The Wind in the Willows (1949)

The Wind in the Willows is the American 1949 animated comedy-adventure short film, based on the novel by Kenneth Grahame, produced by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures. It was originally released as the first segment of the feature film, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. It was reissued as a stand-alone short in the 1950s. It was the world's longest theatrical short film to date.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) This cartoon had lighter and softer tone, compared to Kenneth Grahame's beloved story.
 * 2) Great animation for the 1949 standards.
 * 3) * Don Lusk did a very good job animating Mr. Toad.
 * 4) The protagonists, J. Thaddeus Toad, Cyril Proudbottom, Angus MacBadger, Water Rat and the Mole, are humorous and easily lovable.
 * 5) Prior to Alice in Wonderland, this cartoon short film stays clearly faithful to the late 19th-century British culture.
 * 6) Walt Disney got his chance to create "the British Looney Tunes" (of the Warner Bros. fame).
 * 7) Clever British-themed humor.
 * 8) Several funny scenes such as Mr. Toad imitating a motor car.
 * 9) It received it's own ride at Disneyland and formerly Walt Disney World called Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.
 * 10) "TOAD ARRESTED!"
 * 11) Decent voice acting, as the characters almost sounded with British accents.
 * 12) * The film music composer, Oliver Wallace does voicing Mr. Winky.
 * 13) The characters are brilliantly designed.
 * 14) Mr. Winky and his weasel minions are the very funny main villains.
 * 15) * The weasels are later appeared as Judge Doom's henchmen, nearly 40 years later, in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?.
 * 16) Basil Rathbone does a very good narration.
 * 17) Oliver Wallace's great soundtrack.
 * 18) In Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Mr. Toad does his very great cameo appearance.
 * 19) Very smooth stop-motion animated sequences.
 * 20) The chase scene was later used in the scene from Walt Disney's farewell cartoon feature film, The Jungle Book.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) Plot hole: Mr. Toad command to steal the motorcar.
 * 2) While likable, Mr. Toad can be an idiotic jerk at times, until he redeemed himself, when he's in prison.