Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy

After their success in the 1930 film The Rogue Song, the boys tried their hand at several more films based on operas. In addition to Babes in Toyland, they also starred in Fra Diavolo and The Bohemian Girl. Although there were many problems during the filming of this picture, both of its stars listed this film as one of their favorites.

Henry Brandon (1912-1990)

Henry was born in Berlin, in 1912, as Henry Kleinbach. At the age of 17 he headed for California to become an actor. It was there that he was first discovered, while staring in a stage production of "The Drunkard." Hal Roach was in the audience one night and realized that its star would be the perfect villain for his upcoming Laurel and Hardy feature, Babes in Toyland. Of course, Henry was in heavy makeup trying to look like an evil old man. Apparently it was a very convincing makeup job, because back stage Mr. Roach set up an appointment with the actor. He was later very surprised to find out that his villain was only 21 years old! With a creative make-up man and a great deal of talent, Henry brought the part of Silas Barnaby to life.

Henry was a member of the Way Out West Tent for 20 years, until his death in 1990. He attended several International Conventions of the Sons of the Desert. An article entitled "Revisiting Silas Barnaby" serves as further tribute to Henry.

Charlotte Henry (1914-1980)

In 1933, Charlotte Henry starred in the title role of the film Alice in Wonderland. Hal Roach certainly must have remembered this a year later, when he was casting his feature version of Babes in Toyland. Charlotte would ultimately end up as Little Bo-Peep, the role for which we remember her best.

Ms. Henry almost appeared at the 1980 Sons of the Desert International Convention, but passed away a short time before the event. She had never attended any Sons of the Desert functions.

Felix Knight (1916-1998)

Originally, Hal Roach had an entirely different story in mind for Babes in Toyland, which featured an entirely different set of characters. In fact, Roach wanted to cast a well known singer in the lead role, to make this the largest all-star film his studio had ever produced. But when the picture was eventually made, Felix Knight won the role of Tom-Tom, the Piper's Son. Felix also appeared with Laurel and Hardy several years later, as a gypsy singer in The Bohemian Girl.

In addition to attending several international conventions, he was a member of the Founding Tent of the Sons of the Desert, in New York.

Virginia Karns Patterson (1907-1990)

Virginia was a singer and character actor at the Hal Roach Studios, in the early 1930s. We remember her best from the original opening scene of Babes in Toyland, where she portrayed Mother Goose. She also appeared in films with Thelma Todd, Patsy Kelly, Billy Gilbert, and Charley Chase while working for Roach.

In the 1980s, she became a member of several tents in Ohio, including the Towed in a Hole Tent, The Perfect Day Tent, and A-Haunting We Will Go Tent. She attended several international conventions before her death in 1990.