The Wind in the Willows

• Directors: Jules Bass; Arthur Rankin, Jr.
• AMG Rating:
• Genre: Fantasy
• Movie Type: Children's Fantasy
• Main Cast: Paul H. Frees, Charles Nelson Reilly, José Ferrer
• Release Year: 1987
• Country: US
• Run Time: 94 minutes

Plot

Completed in 1985, Rankin/Bass' feature-length cartoon version of Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows had its network debut delayed several times; the film finally premiered on July 5, 1987. This adaption of the 1908 Grahame story was more faithful to the source that the enjoyable but overly slick 1949 Disney version Ichabod and Mr. Toad (ironically, the Rankin/Bass version was shown in the timeslot normally occupied by ABC's Disney Sunday Movie). This lighthearted tale of the foolish Mr. Toad and the attempts by his anthropomorphic-animal friends to keep Toad from making a fool of himself was wonderfully brought to life by the whimsically epicene voicework of Charles Nelson Reilly (as Toad), Roddy McDowall, Jose Ferrer and Eddie Bracken. The film's character design and background art brilliantly evoke the spirit of Kenneth Grahame's original illustrations. Since its initial telecast, Wind in the Willows has become a fixture of virtually every video rental store in the nation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cast

• Paul H. Frees
• Charles Nelson Reilly - Toad
• José Ferrer

Eddie Bracken; Ian Carmichael; Michael Hordern; David Jason; Roddy McDowall; Richard Pearson; Robert McFadden

Credit

Jules Bass - Director, Arthur Rankin, Jr. - Director, Mark Hall - Producer

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The Wind in the Willows