The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (DVD, 2000, Gold Collection Edition)

The eleventh animated presentation from Disney is actually two classics; The Wind in the Willows and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
The first, introduced by Basil Rathbone, is about the misadventures of Mr. Toad with his friends, Mole, Rat and Angus Mac Badger trying again and again to rescue him from trouble. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is wonderfully narrated by Bing Crosby, where we have a newly arrived teacher, Ichabod Crane, who just happens to be a bit superstitious. The town bully, Brom Bones, takes advantage of that to get even for Ichabod's advances on his girl friend, Katrina Van Tassel.
This is a wonderful pair of stories from Disney and is on par with many of their fantastic animated classics. Children of any age can relate to Mr.
Toad and the loyalty of his friends. The Legend is very good but, the climax with the headless horseman may be a bit scary for the really young in the family. Modern animation features even from Disney today can't compare to the quality of these pictures produced in the 1950's.
There are some nice bonus features also. In "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow DVD Storybook", you can have the story read for you or, you can read it yourself. Then there is "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride", where you answer questions in order to proceed along this highway. The kids will like this feature. Next, there is "The Merrily Song" sing-a-long, and last, "Lonesome Ghosts", which is a very good cartoon with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy.
All and all, this dvd could easily be a family tradition for Halloween for years to come.

We sought out The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad after a trip to Disneyland in California where Mr. Toad's Wild Ride was one of my oldest daughter's favorite rides. The movie is no disappointment. The first half is a loose, half-hour adaptation of Kenneth Gramme's The Wind and the Willows. In the adaptation, Mr. Toad is plagued by many manias. When he sees a motor car, he must have one at all costs. This lands him into trouble and he loses his manor. Helped by his friends Badger, Rat, and Mole, he tries to reclaim his fortune. Adapting a novel into a half-hour short is no easy task -- and though much of the novel is missing, it is a fun story in its own right. The second half of the movie is an adaptation of Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow about school teacher Ichabod Craine who tries to win the hand of the lovely Katrina from Brom van Brunt. Brom and his crew do not take kindly to Ichabod's pursuit of Katrina and one spooky Halloween night, he plans to get rid of the competition. The second part is a better adaptation simply because the source is a short story, more easily told in 30 minutes. The Wind and the Willows segment is narrated by Basil Rathbone. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow segment is narrated by Bing Crosby. A wonderful, nearly forgotten Disney classic.

These two animated classics have been among my favorites since I was very young and used to watch them on the Disney channel. A few years ago, when I found out this DVD had been released, I quickly bought it.

You can't beat these two masterpieces for three key reasons. First, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Wind in the Willows are two great stories which can entertain people of all generations. Second, Disney animation is the tops, with rich colors, fluid character movements, and memorable characters. Third, these cartoons are narrated by two unmatched talents, Basil Rathbone and the best singer in the history of popular music, Bing Crosby, whose voice is melodic whether he's speaking or crooning.

Kids, parents, and grandparents will love The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.

It's an odd DVD if you're looking for the Legend of Sleepy Hollow you remember from your childhood. The Adventures of Ichabod is the second feature on the DVD, about 45 minutes after Mr. Toad. This must be the unabridged version of the Sleepy Hollow story, because it's much longer than I remember and much worse. My kids hated it. I can see why the TV version would have been shortened... about 2/3 of the show has absolutely nothing to do with the Legend story per se. My boys thought it was a girly show because the focus is on Ichabod and his developing crush on the female lead. Lots of music and romantic imagery ensues and ensues... and insues. It was far too outdated for my daughter to enjoy either. The climax is good, but it takes far too long to get there. Quite disappointing overall.

This is truly a classic. The story of Ichabod is well-done, with Bing Crosby's creamy rich voice and disney amusing illustrations making it just scary enough to be entertaining, without blood and gore and things children and young people do not need to be subject to. Mr. Toad is hilarious, with wonderful voice overs. It really brings these beloved characters to life. My sons have LOVED this videos for years and they never tire of them.