The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1980) (TV)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Henning Schellerup

Writers:

Washington Irving (story) and
Thomas C. Chapman (writer)

Release Date:

31 October 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy | Horror

Plot:

A TV adaptation of Washington Irving's classic ghost story. Humor is the drawing card in this version...

Plot Keywords:

Ghost | Legend | Headless Horseman | Based On Short Story | Superstition

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy.

Cast

Jeff Goldblum	...	Ichabod Crane
Paul Sand	...	Frederic
Meg Foster	...	Katrina Van Tassel
Laura Campbell	...	Thelma
Dick Butkus	...	Brom Bones
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
James Griffith	...	Squire Van Tassel
H.E.D. Redford	...	Karl
Michael Ruud	...	Palmer
John Sylvester White	...	Vanderhoof

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Utah, USA

Company:

Sunn Classic Pictures

Quotes:

Ichabod Crane: Who said who?
Boy: Chief Running Buffalo.
Ichabod Crane: Who?
Boy: The ghost of Chief Running Buffalo, sir.
[points up to an owl]
Ichabod Crane: The ghost? You don't believe in that kind of stuff do you?
Boy: Well this school house was built on an old Indian cemetery, Grandpa says it's haunted by spirits from the past.

Movie Connections:

Version of "The Wind in the Willows" (1984)

The best Ichabod ever.

I love this version of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Jeff Goldblum is the best Ichabod Crane I have ever seen. Unfortunately, I have only seen it maybe every other Halloween, shown on various local stations that don't advertise their lineups in the TV guide. Also unfortunately, the film is aging poorly so every year it gets a little fuzzier. But it doesn't feel like Halloween until you see Goldblum's stammering and Adam's apple bobbing and the lovely romance emphasized in this version. I'm crossing my fingers that it will be remastered and put on DVD. Am I crazy? Yes, but I can hope.