The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)

Directors:

James Algar
Clyde Geronimi

Writers:

Washington Irving (story)
Kenneth Grahame (story)

Release Date:

5 October 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Family | Fantasy

Tagline:

HEAR BING SING: "THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN" "KATRINA" "ICHABOD CRANE" (original print media ad - all caps)

Plot:

Two animated adaptions of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "The Wind in the Willows."

Plot Keywords:

Headless Horseman | Car | Grand Theft Auto | Teacher | Based On Short Story

Awards:

Won Golden Globe.

Cast

Bing Crosby	...	Narrator (segment "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow")
Basil Rathbone	...	Narrator (segment "The Wind in the Willows")
Eric Blore	...	Mr. Toad (voice)
J. Pat O'Malley	...	Cyril Proudbottom (voice) (as Pat O'Malley)
John McLeish	...	Prosecutor (voice) (as John Ployardt)
Colin Campbell	...	Mole (voice)
Campbell Grant	...	Angus MacBadger (voice)
Claud Allister	...	Rat (voice) (as Claude Allister)
The Rhythmaires	...	Additional voices (voice)

Also Known As:

Ichabod and Mr. Toad (USA) (promotional title)
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (USA) (TV title)
Two Fabulous Characters (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

68 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-3 (2006) | USA:Approved (certificate #12133) (original rating) | USA:G (re-rating) (1971)

Company:

Walt Disney Pictures

Trivia:

There was a legend that said that one animator stopped worked on "The Wind In the Willows" to join the Army during World War II and then returned four years later to continue work on the exact same film sequence.

Goofs:

Continuity: Immediately after Katrina distracts Brom in the midst of punching Ichabod, Brom punches a tree trunk instead. While the frame vibrates from impact, Brom's coon-skin hat vanishes in thin air.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: If you were asked to choose the most fabulous character in English literature, who would it be? Robin Hood? King Arthur? Becky Sharp? Sherlock Holmes? Oliver Twist, perhaps? Well, any one of them would be an excellent choice. Still, for the most fabulous character of all, I would nominate...

Movie Connections:

Featured in Disney Sing-Along-Songs: You Can Fly (1988) (V)

Soundtrack:

The Headless Horseman

Satisfying Disney Animation

Made at the end of the first age of Disney animation, "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad" consists of two separate animated adaptations of classic stories. The Ichabod of the title is Ichabod Crane from "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", and the Mr. Toad is J. Thaddeus Toad from the "Wind in the Willows". Each is short, running only about 35 minutes apiece, and is narrated by top of the line actors, Basil Rathbone doing the honors for "The Wind in the Willows", and Bing Crosby for "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". I've not read either story so can't judge the adaptations accuracy, but it doesn't matter. Both stories are highly entertaining, and if you like the old school Disney animation, you won't be disappointed.