The Wind in the Willows (1949)

Originally part of the movie The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, this condensed version of the Kenneth Grahame novel tells the story of madcap Mr. Toad's obsession with the newfangled automobile and how his friends try to help him. It's a fun, well-paced cartoon with lots of humor and action. The courtroom scene is a treat. It features the talented voice work of Eric Blore, Pat O'Malley, Claude Allister, Campbell Grant, Colin Campbell, and the great Basil Rathbone as narrator. The music is lively and cheerful. The animation is just gorgeous! The characters and backgrounds are beautifully-drawn and the Technicolor is so rich it's a feast for the eyes. Classic Disney animation was so attractive and so much fun to watch. This is a perfect example of that.

This is a very under appreciated Disney classic short. Charming and cute with delightful characters, I'd definitely recommend it. The story treatment is both fun and tense in turn. And of course the animation is just beautiful. One of my personal favorite parts is when Toad becomes so enamored with the first "motorcar" he sees that he begins sputtering too. And of course Basil Rathborn as the narrator is an inspired choice. Listen for sweet, funny songs and a nice score, a trademark of any good Disney film. As for those who comment about the length, it should be remembered that Walt Disney originally planned this as a feature length film. It was due to budget problems and a smaller staff because of World War II that it had to be shortened. When you keep that in mind it's really quite remarkable what they did. For a longer movie (and an extra story as the second half which is quite delightful) watch this in its original format as The Adventures of Ichabod Crane and Mr. Toad. Ichabod and the narrator are voiced by none other than Bing Crosbey. Such a treat when watched together as Disney intended.

It's a shame that the Wind in the Willows was made into a 30 minute film. It would've made a good feature length film, as it's not too long or too short a story to dramatize in under 90 minutes. And where was the rowing boat, the Otter, the rabbits and the willow tree? Needless to say, the characters are cute and it's better than some films like Lady and the Tramp and The Jungle Book.

I liked this movie, but it was too short. I know kids have short attention spans, but a half an hour was too short. I was very disappointed. I thought it would be longer.