The adventures of ichabod and Mr.Toad
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad is a 1949 animated feature produced by Walt Disney Productions. The film was released to theaters on October 5, 1949 by RKO Radio Pictures and is the 11th animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series. The film is also the finale of the six package films produced by Disney until The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in 1977, following Saludos Amigos, The Three Caballeros, Make Mine Music, Fun and Fancy Free, and Melody Time.
There are two segments in the film, both based upon popular works of literature:
The Wind in the Willows
The story of Mr. Toad, based on Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows (narrated by Basil Rathbone). In this story, the charismatic J. Thaddeus Toad, Esq., was the happy-go-lucky, wealthy proprietor of Toad Hall. Toad believed in fun, adventure and traveling to "Nowhere in Particular"; He had built a great deal of debt from disregarding the financial responsibilities of his insatiable love for fads and "manias", such as recklessly riding through the countryside on a canary-yellow gypsy cart with his loyal Lancashire horse, Cyril Proudbottom who keeps crashing through obstacles. His friends, Ratty (Water Rat), Moley (Mole) and Angus MacBadger try to talk some sense into him but Toad quickly discovers the newfangled motor car and is determined to get one by any means necessary. Toad is charged with car theft after trading the deed to Toad Hall for a car belonging to Mr. Winky the tavernkeeper and his gang of weasels and is forced to have a twenty-year stay in prison when Winky testifies that Toad tried to sell him a stolen car (which his cronies actually stole). On Christmas Eve, Cyril visits Toad in disguise and assists him in escaping. Toad manages to find Ratty and Moley and they are informed by MacBadger that the evil Winky and his weasels have taken over Toad Hall. With his friends' aid, Toad redeems his good name by recovering the deed to the estate from the very hands of its captors. Toad, touched by the loyalty and kindness of his friends, promises to reform. Ratty, Moley and MacBadger give a toast to the new Toad at their New Year celebration but are shocked to find Toad now recklessly flying a 1908 biplane along with Cyril.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
The story of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman, based on Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (narrated by Bing Crosby). The gangly and lanky Ichabod Crane is the new schoolmaster in Sleepy Hollow. His somewhat odd behavior makes him the ridicule of the rambunctious and robust town bully Brom Bones. Despite his odd behavior, Ichabod proves to be a match for Brom, not so much through direct combat but by using other fighting techniques to thwart and humiliate his rival. In spite of his lanky appearance, Ichabod also shows himself to be a ladies' man as he charms all the eligible local ladies. Finally, however, Ichabod discovers the local town beauty, Katrina Van Tassel. Katrina is the beautiful young daughter of Baltus Van Tassel, the wealthiest farmer in the area, and Brom's intended. Katrina is a coquette by nature, but sees Ichabod as an opportunity to break from the monotony of Brom scaring away every other potential suitor. Ichabod has his eye on the Van Tassel wealth, and is infatuated by Katrina's beauty and grace as well. After a number of comically unsuccessful efforts by Brom to dispose of Ichabod, the situation changes when Brom discovers to take advantage of Ichabod's strong belief in superstitions. Brom musically tells the tale of the Headless Horseman to frighten the teacher. That Halloween night, Crane's lonely ride home becomes exceedingly frightening because of his exposure to the possibility of encountering the ghost. The atmosphere of fear increases in intensity, until it breaks the tension at a false alarm, whereupon Ichabod and his horse laugh hysterically in relief. Immediately, the Headless Horseman appears, laughing maniacally, riding a large black horse that bears a strong resemblance to the one owned by Brom. Then follows a chase scene wherein the Horseman pursues Ichabod with wild abandon, only to be deterred when Ichabod crosses a bridge near the local Dutch graveyard (the bridge being the point beyond which the horseman couldn't go, according to the tale). The Headless Horseman then hurls his own severed head (shown to actually be a fiery jack-o'-lantern), at Ichabod. The jack-o'-lantern bursts into flames as it collides, and everything fades to black. The next morning, the only things found by the bridge are a shattered pumpkin and Ichabod's hat. Brom shortly thereafter marries Katrina. It is later rumored that Ichabod married a rich, plump widow in a distant county, and had many children (all bearing a resemblance to Ichabod). But the people of Sleepy Hollow firmly deny this; they all believe that Ichabod was spirited away on Halloween Night by the ghoulish Headless Horseman.
Later, this portion of the film was separated from the companion Mr. Toad film, screened, aired, marketed, and sold separately as starting in 1958.
The Disney depiction is actually quite true to Irving's original tale, going as far to have some narrative lines taken directly from the text. The important elements of American Romanticism are all included, from the in depth description of the natural, frontierish setting of Tarry-Town, to the description of the brackish hero, Brom, and finally to the element of mystery left to the viewer at the conclusion of the tale.
Directed by Jack Kinney
Clyde Geronimi
James Algar
Produced by Walt Disney
Screenplay by Erdman Penner
Winston Hibler
Joe Rinaldi
Ted Sears
Homer Brightman
Harry Reeves
Based on The Wind in the Willows by
Kenneth Grahame and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by
Washington Irving
Narrated by Basil Rathbone
Bing Crosby
Starring Eric Blore
Pat O'Malley
Colin Campbell
John McLeish
Campbell Grant
Claude Allister
Leslie Denison
Edmond Stevens
Oliver Wallace
The Rhythmaires
Music by Oliver Wallace
Studio Walt Disney Productions
Distributed by RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Release date(s) October 5, 1949
Running time 68 min.
Country United States
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