The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

A Walt Disney Cartoon Short Subject.

THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW - about the Headless Hessian who rides at night seeking his lost head - is about to terrify another victim on Halloween Night.

Washington Irving's classic story comes alive in this wonderful little film, originally the second half of THE ADVENTURES OF ICHABOD AND MR. TOAD (1949). Bing Crosby's singing narration and the excellent animation tell a tale of humor and genuine fright. Ichabod Crane, the pedantic pedagogue, is a triumph of the animators' art, while the film's climax - the ride through the Hollow & the appearance of the hideous Hessian - is a celebration of pacing and stylistic understatement.

Walt Disney (1901-1966) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings. As a lad in Marceline, Missouri, he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper; later, as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War, he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle. Back in Kansas City, along with artist Ub Iwerks, Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters. Always the innovator, his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe. Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923, where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor. When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor, the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination, ensuring Disney's immortality. The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut, STEAMBOAT WILLIE (1928), a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music. The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared, and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color, illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development, an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable. Mickey's feisty, naughty behavior had captured millions of fans, but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions: temperamental Donald Duck, intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto. All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films. Against a storm of naysayers, Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White, Pinocchio, Dumbo, Bambi & Peter Pan. Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse, or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off.

as anyone who's seen this little gem what a fun and scary (in a little persons way) short little movie this is,with Mr crosby shining all the way!!my little girl love it and always watches on a dull rainy day!!!now our little lad can have some fun with it as well,all colors and music to sooth on on a rainy bedtime!!just get nice and snuggly with the light down low and watch as yourself and kiddies whoop with delight!!!!if only someone could do the story justice these days!!i loved the Tim Burton one and it deserves a place as a well done movie done Burton style!!!go on go buy a copy and make sure you get a nice big pumpkin to boot!!!!!

I love this animated short! The music is great, and Bing Crosby does a wonderful job as the narrator. And yes, it is even scary at some points. I never let Halloween go by without watching this. It is also faithful to the book!

I absolutely love this film. The animation is great and has a real Walt Disney family feel to it. The movie has surprisingly no speaking except for a few words here and there. The only person speaking is the narrator. That makes the movie even cooler as it is largely similar to the book and just like the book, the only dialogue comes from the narrator.

And for the little kids, there are the usual songs to keep them occupied and there is plenty here for the adults to enjoy too.

Brilliant film, gives you a Halloween feeling, I sure enjoyed it and I hope I speak for everyone else.

Originally part of the movie The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, this adaptation of Washington's Irving's famous story contains some of the scariest imagery from any Disney cartoon. The story, for those who somehow have never read or heard of it, takes place in 1790 New York. In the village of Sleepy Hollow, a lanky new schoolmaster named Ichabod Crane arrives and becomes smitten with a beautiful young woman named Katrina. His rival for her affections is a brawny hunk named Brom Bones. Brom tells superstitious Ichabod the legend of the Headless Horseman, a ghost that haunts the village each year on Halloween, searching for a head to replace the one he lost. As Ichabod travels home alone at night, he discovers the legend is true.

The first half is heavy on comedy, much to the frustration of many viewers who only watch for the scary parts they've heard about or remember from their childhood. I enjoy the lighter parts but admit what makes this a true classic is the scene where the Horseman chases Ichabod. It's an amazing sequence. The animation is gorgeous with rich Technicolor that'll make you drool and beautifully-drawn characters and backgrounds. Katrina is one of the most underrated animated beauties from the classic Disney era. As Crosby's narration states, "She was a blooming lass, plump as a partridge, ripe, melting and rosy-cheeked..." The Headless Horseman is also brilliantly realized. Sublime voice work from Bing Crosby, who also lends his voice to some songs. It's one of the classic Disney cartoons that I remember most from my childhood. Watching it today it's even better than I remembered.