Rating: 3/5
Hooptober 3.0 | 17/31 | Before 1970 4/5 | Decades 4/5 | 20s
Sleepy Hollow, 1790 Ichabod Crane, the Yankee schoolmaster, arrives on a carriage, his head buried in Cotton Mather’s book on the history of New England witchcraft. Before arriving, Crane read up on the superstitions of Sleepy Hollow, most famously, their Headless Horseman legend. The horseman was a Hessian trooper who rode each night from his churchyard grave in search of his head, which he lost in battle. Unlike some, he believes the story to be true.
Katrina Van Tassel is the daughter of Baltus Van Tassel, the wealthiest farmer in the Hollow. She has some suitors, but Abraham Van Brunt (aka “Brom Bones”) is her most favored. They and the school committee congregate to welcome the new schoolmaster. Upon meeting Katrina, Ichabody drops his hat in excitement. Some folks worry about hiring such a fussy Yankee instead of an honest, god-fearing Dutchman.
Ichabod is a strict schoolteacher, birching students for even the most minor offenses. A child comes home limping from the thrashing he received. Though his father assumes the child deserves it, the mother works to have Ichabod dismissed.
The film follows Ichabod’s foibles as he loses favor with the town and eventually faces the Headless Horseman.
I’m a little lost regarding the negative reviews. I don’t think it’s a tremendous achievement in film, but it’s a faithful adaptation with effective ghost special effects. Will Rogers hams it up as the arrogant idiot Ichabod Crane, giving the film a more comedic tone than outright horror. The film spends more time showcasing his foolishness than dealing with the headless horseman, so maybe that’s why it’s disappointing folks.
This movie has the most adult-looking baby I’ve ever seen. Not an elderly man baby, but a tax-paying, 9-to-5-working adult the size of an infant.