The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
Year: 1949
Director: James Algar, Clyde Geronimi & Jack Kinney
Starring: Bing Crosby & Basil Rathbone
Runtime: 68 mins
BBFC: U
Published: 01/03/21
Director: James Algar, Clyde Geronimi & Jack Kinney
Starring: Bing Crosby & Basil Rathbone
Runtime: 68 mins
BBFC: U
Published: 01/03/21
Finally I arrive at the end of the Disney Wartime Era, it’s been a rough ride for the most part and I have to say I will be happy to see the back of it. Alas there is one more film I need to tackle before I can move onto the Silver Age and that is The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.
Similar in structure to Fun and Fancy Free, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad tells two half-hour tales, however unlike Fun and Fancy Free the two tales this time are both adaptations of classic books. First up is The Wind in the Willows. I’ve never been much of a fan of Wind in the Willows, it’s a story that I never truly understood when I was younger and now that I’m older I find painfully boring. For those who do not know, Wind in the Willows tells the story of several woodland creatures who behave much in the way humans do. Chief amongst them is the troublesome Mr. Toad (Eric Blore) who uses his money to pursue frivolous adventures. When he purchases a stolen motor car he is arrested but ultimately escapes jail to try and clear his name with the assistance of his neighbours.
Whilst the version included in this set of films is nicely animated, it still fails to make the story interesting to me. For fans of the story I’m sure it’s a very enjoyable film, but I can’t help but to have found my concentration waning throughout its runtime and feeling pleased once it was over that I didn’t have to endure anymore of Toad’s gallivanting.
Similar in structure to Fun and Fancy Free, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad tells two half-hour tales, however unlike Fun and Fancy Free the two tales this time are both adaptations of classic books. First up is The Wind in the Willows. I’ve never been much of a fan of Wind in the Willows, it’s a story that I never truly understood when I was younger and now that I’m older I find painfully boring. For those who do not know, Wind in the Willows tells the story of several woodland creatures who behave much in the way humans do. Chief amongst them is the troublesome Mr. Toad (Eric Blore) who uses his money to pursue frivolous adventures. When he purchases a stolen motor car he is arrested but ultimately escapes jail to try and clear his name with the assistance of his neighbours.
Whilst the version included in this set of films is nicely animated, it still fails to make the story interesting to me. For fans of the story I’m sure it’s a very enjoyable film, but I can’t help but to have found my concentration waning throughout its runtime and feeling pleased once it was over that I didn’t have to endure anymore of Toad’s gallivanting.
Sleepy Hollow on the other hand is a story I have found myself enjoying in various adaptations over the years and the one presented in this film is among my favourites. Sleepy Hollow tells the tale of Ichabod Crane (Bing Crosby), a schoolteacher who moves to the town of Sleepy Hollow and uses his intelligence and good manners to woo the many ladies of the town into cooking his meals and cleaning his home. However, one day he falls head over heels for Katrina, a farmers daughter, whose intentions towards romance are simply to allow the men to battle for her affections. Ichabod comes to blows with a local bully named Brom (also Crosby) over Katrina wherein the tale of the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow is told. It is then that Ichabod is tormented by the Headless Horseman and must escape Sleepy Hollow with his life.
The songs and style of animation make this version of Sleepy Hollow much more child friendly than many adaptations, however that doesn’t mean it holds back when the scares get going in the climax. Ichabod is represented perfectly as this very tall and lank man with strange mannerisms. The way he and Brom fight for Katrina’s affections is very entertaining and it’s something I would very happily return to and watch again.
How much you enjoy The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad will entirely depend on your feelings towards the source material. Very little has been changed aside from the stories being considerably shorter in length. Both have been shortened in a way where you don’t miss any of the key details and the stories for the most part remain largely unaffected. So, if like me you’re not a fan of one but you like the other then you’ll have an ok time with The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. If you’re unfamiliar with either story then this is also a good way to get introduced to them both. Overall, a strong finish from the Wartime Era with perhaps the best Disney film of that entire time period.
The songs and style of animation make this version of Sleepy Hollow much more child friendly than many adaptations, however that doesn’t mean it holds back when the scares get going in the climax. Ichabod is represented perfectly as this very tall and lank man with strange mannerisms. The way he and Brom fight for Katrina’s affections is very entertaining and it’s something I would very happily return to and watch again.
How much you enjoy The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad will entirely depend on your feelings towards the source material. Very little has been changed aside from the stories being considerably shorter in length. Both have been shortened in a way where you don’t miss any of the key details and the stories for the most part remain largely unaffected. So, if like me you’re not a fan of one but you like the other then you’ll have an ok time with The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. If you’re unfamiliar with either story then this is also a good way to get introduced to them both. Overall, a strong finish from the Wartime Era with perhaps the best Disney film of that entire time period.