Disney Classics In Order - No. 11 The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr Toad

Alright, we’re coming out of it now. We’ll soon be back into the land of actual Disney films with one story and songs and all that. We’ve just got one more anthology style film to go, though, and mch lie Fun And Fancy Free, it’s two stories bolted together.

The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr Toad (1949)
Directors:- The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr Toad
Based Upon:- The Wind In The Willows by Kenneth Grahame and The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

The One Where
We take a trip to Toad Hall to deal with a motor car obsession and some repossessing weasels before visiting Sleepy Hollow for a tale of a headless horseman.

General Viewing Notes
- There’s some needless accent work going on in Wind In The Willows - Badger has been deliberately made Scottish for no readily apparent reason even though the accent is pretty atrocious. Also, Pat O’Malley’s cockney accent is pretty excruciating (even though he’s English).
- The character design in Willows is lovely and Mr Toad is the highlight - properly manic and all over the place. There’s also a selection of good gags - one involving newspaper headlines and a whole slapstick chase scene in Toad Hall.
- The character work in Sleepy Hollow is top notch too - Ichabod Crane is all knees, elbows and Adam’s apple. It’s also quite nice that his unusual appearance does stop him being a bit of a ladies man.
- Bing Crosby makes for a nicely soothing narrator for Sleepy Hollow.

Disney Tropes
- Terror Forest - an extended sequence this time during Sleepy Hollow; unsurprising really given that it’s the climax of the film.

Things You Notice As An Adult
- Sleepy Hollow’s ending feels odd from a Disney point of view - the bullying character scares off Ichabod and gets the girl so they add in an epilogue about him just settling down somewhere. It’s refreshing in that it doesn’t adhere to the trad Disney formula.

Classic Songs - Are They?
Bing singing is always a winner and “Ichabod Crane” is definitely a catchy number but I wouldn't say that we’re in the realm of the classics here.

Any Good Then?
It certainly has enough charm in each part to sustain and keeping each story short definitely works in its favour. We’re on an upswing now for sure…

Next One Of These
It’s an actual full-length single storyline based upon a classic fairy tale! We’ve done it, we’re through to the other side...