Released: 1949
Animated Horror
Starring: Bing Crosby, Basil Rathbone, Eric Blore
Directors: Clyde Geronimi, Jack Kinney, James Algar
Running Time: 68 minutes
The breakdown: A fantastic Disney classic that features two shorts. One is The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the other is The Wind in the Willows.
'Tis the season for spooky stories and I thought it would be a good time to review my favorite animated version of Sleepy Hollow. I have to say I own this movie and I have never watched the other story, I've tried, but every year I can't wait and I have to see Sleepy Hollow first and I end up never watching the other. My apologies to anyone who loves the other story, I will try again to watch it this year.
So on to the good stuff!
Bing Crosby narrates and does all the singing and voices for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
It is of course, the famous Washington Irving story come to life, Disney style.
In case you don't know the story (how could you not!?), Ichabod Crane is a reserved school teacher who comes into a new town called Sleepy Hollow. He's a bit awkward but does win over the ladies with his charm and wit. He takes a shine to the rich farmers daughter, the beautiful Katrina Van Tassel. She kind of likes him too but she also likes another man in town. Brom Bones is also chasing after Katrina and is threatened by Ichabod. To help the school teacher move along to someone else, he's going to need some convincing. During a big party Brom tells the story of the Hessian warrior who lost his head during battle and now searches the town at night looking for a "replacement" head. Poor Ichabod takes this story to heart and on his way home, late at night, alone on his trusty horse Gunpowder, he sees and is chased by what he believes to be the Headless Horseman straight out of Brom's story. All they find in the morning is Ichabod's hat next to a shattered pumpkin. Gunpowder is found later, without a rider, munching some grass in town. Rumor has it that Ichabod is alive and well in another far off town in the country, but the old country wives believe that poor old Ichabod was spirited away by the supernatural horseman.
Bing Crosby was an excellent choice for this story. As a little kid, I always loved the richness of his voice and the singing parts of the story. The animation in the classic style is beautiful to look at and really can't compare to any computer animation they do today. There isn't anything I could complain about except that I wish it was longer : (
I just so LOVE this story I wish they could've stretched it out and made it last as long as possible!
I watch it every Halloween!
Happy Haunting!
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