Criss-crossing autumn’s golden gown
Light in color and lank of frame
Standing stark against the plain
Battered tricorne for his crown.
Awaking Sleepy Hollow domain
Faces peer through window pane
At the apparition there
Soon to be made aware
Its pedagogue Ichabod Crane.
As foolish as he may appear
He’s surprisingly urbane and debonair
His standing around the hamlet
Is buoyed by his charm and wit
And earns him many an admirer fair.
Making song and sup his habit
Only to passing pleasure commit
Till he met county coquette
Whom he could not forget
As unfortunate fate would have it.
Katrina Van Tassel as of yet
On her favorite swain hadn’t set
But Brom Bones was dismayed
By affection she displayed
For school master newly met.
To advance this game of love she played
The fair maid bade her blade
Join her Hallows Night And a special invite
To both rivals was conveyed.
In a frolic setting to excite
Maid and master took delight
In sweet step and dulcet tone
Confrontation could no longer postpone
A conclusion must ignite.
Leaving party on his own
Horse and rider all alone
Traveling at bewitching hour
Takes not long for headless spirit to devour
Leaving final fate unknown.
This Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Is rather melanchollow
And a trifle hard to follow.
For this Legend
As Irving penned
Has no decisive end.
Maybe Ichabod met his demise
At the fiery hands of the Headless guise
Who perhaps was not ethereal ghoul
But a rival much more tangible
Or maybe he survived his chase
And simply relocated to another, more amiable place.
This story is spooky, but not scary, more mystery than horror – which is the kind of Halloween tale I prefer. Bing Crosby is really the only voice heard throughout the entire episode. There are only a few voices in the chorus which are not his. And yet having him voice all the characters and do the narration works. His entire interpretation is delightful. There are surprising and amusing inflections, but he never resorts to “doing voices” or going over the top. Crosby’s voice and tone fits perfectly. In fact sleepy, hollow might be a most apt description of his crooning style. And the songs he sings are quite catchy.
I always have been fond of the traditional Disney opening, that starts in an ornate library and then focuses in on the classic, gilt tome, which is how this story begins. The entire cartoon clocks in at about thirty minutes, and moves rather briskly throughout. I think the climax with the Headless Horseman, Ichabod, and the most animated animated horse ever is my favorite cinematic chase scene. It is the perfect blend of comedy and terror. The transformation of the old grey nag from lazy sack of skin and bones, to terrifiedly motivated race horse, and the camaraderie that develops between him and Ichabod out of a shared goal of avoiding death is quite impressive. Even if Ichabod wasn’t fortunate enough to escape the fiery pumpkin I always hope that the plow horse made it to greener meadows.
Finally, to continue in the vein of a cartoon Halloween I recommend also viewing “Trick or Treat,” a 1952 Donald Duck cartoon featuring his mischievous nephews aided in their trickery by Witch Hazel and the slightly more intense “Ajax the Gorilla.”
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