the one where an angel (Cary Grant) steps in to save the marriage of a bishop (David Niven) who is neglecting his wife (Loretta Young). A 1947 Goldwyn production, the screenplay is co-authored by Robert E. Sherwood. Prominently featured are four very good character actors, Monty Woolley, James Gleason, Gladys Cooper and Elsa Lanchester. Next up is Frank Capra's "Pocketful of Miracles," the 1961 remake of his 1933 film "Lady for a Day" (based on a story by Damon Runyon). Bette Davis stars as the Broadway peddler Apple Annie; her daughter, who has been educated abroad and has no idea that her mother is — well, Apple Annie — is played by the young Ann-Margaret. I've always preferred the earlier version, in part because I find the top-billed Glenn Ford particularly cold. (Ford was one of the producers and shares the copyright in the film.) Capra, apparently, didn't much like "Pocketful of Miracles" either. Still, the character actors — including Arthur O'Connell, Thomas Mitchell, Edward Everett Horton and Peter Falk (who received an Oscar nomination) — help carry the day.

Most interesting of the trio is "March of the Wooden Soldiers." "Based on the operetta by Victor Herbert" it says, although nowhere on the packaging do we see the words "Babes in Toyland." That's what this is, in fact, or as close as it can be considering that it was retooled by producer Hal Roach to star Laurel and Hardy. As I recall — perhaps erroneously — the title was changed to "March of the Wooden Soldiers" when Disney purchased the rights to do their 1961 version of "Babes in Toyland." This is one of those films that has a complicated copyright setup, resulting in several competing editions of the film already available on DVD (including a colorized one, if you like such alterations, which I certainly don't). While I've not seen all the prior editions, I recall the scratchy, edited versions of the film that used to appear on TV. This new DVD is as pristine as you can get for a long-neglected 1934 film, looking close to glorious in black & white. Much of the cut material seems to have been restored and they use the original credits, beginning with the film's MPPDA certificate (No. 401) — "This picture approved by the production code administration of the Motion Picture Producers & Distributors of America." which means, in short, that "Babes in Toyland" is suitable for children — and the "Babes in Toyland" title card. The film itself is altogether watchable; I suppose you can say that it is more Victor than Stan & Ollie, and infinitely stronger than the Disney version (which starred Ray Bolger).

*

For those in search of intelligent, offbeat (and non-musical) entertainment, The Coen Brothers Movie Collection [Fox] offers five treats. "Fargo" takes top honors, I suppose, with the uproarious "Raising Arizona" coming next. Also included are "Miller's Crossing," "Barton Fink" and "Blood Simple." The key to this quintet, besides the direction and writing, is the casting. The Coens feature such actors as Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter, William H. Macy, Gabriel Byrne, Albert Finney, John Turturro and John Goodman. Joel Coen's wife Frances McDormand is present in four of the five, which I suppose you might call nepotism in reverse. She is quite an actor, with a well-earned Best Actress Oscar for "Fargo." Broadway will get Ms. McDormand back later this season when she plays the Uta Hagen/Grace Kelly role, opposite Morgan Freeman and Peter Gallagher, in the Mike Nichols production of The Country Girl.

Three short plays by Ethan Coen (under the title Almost an Evening) will be seen in early 2008, presented by Off-Broadway's Atlantic Theater Company at Atlantic Stage 2. F. Murray Abraham is among its stars.

(Steven Suskin is author of "Second Act Trouble," "Show Tunes," and the "Opening Night on Broadway" books. He can be reached at Ssuskin@aol.com.)