The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr Toad (1949)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1949
Running Times: 68 mins
Format: Technicolor     35mm     1.37:1
Ratio: 1.37:1
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Company: A Walt Disney production
Copyright: Walt Disney Productions
Producer: Walt Disney (uncredited)
Production Supervisor: Ben Sharpsteen

SCRIPT
Story: Erdman Penner, Winston Hibler, Ted Sears, Homer Brightman, Harry Reeves
Novel: The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Story: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

DIRECTION
Directors: Jack Kinney, Clyde Geronimi, James Algar

ANIMATION
Directing Animators: Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Wolfgang Reitherman, Milt Kahl, John Lounsbery, Ward Kimball
Character Animators: Fred Moore, Harvey Toombs, John Sibley, Hal King, Marc Davis, Hugh Fraser, Hal Ambro, Don Lusk
Colour and Styling: Claude Coats, Don da Gradi, Mary Blair, John Hench
Layout: Charles Philippi, Al Zinnen, Tom Codrick, Hugh Hennesy, Thor Putnam, Lance Nolley
Background: Ray Huffine, Art Riley, Merle Cox, Brice Mack, Dick Anthony

PHOTOGRAPHY
Lab: Technicolor

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: John O. Young

MUSIC
Songs: Don Raye, Gene de Paul (Ichabod; Katrina; The Headless Horseman); Frank Churchill, Charles Wolcott, Larry Morey, Ray Gilbert (Merrily on Our Way (uncredited))
Songs Performed By: Bing Crosby and the Rhythmaires (Ichabod; Katrina; The Headless Horseman (uncredited)); Eric Blore, Pat O'Malley (Merrily on Our Way (uncredited))
Musical Director: Oliver Wallace
Music Editor: Al Teeter
Orchestrator: Joseph Dubin
Vocals Arranger: Ken Darby

SOUND
Sound Recordist: Robert O. Cook
Sound Director: C.O. Slyfield
Sound System: RCA Sound System

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Processes: Ub Iwerks
Effects Animators: George Rowley, Jack Boyd

VOICES
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Bing Crosby (narrator)

The Wind in the Willows
Basil Rathbone (narrator)
Eric Blore (Mr Toad)
Pat O'Malley (Cyril Proudbottom)
John Ployardt (real name: John McLeish) (prosecutor)
Colin Campbell (Mole)
Campbell Grant (Angus MacBadger)
Claud Allister (Rat)
The Rhythmaires

In The Wind in the Willows, Mr Toad, of Toad Hall, proudly displays his latest toy - a motor car which he uses to cause chaos when he falls in with the wrong crowd. In The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, schoolmaster Ichabod Crane arrives in Sleepy Hollow and falls in love with Katrina Van Tassel. Not only does he have to deal with a love rival, Brom Bones, but also the creepy legend of the Headless Horseman.

One of Disney's more under-rated features, this two-part anthology features some of the company's best animation. The Sleepy Hollow section is the better of the two, though the quality of the writing is top notch throughout and the voice cast are impeccable. Why this gem isn't held in such high esteem as some of the other Disney classics is a mystery.

USA
Theatrical Distributor: RKO Radio Pictures Inc
Video Distributor: Walt Disney Home Video
Laserdisc Distributor: Disney (1539 AS)
DVD Distributor: Disney Gold Collection (DVD 19581; includes - Mr Toad's Wild Ride trivia game; Lonesome Ghosts (1937); The Merrily Song sing-a-long feature; The Legend of Sleepy Hollow DVD storybook)

USA
Rating: approved (certificate 12133); G (1971)

1950
Golden Globes, USA
Best Cinematography: Color - winner

1949
October
5: USA - theatrical release

1992
November
Day Unknown: USA - laserdisc release (Disney (1539 AS))

2000
October
3: USA - DVD release (Disney Gold Collection (DVD 19581))

Bing and Walt ride herd on The Headless Horseman!

Two Tall Tales by the world's top story-tellers in one hilarious All-Cartoon Feature!

Ichabod and Mr Toad - promotional title
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow - US TV title
The Madcap Adventures of Mr Toad
Die Abenteuer von Ichabod und Taddäus Kröte - German title
Contes d'automne et de printemps - French Canadian title
Le crapaud et le maître d'école - French title
Det Susar i säven & Ichabods äventyr - Swedish title

SEE ALSO
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

REMAKE OF
The Headless Horseman (1922)
The Headless Horseman (1934)
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1908)
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1912)

REMAKES
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1958)
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1980)
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Sleepy Hollow High (2000)

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
Wind in the Willows (1949)
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1958)
The Madcap Adventures of Mr Toad (1975)

MAGAZINES

Daily Cinema no.9319 (16 January 1967) p.4 (UK)
review

Kinematograph Weekly no.2246 (18 May 1950) p.24 (UK)
review

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.17 no.197 (June 1950) p.79 (UK)
credits, synopsis, review

Motion Picture Herald vol.176 no.8 (27 August 1949) p.4730 (USA)
review

Today's Cinema vol.74 no.5994 (12 May 1950) p.9 (UK)
review

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

animation, anthologies, anthropomorphism, badgers, book into film, courtrooms, headless horsemen, legends, rats, short story into film, teachers, toads, weasels

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008