The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad / Fun and Fancy Free
Directors: Jack Kinney, Clyde Geronimi, James Algar, Bill Roberts, Hamilton Luske, William Morgan
Voice Cast: Eric Blore, Pat O'Malley, Cliff Edwards, Edgar Bergen, Luana Patten, Walt Disney, Clarence Nash
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: August 12, 2014
Retail: $36.99
ASIN: B00K7BCWLW
Running Time: 68 minutes (The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad), 73 minutes (Fun and Fancy Free)
Rating: G
Buy Link: Amazon
Review:
Arriving on Blu-ray Combo Pack (3-discs) this Tuesday August 12, 2014 is the 2-movie collection featuring The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad and Fun and Fancy Free. As an added bonus on the Blu-ray is The Reluctant Dragon feature film.
WWII put a financial strain of film companies, as they created "war effort" short film projects. Walt Disney's next big blockbuster, Cinderella, wouldn't come out until 1950 and until then the company needed to create fast films that would make them money. Out this era came "packaged films," which featured two or three shorts compiled into one film.
Fun and Fancy Free was released to theaters in 1947, featuring Bongo and Mickey And The Beanstalk. Bongo is based on the story "Little Bear Bongo" by Sinclair Lewis and is narrated by singer Dinah Shore. It centers on a circus bear named Bongo, who dreams of being free in the wild. Mickey And The Beanstalk is Disney's version of Jack and the Beanstalk, which features Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy as poor, starving farmers, whom happen to acquire a magic bean that grows a beanstalk. It is is the last theatrical to feature Walt Disney as the voice of Mickey Mouse.
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad arrived in theaters in 1949, featuring the stories based on The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. Mr. Toad ( J. Thaddeus Toad, Esq.) is a care-free character, only wanting to have fun, but his lifestyle has finally caught up with him when he is charged with car theft. The Adventures of Ichabod tells the story of Ichabod Crane and his encounter with the headless horseman.
The Reluctant Dragon is loosely based on the 1898 children's story by Kenneth Grahame. Released in 1941, the film blended live-action with animation. It centered on author Robert Benchley trying to find Walt Disney at the Disney Studio, so he can pitch him an animated movie idea based on his book. The cartoons featured are: Baby Weems, Goofy's How to Ride a Horse, and The Reluctant Dragon.
I had forgotten about Fun and Fancy Free, which I hadn't seen since I was child back in the 80s. Bongo is an adorable tale that has held up well over the years. Mickey And The Beanstalk is a delight to watch and is one of my favorite cartoons. I was never a big fan of The Wind In The Willows, but Toad's tale is an interesting one. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is one of the most faithful adaptions of the tale. I have heard about The Reluctant Dragon, but this is the first time I have seen the film. While the plot is thin, it is a cute film that more than deserves this Blu-ray release.
*Disclaimer - I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
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