Maybe Disney and company realized their mistake in producing another multi-feature package film with Melody Time. Maybe the studio had made enough money through the 1940s to stick to longer tales. Maybe they decided it was time to get back to more serious literary adaptations. Whatever the reason for making The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, this film marks the start of Disney’s rise back to the top.Similar to Fun and Fancy Free, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad is a collection of two longer animated tales. Ironically, the tale of Mr. Toad (based on Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows) actually comes first. For those of you who are not familiar with the tale, a trio of anthropomorphic animals attempts to save their friend (Mr. Toad) from himself. Ratty, Moley and Angus MacBadger do their best to prevent their trend-happy friend from losing his home while also avoiding incidental personal injury at the hands of the over-exuberant Mr. Toad.
The second half of the film features a Bing Crosby-narrated account of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Washington Irving’s haunting ghost tale focuses on a superstitious town where jealously may or may not have turned deadly. The new schoolmaster catches the eye of a lovely young woman, drawing the ire of a testosterone-fueled local bully at the same time. The bully warns of a local legend called The Headless Horseman, who stalks the town at night, in an attempt to scare his competition out of town.
Once again, by focusing on longer stories, Disney’s animators are able to labor over the details. There’s a richness in the background animation here that was absent in many of the earlier package films. Having a longer subject gives the animator a chance to invest more of his or her time into the product, which ultimately gives the audience a higher quality visual experience to embrace.
Another interesting observation I made is that, with this film, the animation style that would prevail during the 1950s for Disney films is finally consistent through both shorts. Many of the shorts throughout the 40s package films had varying animation styles. Some were more experimental than others while others attempted to cling to the lavish beauty of Snow White and Pinocchio. Here we finally catch a glimpse of what’s to come- scaling back some of the background details, a flatter look to the foreground, and crisper colors for the objects we’re supposed to be focusing on. Some of this was used before like in ‘Peter and the Wolf’ and ‘The Legend of Johnny Appleseed’ but it seems like Disney had finally decided to keep this style as the norm.
The stories themselves are timeless classics and you won’t get any complaints out of me for that. Both tales are treated with respect but also make room for creative license. I think the only thing that feels off is the pairing. The Wind in the Willows is a little lighter and more madcap, whereas The Legend of Sleepy Hollow has a more Gothic feel. Disney does his best to lighten it up but there’s no getting around the horror that is The Headless Horseman.
If anything, this final package film (and the 11th overall production by Disney and his team) feels a little bi-polar. Disney broke them up for individual re-release in the 1950s, which accounts for most people remembering these shorts separately. Whether you care for it or not, this film is a symbolic victory for Disney. He and his animators are planting their feet down in preparation of leaping back to prominence.
RATING: 3.5 out of 5
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