The Wind in the Willows and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
are two classic pieces of literature, but I wouldn’t have thought to put
them together. Disney did, though, and the result was the 1949 package
film The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. It’s unusual in that
it tells just two stories; the package films typically include several
different segments, each of which is shorter than either tale told here.
What it amounts to is about half an hour per story, so there’s room for
some decent development even though neither one is individually of
feature length.
The main thematic tie between the stories
seems to be that they are literary classics, one from England, one from
America. Other similarities can be found; for instance, both integrally
involve a holiday and a horse-drawn cart. Mostly, though, the tie
between the two is that these are books that could be sitting on the
shelf next to each other. Basil Rathbone is the sophisticated narrator
of the first part of the film, which focuses on the reckless Mr. Toad,
and his warm voice is perfectly suited to the task. Bing Crosby feels
like less of a natural narrator for the second half, which deals with
Ichabod Crane, but the role allows him to do some singing, which is the
task at which he really shines.
I prefer the first tale, which
is much livelier, in part because each of the characters is played by a
different actor and there is quite a bit of dialogue. Toads seem to be
inherently troublesome creatures, more so than frogs, which have a bit
of a reputation in fiction for steady dependability. After all, look at
Kermit the Frog (at least, when he’s not blowing a gasket). The contrast
is strongest in Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad series, and silly,
sulky Toad with his peculiar whims would certainly have a kindred spirit
in Mr. Toad. They’re not bad fellows, but trouble seems to follow them,
and sometimes they bring it upon themselves.
The story of Mr.
Toad is set in the idyllic English countryside, where the eccentric
millionaire is constantly wreaking havoc with his dangerous obsessions.
It’s up to his faithful, long-suffering friends to keep him out of
trouble and to try to prove his innocence after he runs afoul of the
law. Toad is rather obnoxious but lovable nonetheless. Severe Angus
MacBadger (Campbell Scott), who oversees his affairs, is a fun
character, particularly because of his pronounced Scottishness, but he
is less prominent than the even-keeled Rat (Claud Allister) or my
favorite character, mild-mannered Mole (Colin Campbell). Other
characters, including Mr. Toad’s horse and a freakish-looking villain
named Mr. Winky, come into the picture, but this is the core quartet.
It’s a raucous romp and a touching story of friendship set partially
against the beauty of a pristine English Christmas, and it’s quite
satisfying.
I’m not quite as fond of Ichabod’s story, partly
because it’s just plain creepy. It makes me chuckle that in a film that
includes a Christmas story, Crosby, who is so associated with the
upcoming holiday, narrates the tale set at Halloween. It also strikes me
as funny that the Christmas story comes first. The animation of a fiery
New England autumn is quite appealing, but the human characters aren’t
quite as enjoyable to look at as the animals in the first story. Ichabod
in particular is a bit goofy-looking, though this would not necessarily
be a drawback if he were a more likable character. Unfortunately, this
gangly schoolteacher is a lazy womanizing glutton who can’t wait to
hitch his wagon to the richest girl in town so he can live like a king
for the rest of his days. Hence, although he’s the protagonist, he
doesn’t exactly inspire a great deal of affection from me. It doesn’t
help that there’s so little actual dialogue in this story, and what’s
there is mostly voiced by Crosby. This makes the characters in this
segment feel much more distant, leading to a definite sense of
detachment.
The meat of the story is the rivalry between
Ichabod and burly Brom Bones, who both want the pretty heiress Katrina
Van Tassel for a wife, though love doesn’t seem to be a factor for
either of them. They both appear to see her as more of a prize than a
person. Brom reminds me a lot of Gaston from Disney’s much later Beauty and the Beast
except that he is not quite so immensely popular. Still, he makes a
potent adversary, and his dramatic ghost story is enough to give Ichabod
a major case of the heebie-jeebies. Me too. The headless horseman scene
that follows is truly terrifying, no matter what your interpretation of
the incident is.
I’m not sure that this is the most natural
pair of stories to put together, but it works well enough, and each is
memorable in its own way. While I personally don’t want anything to do
with Sleepy Hollow except around Halloween, I’m happy to pay a visit to
Mr. Toad any time of year.
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