The Adventures of Ichabod and Mister Toad : "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"

Premiered October 5, 1949.

"I'm telling you, brother, it's a frightful sight what goes on, Halloween night. When spooks have a midnight jamboree. They break it up with fiendish glee ..."
-Brom Bones

Note from your trusted holiday bloggers:

We are only reviewing the "Ichabod" portion of this movie, since the "Mister Toad" section does not involve Halloween.

A new schoolmaster named Ichabod Crane (Bing Crosby) arrives in the town of Sleepy Hollow, New York. He quickly becomes the most popular bachelor in town, dining with women all around the little hamlet.

However, Ichabod only has eyes for Katrina Van Tassel, daughter of the wealthiest farmer in the county. Ichabod is smitten at first site, and her father Baltus's wealth doesn't diminish her attractions for him.  

This brings Icky into direct conflict with another suitor, Brom Bones. They engage in games of one upsmanship to gain Katrina's affections.

Despite Brom's physical advantage, the skinny schoolmaster always seems to come out on top, until Halloween night.

Ichabod attends Baltus van Tassel's annual Halloween party and there is plenty of food, music and dancing.   

Ichabod has a great evening, showing off his dancing skills in front of Katrina and is the life of the party.   As the evening progresses, Baltus asks his guests to tell him scary Halloween stories.  

Ichabod is very superstitious and easily frightened.  Knowing this, Brom tells the tale of the Headless Horseman.  He sings of how the horseman rides across the countryside on Halloween, looking to chop of someone's head to replace his own. 

Brom mentions that the Horseman has no power on the other side of the bridge that leads to Sleepy Hollow.  If his would-be victims can cross the bridge, they're home free.  By the end of Brom's story, Ichabod is absolutely petrified.

Crane leaves the Van Tassel's house at 2:00 AM to head back home. He is haunted by Brom's tale of the Headless Horseman. Every night sound seems to be calling out his name. The trees and plants along his path also seem to be sending messages of foreboding and impending doom. Ichabod's fears are confirmed when the Headless Horseman himself appears! The Horseman pursues Crane on a black steed with red eyes and nearly chops off Ichabod's head several times.

After a frantic chase, Ichabod sees the bridge to safety and rushes to cross it. The Headless Horseman is right behind him! Will Ichabod escape or will the Headless Horseman "get a head?"

J.A. Morris says:

I first saw this when it aired in the early 1980s as part of "A Disney Halloween" and I've been a fan ever since. It would have been easy for Disney to water down the Headless Horseman's pursuit of Ichabod. But it's a legitimately scary scene for younger audiences who aren't familiar with the story. It would have also been easy for the creative team to slap on a happy ending, which does not occur.

In Washington Irving's story, Halloween and for that matter, the month of October is never mentioned.  Irving only mentions that it takes place during autumn.  But "The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow" makes a perfect Halloween story. 

Bing Crosby has been synonymous with Christmas for 75 years. "White Christmas" is the most beloved Christmas song of all time and he hosted holiday radio and TV specials for several decades. But in The Adventures Of Ichabod, Crosby shows he can be versatile when it comes to holiday programming. He narrates and voices all the male characters in this film. "Der Bingle" also sings the "Headless Horseman" song and it's fantastic.

This film is available for streaming and has also been released on DVD and Blu-Ray.

The Adventures Of Ichabod and Mr. Toad is a great adaptation of one America's first great stories. It's highly recommended and it's something I watch every year around Halloween.


J.A. Morris' rating:

4 jack o'lanterns

RigbyMel says:

I remember seeing this on network television several times as a small child and it scaring the dickens out of me. The 1982 airing on CBS as part of "Disney's Halloween Treat" (which included the climactic portion of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" but not as much of the build up) particularly sticks in my mind for some reason - maybe because it had a talking jack o'lantern puppet that hosted the segments? (Possibly also because versions of this special aired on various network and cable channels throughout the 1980s.)

The animation in the "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is impressive overall - particularly Ichabod and the Headless Horseman's scary/comic chase though the dark woods.

As J.A. Morris notes above, Bing Crosby's voice over and musical contribution to the mix makes this an extra special treat. I also appreciate how much of the narration is lifted directly from the original Washington Irving tale -- although the ending is presented as a bit more ambiguous than in the original story. (Something I did not pick up on as a small child!)

Bing Crosby and the Rhythmaire's rendition of the song "The Headless Horseman" (which also floats around as a single with slightly different lyrics) is delightfully spooky and full of excellent word play.

Fun side notes, some Disney regulars make (uncredited) vocal appearances in the this short -- Pinto Colvig (the original voice of Goofy) provides some of Ichabod's hysterical screams and Clarence "Ducky" Nash (the original voice of Donald Duck) gives voice to Ichabod's horse as well as various night time animals.

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is gorgeously animated, deliciously spooky Halloween fare that can be enjoyed on multiple levels -- there are things for young and old to savor in it. It is on my required annual viewing list around Halloween each year.


RigbyMel's rating:

4 jack o'lanterns

Arsenic and Old Lace

Premiered September 23, 1944

"Look, I probably should have told you this before but you see ... well ... insanity runs in my family. ... It practically gallops." - Mortimer Brewster

It's Halloween in Brooklyn, and well-known author and theatre critic Mortimer Brewster (Cary Grant) weds his neighbor, minister's daughter Elaine Harper (Priscilla Lane).  They're planning to run off to Niagara Falls for a honeymoon.

But before they depart, they stop to visit Mortimer's aunts Abby (Josephine Hull) and Martha (Jean Adair), who live with his brother Teddy (John Alexander).

Mortimer opens a window seat and is shocked when he finds -- a dead body!
He believes it's the work of Teddy, who thinks he's President Theodore Roosevelt.  (Teddy is a bit touched in the head.)

Mortimer tries to break this news to his aunts gently, but to his chagrin, is told they know all about it! In fact, they killed the man.  It turns out that Aunt Abby and Aunt Martha have been taking in lonely old man boarders who have no family for years and poisoning them with arsenic-laced wine.  The aunts consider their work to be merciful rather than murderous since all the old gentlemen were alone in life.

Mortimer is utterly beside himself -- how can his sweet old aunties,  beloved in the neighborhood for their charitable deeds and kindness be responsible for more than a dozen cold blooded murders?   And how have they been disposing of the bodies?

The Aunts explain that they get Teddy to help them by sending him to the basement to dig locks for the "Panama Canal" (he does think he's TR, remember)  Then they tell him their poisoning victims fell prey to "yellow fever" and need to be buried quickly  (in the "locks").   They make sure each gentleman receives a proper burial with hymn singing and everything.

Mortimer decides the only thing to be done is to  blame the murders on Teddy's mental state.    To do this, he must convince a judge to commit his brother to the Happy Dale Sanatorium.

Things become further complicated when Mortimer's OTHER brother Jonathan (Raymond Massey) shows up unexpectedly.   He has been leading a life of crime and is responsible for more than a few homicides himself.  Jonathan is accompanied by a man called Dr. Einstein (Peter Lorre) who plans to perform plastic surgery to disguise Jonathan's identity ... and ANOTHER dead body!

Meanwhile, new bride Elaine wonders why her recently minted husband Mortimer suddenly seems to be avoiding her!

Will Moritmer and Elaine make it to Niagara Falls?  How many people will wind up at Happy Dale? (or in prison?)  Will more bodies pile up in the Brewsters' basement?
Watch out for elderberry wine!

RigbyMel says:

I discovered this deliciously dark comedy when I was in high school.   The premise is insane and the insanity builds to ridiculous screwball levels as the movie progresses.

Cary Grant does an amazing job as poor, put upon Mortimer.   His gifts for physical comedy are fully evident in this film.

Josephine Hull and Jean Adair are charmingly homicidal as the Aunties.   (Yes, I realize that  calling murderers charming is odd,  just roll with it.) They are utterly and completely uncomprehending of whatever could be upsetting Mortimer so much.  In fact, they put it down to his being a newlywed!

There is also a rather brilliant running gag involving psychotic brother Jonathan -- Dr. Einstein apparently botched the last plastic surgery procedure and everyone keeps telling Jonathan he resembles Boris Karloff.    This sends Jonathan into paroxysms of rage, and is also an inside joke as Karloff actually played Jonathan in  Arsenic and Old Lace's original run on Broadway!

The ensemble as a whole is very funny from a long-suffering taxi driver (Garry Owen) waiting to take Moritmer & Elaine to Niagara, to the dim bulb beat cop (Jack Carson) who wants to share his unpublished play, since Mortimer is a famous drama critic.

"CHAAARRRGE!" (the staircase is always San Juan Hill!)

John Alexander's commitment to Teddy's obsession with Teddy Roosevelt is incredible. It's great that they kept the same actor from the original play in this role so the performance is preserved.

You can definitely tell that this is pretty much a filmed version of the play with just a few little "opening out" scenes like the line for the marriage license and some business in the graveyard between the Aunties' house and Elaine's.   But that doesn't take away from the gruesome glee of the story.

This film would be a wonderful addition to any Halloween festivities.   You'll die laughing.  *rim shot*

RigbyMel's rating:

4 jack o'lanterns


J.A. Morris says:

Unlike RigbyMel, I hadn't seen this until recently, but I saw the play years ago.  The film's dialogue feels fresher in some ways than other 1940s films, perhaps due to its origin as a stage play.

Halloween is not exactly central to the plot here.  But we do get a scene that features an early version of trick or treating.

 And the opening credits feature traditional Halloween symbols like witches, owls and black cats.

But the creepy, macabre atmosphere certainly adds to the Halloween sensibility.


I'm a big fan of Cary Grant's movies and Arsenic and Old Lace features some of his best acting.  He's constantly running around, shrieking and making crazy faces.

Priscilla Lane isn't remember very well today, but she was a star in the 1930s and 40s.  Lane was often cast in "girl next door" roles, in this film, she literally plays the girl next door and does a fine job playing off Grant.

And I agree with everything my co-blogger said about the supporting cast.

Arsenic and Old Lace was directed by Frank Capra.  Today, he is best known for directing another holiday film, It's a Wonderful Life.  His films tend to be sentimental.  On the surface, the Brewster sisters seem to fit a "sweet little old lady" stereotype that could have fit into any other Capra picture. However, this story turns that image on its head.  Capra deserves credit for honoring the source material and retaining its morbid humor.

Halloween is not exactly central to the plot here.  But we do get a scene that features an early version of trick or treating and the opening credits feature traditional Halloween symbols like witches, owls and black cats.

Arsenic and Old Lace is a classic adaptation that makes for great Halloween viewing.

J.A. Morris' rating:

4 jack o'lanterns!

Black-ish: "The Prank King"

Premiered October 29, 2014.

"What I love most about Halloween is a Johnson family tradition I like to call 'pranking the living crap out of each other.'"
-Dre Johnson

It's Halloween and the Johnson family is preparing for Halloween.  Dre Johnson (Anthony Anderson) is excited because everyone in his family engages in a glorious festival of outrageous pranks during the spooky season.  Dre prides himself on being the king of pranks his family and is delighted that his oldest child Zoey (Yara Shahidi) is an "evil genius" in this regard, particularly where her younger brother Andre Jr (Marcus Scribner) is concerned.

Dre admires his Halloween handiwork

Zoey surprises her father when she says she's outgrown pranking and won't participate in the Halloween shenanigans, calling it "kind of lame."  Her mother Bow (Tracee Ellis Ross) understands that Zoey is a teenager, but Dre is heartbroken.  He hates the idea that his little girl is growing up.

But Dre is undaunted.  He remembers that one of Zoey's favorite activities is watching bad stuff happen her little brother.  Dre decides to enlist the twins, Jack and Diane's (Miles Brown and Marsai Martin) help in pranking Junior in order to remind Zoey of the joys of seasonal pranks.   His stunt fails as  Zoey finds the prank  to be "kind of mean" and tells Dre to "grow up."
Making matters worse, Junior also says he's done with pranks.

With the pranking tradition seemingly dead, the Dre and Bow dedicate their energies to the family Halloween costume.  They plan to dress up as the 70s-era Jackson Five!
Junior and Zoey flatly refuse to participate.  Bow and Dre are let down over this and feel like their family is falling apart.

Meanwhile, outrageous pranks at Dre's office cause his clueless boss, Mr. Stevens (Peter Mackenzie) to put a stop to the office hilarity after Charlie (Deon Cole) accidentally/on purpose punches dopey co-worker Josh (Jeff Meacham) in the face.

With pranking now out of the question at work,  the Johnsons attempt to regroup as best they can. Since they are down to only four family costume participants, they decide to dress as the Beatles.

Unfortunately,  Diane and Jack say they're not interested in candy, since they just learned about diabetes in school!

This is too much for Dre.  He decides that Halloween is now cancelled, and demonstrates this by attacking his elaborate yard display.  He pouts, saying he has no children, since they're all determined to be grown-ups now!  

Will the Johnson family manage to have a happy Halloween after all this?  Or is the holiday ruined?

RigbyMel says:

This is a very enjoyable holiday episode of a fun series.  It taps into various family dynamics like sibling rivalry and parents' mixed feelings at seeing their children grow up.

Dre vs. Halloween lawn decor.

Halloween is a holiday usually associated with children that has been appropriated by adults who want to hang on to their own childhoods in recent years.  This episode humorously illustrates this -- Dre (and Bow, to a lesser extent) seem to be way more invested in the holiday than their kids.   The "adults" at Dre's office engage in stupid pranks that involve the injury of co-workers.

BUT "The Prank King" also taps into the understandable fear that people with whom we are close might not appreciate or understand us.   As there should be in a Halloween episode, there is a bit of a plot twist that helps mitigate those fears.

The comedic timing of all the actors is impressive -- particularly when Anthony Anderson as Dre gets more of a scare than he bargained for and begins crawling around his living room army style!

Child actors on TV sitcoms are frequently obnoxious, but the Johnson kids all come off as both genuine AND funny in their quirkiness.  The young actors playing them do a great job in this (and pretty much every other episode) of  Black*ish.

This episode is well worth seeking out and is available on Amazon streaming and on DVD.

RigbyMel's rating:

4 jack o'lanterns

The polyester glory of the "Jackson 5 plus Janet"

J.A. Morris says:

Black-ish is one of my favorite current series and "The Prank King" is one of its strongest episodes. While watching, I thought of my own decision to stop Trick or Treating at age 12.  The first year without treats was a tough one, but it was part of growing up.  My parents accepted this decision with more grace than Dre shows here.

Dre disguised as a chair.

This episode also deals with the dynamics of the parents' relationship.  As prank king, Dre has driven Bow to her limits and she's looking for a way to usurp his title.  We get a scene where Bow tells the kids she really needs "a win" against Dre because sometimes he's hard to deal with.  However, it's obvious that Bow loves him very much.

The actors are all excellent in "The Prank King."

Anderson gives his all here, especially during the scene where Dre freaks out and attacks his Halloween display.  Tracee Ellis Ross shows she's more than a match for Anderson when it comes to comic timing.  

Dre cancels Halloween by "executing" a ghost with a nail gun!

I appreciated Marcus Scribner's performance as Junior.  Scribner plays straight man to the rest of the Johnson family and is often the victim of pranks.  But he's a good sport and still delivers some very funny lines.

Deon Cole and Trent Meacham, are also very funny as Dre's co-workers Charlie and Josh.  And all the actors do a good job making funny "scared" faces throughout this episode.

Dre as "mid-70s Tito."

"The Prank King" is a great Halloween episode.  I wouldn't go so far as to rate it a "classic," but it's one I plan to watch during many Octobers yet to come.

J.A. Morris' rating:

4 jack o'lanterns!