This has to be one of my favorite interpretations of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. For as long as I can remember I've loved the story and found it absolutely fascinating--is the horseman real? Was it somebody just getting payback on the newcomer who was moving in on his girlfriend? Were Brom and Ichabod truly in love with Katrina, or were they just interested in her inheritance from her rich father? The story itself has characters named after actual people--Katrina Van Tassel, Brom Bones and even Ichabod Crane were all real people, and Katrina and Brom are both buried in Tarrytown, New York. Every year the local running group in Sleepy Hollow has a 10k that takes you past the Old Dutch Church, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, and the famous Headless Horseman Bridge and even have someone dressed as the headless horseman riding a horse through the race. (Naturally, costumes are encouraged and the homes and businesses get in on the fun and decorate for the holiday and the race!)
The Disney version of this tale doesn't have any dialogue since it is narrated and has songs sung by the legendary Bing Crosby and remains the only Disney cartoon where the villain wins in the end. The story itself follows the same basic outline as the story written by Washington Irving--Ichabod Crane comes to town as the new schoolmaster, meets Katrina and falls head over heels in love with the young heiress. What he doesn't know is that Brom Bones already has his eye on her, and they become competitors for her attention. Brom pulls a few pranks on Ichabod, but Ichabod manages to gain Katrina and other women's attention because of his smooth social skills. The three go to Katrina's family Halloween party and Brom tells the story about the headless horseman who goes after people if they're out after dark and you're only safe after crossing a certain bridge in town. Ichabod Crane then goes missing after the party (a scene which was SO demanding on animators that many of them quit) and it's suspected that he has become the horseman's latest victim.
I was unable to find a copy of this video on YouTube, but for now it is available by somebody's upload to DailyMotion. It is also for sale on DVD and Blu-Ray as part of its original pairing with the Wind in the Willows.
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