Ray Bolger performing his famous dance in “The Great Ziegfeld” in 1936. Already a fan of Bolger from Babes in Toyland and of course the Wizard of Oz, I saw this in the mid 90′s and was triplely impressed. Totally wanted to be him…

From Disney’s Babes in Toyland (1961): Barnaby sceme’s with his newly hired henchman on how to marry that fine piece Mary so he can snag her inheritance she unknowingly will receive upon marriage.

We enjoy committing mayhem for a monetary gain
and we specialize in crimes which are completely inhumane.
Now we’re on our way steal some sheep and drown the boy at sea.
And then directly we’ll collect a very handsome fee and we won’t be happy till we get it.
In some lagoon a body soon will splash.
We’re eager to proceed, to do this evil deed, just as long as we are paid in cash.

I loved this sequence and probably disturbed my family at how much.

A catchy song to an also catchy though notsogreat movie.

The movie just wouldn’t be complete complete without Ken Page (also the voice of Oogie Boogie) as King Gator, a huge and flamboyant alligator living below the streets of New Orleans. This awful, uncatchy, unentertaining, and friggin weird musical number is a parody of the elaborate water ballets seen in Esther Williams films.

Probably the worst or at least weirdest part of the film… Charlie and Ann Marie are ambushed by Carface and his sidekick Killer. Hiding in a dilapidated warehouse, they fall through the crumbling floor and into a flooded underground cavern. There they are captured by a tribe of mice who plan to sacrifice them to King Gator. Moments from being devoured, Charlie lets out a melodic howl of anguish. King Gator, a camp character with a penchant for musical theatre-style songs, instantly develops a liking for Charlie’s voice and sets him and Anne-Marie free.

I thought this song was lame as hell when I was little, but I always admired the control Charlie had over his band of technicolored orphans. In just two verses he got a group of kids to slavishly chant his doctrine and do his communist bidding – except unlike real Communism, he rewarded them with cake instead of death camps.