Name: Nursery Rhyme Mysteries
Genre: Short
Released: 1943-07-03
Duration: 11 min
Rating: 6.6
Cast: John Nesbitt, Mary McLeod, Leonard Mudie

John Nesbitt narrates -- as he always does -- this episode of his long-running radio and movie feature, THE PASSING PARADE.

This one would have us believe that "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary" is about Mary of Scotland and "Sing A Song Of Sixpence" about Henry VIII. Well, while it lends them a sense of decorum and dignity, those aren't the cases. People like to read into matters things that aren't there, seeking the real meaning when there isn't one.

Still, it's fun. If you want to learn more about nursery rhymes and some odd survivals -- like "Hickory, Dickory Dock" being ""Eight, Nine Ten" in an extinct Celtic language, I recommend Iona & Peter Opie's THE OXFORD DICTIONARY OF NURSERY RHYMES.

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

This Passing Parade series entry looks at the origins of Mother Goose and three popular nursery rhymes.

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Passing Parade No. 42: Nursery Rhyme Mysteries

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Nursery Rhyme Mysteries

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