Barnaby

Barnaby is the main villain in Babes in Toyland. He has appeared in the opretta as well as the films. He is often after someone's money.

In the films, it is always left unknown and up for debate whether he dies, as he is often put in a scenario or suffers an injury that makes his death likely, but is unknown whether he survives or escapes.

1961 film
In the 1961 film, Barnaby wants to marry Mary so he can get the money she will inherit. She is going to marry Tom, so he hires two mercenaries named Gonzorgo and Roderigo to kill him by throwing him in the sea, and also stealing her sheep that she could still get a living off of to force her to marry him. Unfortunately for him, Gonzorgo and Roderigo sell Tom to a Gypsy camp instead so they can receive more money. Barnaby and his henchmen follow Tom, Mary, and the kids to Toyland, where Barnaby looks for the right moment to attack but is always interrupted. Eventually, the toymaker's assistant, Grumio, throws away a device that reduces things to a toy size. Barnaby catches it and uses it to shrink the toymaker. As he is attempting to do the same to Tom, Gonzorgo and Roderigo decide to stop being evil, so he shrinks them as well. He threatens to shoot Tom with the device again (which, if used twice, will completely destroy the object or victim) unless Mary marries him. The toymaker, as mayor of Toyland, presides over the wedding, though he delays it as long as possible. Gonzorgo and Roderigo help Tom escape and he leads an army of toys to fight Barnaby, but he destroys them and tries to destroy Tom with the shrinking device, but Mary destroys it with a toy cannon, causing it to explode and shrink him to Tom's size. Barnaby attempts to escape, but Tom stops him and engages him in a swordfight. Half the time, Barnaby topples objects over to try and crush Tom, but in the end, Tom is victorious, stabbing Barnaby and causing him to fall over the edge into a toybox. It is unknown if he survived, as he is never seen again following this.

Portrayed by Ray Bolger

1997 animated film
In the 1997 animated film, Barnaby is his first name rather than his last name (which is Crookedman). He is the uncle of Jack and Jill, and keeps them locked in the attic, while he is out to take over Tom and Mary's toy factory so he can destroy it. He shoots down Tom's hot air balloon to make him fall into the Goblin Forest in an attempt to kill him, but Tom escapes unharmed, much to Barnaby's shock. Jack and Jill often sneak out of the attic to help Tom and Mary at the toy factory, to which Barnaby threatens to send them to the Goblin Forest if they do this again. He hires two mercenaries named Gonzargo and Roderigo to sabotage the toy factory, disguised as sheep, but Jack foils their plan. Jack and Jill chase them down, but run into Barnaby, who has Gonzargo and Roderigo take them to the Goblin Forest. Barnaby, meanwhile, knocks Humpty Dumpty over the edge of a wall, nearly killing him. Before he can destroy the factory, however, Tom and Mary show up to stop him, having gotten Jack, Jill, Gonzargo, and Roderigo safely out of the Goblin Forest. Barnaby leads the goblins to Toyland so they can destroy it and the factory, but Tom summons an army of toy soldiers that they created for Santa, and they defeat the goblins. Barnaby insults the goblin king, who tries to eat him, but Jack, Jill, and the soldiers all shine lights on him, killing him. Afterward, the goblins all chase Barnaby off. It is unknown whether he escaped them or whether they catch and eat him.

Portrayed by Christopher Plummer