Disney Shorts - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

From Clydie Clyde : I've been watching this short for about as long as anyone, I imagine. I have always thought that the decision to use Bing Crosby as narrator for this piece is as good a piece of casting as most - and the creation of Sleepy Hollow in the daytime as a believable place is triumph of no small proport. Ichabod is an outstanding mute and the dance at Van Tassle's frolic is hilarious. I won't mention the most famous sequence, as its reputation precedes me and I am in the majority in my opinion. The only disappointing part of this production is the screeching female vocals in "You Can't Reason With a Headless Man." They are truly annoying. Small price to pay, though. Viva Ichabod!

From E. Penrose : On your second or third viewing, see this picture after "Beauty and the Beast." The feature is almost a commentary on the short. Brom is the same he-man type as Gaston. Book-learning is despised in "Legend," praised in "Beauty." The schoolteacher, a geek, flees the unknown: Beauty's great adventure lies in following it Gaston makes his reputation on destroying it. I think the short is very well done. The artwork and drama are perfectly built. But in two generations the ideas behind "Legend" have been completely torn down.

From Joy Gilbert : I remember seeing this cartoon (or at least part of it) in 4th grade on a 16mm film reel. I just loved it, but there was this autistic boy who wanted to watch a "Berenstain Bear" movie instead. He would scream and throw a tantrum until the teacher gave in and went down to the school library and checked out a "Berenstain Bear" video. Because of this, I was not able to watch the whole short. When I went to my local video store, however, I rented it and there were two bonus Halloween themed shorts on it ("Lonesome Ghosts" and "Trick or Treat"). I felt kind of sorry for Ichabod Crane after he was scared away from Sleepy Hollow. It wasn't fair that Brom Bones got to marry Katrina. Do you suppose the Headless Horseman was Brom Bones in disguise? After all, he was singing about him at Katrina's party.

From Ryan : This is one of my favorite Disney shorts. In fact, when I was younger, I used to rent the video all the time. The animation of this short is nicely done, especially at the part where Ichabod is riding his horse through the dark forest on his way home from Katrina's party.

From Jennifer George : Considering I attended the Ichabod Crane Central School district in New York, watching "The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow" was an annual Halloween event up until I was in high school. The high school even has a Sleepy Hollow statue of Ichabod wooing Katrina in the lobby. Somehow, as a child, I thought that the movie only existed in my hometown - Disney made it special for us. I was very surprised when I discovered just how many people had seen it, who didn't go to my school!

From AprilDecember : "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad" totally rock. Though they're packaged as a single feature, each is wonderful in its own right (I rate them both tens!).

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is my particular favorite of the two...those of us in the 'Disney Halloween' tv compilation generation can't think of celebrating October 31 without it! In fact, I show the video at every Halloween party I throw. It's funny, witty, and sets a marvellous autumnal tone. Just spooky enough for everyone to enjoy, yet not so spooky that kids can't handle it. Even folks who hate cartoons can dig it. Highly recommended!

From Mark Hedman : I love this short aand I used to remember seing it come on every once in a while on Disney during the fall. I wish I could find some where to purchase it because I'm 15 and still love it!

From mrrjd : I love this movie. This has got the be the best cartoon ever. Its funny, scary (to an extent) and gots a great feel. Bing Crosby's narration is the icing on the cake.

From Jennifer Mangum : I absolutely love this short. I can't go through Halloween without seeing it. When I was younger I remember watching it on Disney's Halloween every year. It gives a spooky sensation each time I watch it.

From Charles : Great movie!

From Bob : This is my favorite cartoon. I have visited Sleepy Hollow in New York and seen the areas that Washington Irving wrote about in his story about Sleepy Hollow also. I like to watch this cartoon, along with Trick or Treat and Lonesome Ghosts, as often as possible, especially around Halloween. Great narration by Bing Crosby and cool background vocals from the 40's, if you like that kind of stuff. Anyway, I rate this an overall terrific cartoon, based on a great story.

From Tom Puleo : This has got to be one of the best cartoons I have ever watched, to this day I love this short, it is definetly a classic and I can't picture a halloween without watching it, as a matter of fact I watch it as much as I can, I just love the whole thing, from Bings singing... and the songs are just composed great and are very catchy, I sing them all the time. I give this a 10! Plus Lonesome Ghosts and Trick or Treat are also excellent as well. Overall, This is one film that everyone should own!

From nana : 10: Positively wonderful.

I saw the Disney animated movie as a child and loved it. I never forgot it.

I visited Tarrytown this summer and at the Museum I purchased a child's version for my 9 year old Grandaughter. It was not a Disney version, but was well told with very good colorful illustrations.

I sent my Grandaughter the book for Halloween and she loved it. I would love to purchase the Disney version on VHS.

From Mrs. Kay Moore : This is a movie I've been waiting to see so many years. I saw it as a child and I loved it. My whole family loved it. My mother how is now 88 years of age has ask me about it on a few occations. My son's now 36 years old and he's never seen it. I'd love my grandchilden to see it. It is a 10; please play it soon.

From Baruch Weiss : This is a classic disney short. I enjoyed all of the music and the songs. I now own it on DVD which obviously means I can watch it every time I want to. One song that I enjoyed was a song that was sung at the party and at the end of this short and it went like this :

"With a hip hip and a clippity clop, He's out looking for a head to swap, But don't try to figure out a plan, You can't reason with a headless man".

From Ed : Of all the Disney productions be they shorts or full length features this has got to be my all time favorite. Even as an adult I still make sure to watch this delightful feature every Halloween season. I had purchased it on VHS and then upgraded to DVD when it became available. This short features catchy tunes and familiar charaters. This is what animation is supposed to be all about.

From Michelle I. : This is an excellent cartoon. It's funny, well-drawn, with great music and characters. Being a bit on the scary side in places, it's a terrific choice for Halloween.

From Grace : This is an excellent short! It's highly recommended for Halloween, especially Lonesome Ghosts,Trick or Treat and Mickey and the Beanstalk. By watching on the scene when Katrina comes on she pretty much reminds you of combined Cinderella and body of Jessica Rabbit. Anyway this short is given a 10!

From Scott : I have always like this piece, it adheres almost exactly to what Washington Irving had envisioned (except of course he had no concept of musicals!), and, for a 50-minute short, it's superior to TIm Burton's futile attempt to bring it to the screen. My only qualm is that on the vhs version it opens with a lovely kind of overture, whereas on the DVD it's a completely different intro. Couldn't understand why they just couldn't keep it that way.

From Yvonne : Absolutely hilarious!

From Monica : This is always good and always entertaining, regardless of your age. The sense of foreboding is amazing for a cartoon.

From Kel : This is probably my favorite Disney cartoon and I watch it every Halloween. The visualization of Sleepy Hollow and the ride through the forest is very creepy. Great use of sound(some of its sound effects turn up in Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow if you listen closely). It seems very typical "Disneyish" until the Headless Horseman appears at which point it becomes nightmarish. The best depiction of the Headless Horseman to date. Masterful animation. The comparison made between this and Beauty and the Beast is interesting although not entirely accurate. I don't think book learning is despised at all--as shown by the library sequence that opens and closes the short. Brom Bones is not a villainous person like his counterpart in Beauty and the Beast. Ichabod Crane is not entirely likable and in both the cartoon and the original story he comes across as an exploiter. I would argue that the early Disney works were much more socially advanced than they get credit for. Pinocchio, Bambi, Dumbo had some real commentary to them and I dont get the same feeling when watching the modern cartoons which have a much stronger corporate imprint and can feel a bit overhyped and insincere.

From Al Galen : This classic Disney animated short which is based on Washington Irving's Halloween novel aired on the Disney Channel for many years until "Vault Disney" went off-the-air. It is now available on the DVD version of "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad". The Headless Horseman's laugh was later used on the television series "Zorro" in its fourth 1957 episode "The Ghost of the Mission". Appropriately, it aired on October 31 that year. I recommend this short to audiences who are fans of Halloween-themed Disney cartoons.

From Larry Franklin Jr. : All of the information is totally true as what Al Galen said. The "Zorro" television series certainly did use the Headless Horseman's laugh from this short in its 1957 fourth episode "The Ghost of the Mission". This classic Disney Halloween short can be found in "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad" on DVD which additionally features "The Wind in the Willows". This cartoon was used in the holiday special "Disney's Halloween Treat". It was hosted by a talking Jack-o'-Lantern puppet. Sleepy Hollow was Washington Irving's residence near Tarrytown, New York. A non-Disney Hallowen special entitled "The Halloween That Almost Wasn't" was filmed at the Lyndhurst manor in that same location. It aired on the Disney Channel every year in October until the late 1990s. I recommend this short to audiences who are fans of classic Disney holiday-themed cartoons.

Referenced Comments

Trick or Treat (1952)

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