• In the great tradition of SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS and CINDERELLA, Disney's 11th animated masterpiece, THE ADVENTURES OF ICHABOD AND MR. TOAD, introduced two literaryics to the screen. Through award-winning Disney-animated wizardry, these unforgettable children's stories come together as one fabulous adventure. THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS follows the wild ride of J. Thaddeus Toad, squir

Two classic Disney films featuring narration by Bing Crosby and Basil Rathbone: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and The Wind in the Willows . Animated. 1949/color/68 min/G/(CC).the tradition of grand animated classics, Disney's 11th animated masterpiece, The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad, presents two unforgettable children's classics. Through award winning Disney animation wizardry, The Wind In The Willows and The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow come together in one fabulous adventure - in its original theatrical format.

There are actually two stories on this film, the first segment being a "telling" of Kenneth Grahame's THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS. The animation is well done--as are most Disney cartoons from this era (c. 1949)--and the narration by Basil Rathbone is wonderfully literate. Voice characterizations are done by other actors, however, which detracts from the film's premise that the story is being "told" by the venerable Mr. Rathbone. While this segment is certainly entertaining enough, it is NOT the highlight of the DVD. That honor goes to the other segment....

The remainder of the film is a "telling" of Washington Irving's THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW, and it is sheer delight. This classic American ghost story is narrated by Bing Crosby, who also sings all of the songs and voices nearly all of the characterizations. The script is very loyal to the source material, even including--though a little less subtly than Mr. Irving--the same wry sense of humor. The depiction of the Headless Hessian himself is really spooky, too, though still gentle enough so as not to scare the little ones too much. Lots of fun for old and young alike, this, and a great film for the family to watch on Halloween night!

Also included on the DVD is the classic Disney animated short LONESOME GHOSTS. This one has Mickey, Donald, and Goofy working as ghost exterminators, and one could easily make the argument that it was the inspiration for 1984's live-action GHOSTBUSTERS. (Indeed, one of our animated heroes even utters the line "I ain't afraid of no ghosts!") A real hoot, and another great film to include in the family's Halloween celebration.

If you're already a fan of the animated THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW, you'll definitely want to include this DVD in your collection. The colors are much richer than on the VHS release, and the details are understandably crisper. You'll see Ichabod, Bram Bones, that little coquette Katrina, and the infamous Headless Horseman like you've never seen 'em before!

20 of 20 found the following review helpful:


Classic  Oct 22, 2005 By E. M. Palmer
Disney's Ichabod still reigns as the best. Bing Crosby's melodious voice is pure delight. This DVD is autumn viewing at its most glorious. Simply classic, a must have for the Disney fan, or addition to any Halloween film collection. The other reviews say it all. Gorgeous, sentimental and always a joy to watch.

12 of 12 found the following review helpful:


Amazing animation, great narration!!...  Jun 03, 2002
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr.Toad is my favourite Halloween collection of all time. I, personally, bought this DVD mainly for "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" story, of which Ichabod Crane is the main character. I remember my mother taking me to the Library on Halloween when I was about 5 or so to see this show. The story is narrated by Bing Crosby(Perfect voice for the part). He narrates the story and also sings and speaks the lines of various characters. The story builds up to a truly scary climax involving the Headless Horseman. Nobody who orders this DVD will be dissapointed.
As for "The Wind in the Willows", starring Mr.Toad, it is also a great feat of Disney animation. A lot of British(English, more specifically) culture comes thru in this story. The accents are a little thick, but they lend themselves well to the setting of the story. This story, too, bulids up to a climax with a clever conclusion.
The bonus material included with this DVD is also impressive. It includes: An interactive trivia game with a classic cartoon as your reward, another great Halloween-ish cartoon called "Lonesome Ghosts". Spanish, and French soundtracks are also included.

One of the other reviewers mentioned that she couldn't just skip to the Ichabod cartoon and had to watch all of Mr. Toad first. This is simply not true. You just go to the chapter selection menu and choose Ichabod from there. Not too difficult at all!!

Overall this Disney DVD is the epitome of what classic animation should be. Its a shame that Disney has migrated away from the more rounded drawings of years past. But these DVD's ensure that they will always be remembered and accessible.

9 of 9 found the following review helpful:


One of Disney best efforts, truly.  Apr 13, 1999 By Rodolfo
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad is one of Disney's best animated masterpieces and the best one of the "featurettes". It consists of two segments. The first one is The Wind in the Willows, my favorite, which follows the madcap adventures of J. Thadeus Toad and his mania for moving vehicles. The second is a musical narrated and sang by Bing Crosby and tells the story of Ichabod Crane from the Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. Truly remarkable animation and extraordinary charachters make this film one of Disney's best.

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