108 – Melody Time + The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr Toad

With their ventriloquist dummy nightmares now behind them, film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Sam Summers reach the end of the Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Package Films era, watching 1948’s Melody Time, and 1949’s The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad. In the former, they encounter more Mary Blair magic, Disney’s continued attempts at drawing colonialist American myths, and delight in the (murderous) mischief of Little Toot. Then, they discuss Disney’s adaptations of The Wind In The Willows and The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow – bringing all-out Headless Horseman horror to the Disneyverse, at long last. Next up: Cinderella (but first, a Study Group bonus episode) Disniversity is brought to you by Ben Travis (@benstravis) and Sam Summers (@samsummers0), with art by Olly Gibbs and music by Nafets. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @disniversity. This podcast is not affiliated with Disney. — Welcome to Disniversity, the podcast crash course through the history of Disney’s animated classics, with film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Dr. Sam Summers. Each week, we’ll be moving forward in time through the legendary Walt Disney Animation Studios catalogue, watching every feature film in chronological order – from Snow White to Frozen II. Watch along with us, and listen as we explore each film’s historical context, advances in animation and lasting legacy, and talk about how they stand up today.