Inside "March of the Wooden Soldiers"

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - Nov. 22, 2023 - PRLog -- Now in its 60^th year of annual broadcast on WPIX in New York, Laurel and Hardy's March of the Wooden Soldiers has become a beloved holiday classic. Yet, before its renaissance on television, the film was all but forgotten, decades after a tumultuous production that nearly spelled the end of the comedy duo—as recounted in the new book March of the Wooden Soldiers: The Amazing Story of Laurel & Hardy's "Babes in Toyland."

On screen, the film exudes warmth, happiness and a wish for love to conquer evil. But behind the scenes were creative scuffles, injuries, a divorce, a not-quite-legal marriage, secret romance, barroom fistfight, illnesses, cost overruns, and a lasting rift between Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy and their longtime producer, Hal Roach.

Featuring nearly 400 rare photos, the book reveals the fascinating backstage drama, as well as tracks Babes in Toylandfrom its origins as Victor Herbert's stage musical, through an aborted early film version, to later productions by Walt Disney and others.

Author Randy Skretvedt is recognized as the foremost authority on the films of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. His books include the seminal Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies and The Laurel & Hardy Movie Scripts.

March of the Wooden Soldiers is available in trade paperback ($29.95), hardcover ($49.95), and Kindle eBook ($25) from Amazon, Bonaventure Press (www.bonaventurepress.com), or by special order from your favorite book retailer.