A Tale of Two Toads

Last updated
A Tale of Two Toads
Written by Brian Trueman
Starring David Jason
Richard Pearson
Peter Sallis
Michael Hordern
Brian Trueman
Jimmy Hibbert
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Production
Running time60 mins
Production company Cosgrove Hall Productions
Original release
Network ITV Network (CITV)
Release29 December 1989 (1989-12-29)

A Tale of Two Toads is a 1989 hour-long feature from the 1980s stop motion animation series The Wind in the Willows , which itself was based on the 1908 novel by Kenneth Grahame. The film was animated by Cosgrove Hall and broadcast on Children's ITV. [1] A further season of 13 episodes was shown under the title, Oh, Mr. Toad in some countries, whilst retaining the title The Wind in the Willows in others.

Contents

Plot

Good friends Badger, Rat, and Mole enjoy a quiet and beautiful day by the river near Toad Hall in the English countryside. Their eccentric friend Toad himself, following his latest fad, arrives in his new steam-powered punt, but crashes and has to be fished from the river. Unknown to the friends, the Chief Weasel, Toad's arch-enemy, and his new partner, who is the spitting image of Toad himself, observe from nearby. Back at the weasel's den, the Chief introduces his partner as Isambard Beerbohm Toad: a stage actor, impersonator, and confidence trickster. Using his talents, they plan to kidnap Toad and assume his identity, with the goal of acquiring Toad Hall and its wealth. Having observed Toad, Isambard can imitate his voice and mannerisms perfectly, and they ambush Toad, tying him up in the Hall's wine cellar.

The next morning, Isambard, assuming Toad's identity, evicts young Billy Rabbit and the field mice out of Toad's old caravan and visits Mole, Rat, and Badger to spread vicious lies to sabotage their friendships and prevent them from interfering with affairs at the Hall. This fails when the rumors fall apart, and when they confront "Toad" he orders them off the property, which he cohabits with the weasels. However, the three observe some oddities in "Toad's" behavior: he mistakenly refers to the female local magistrate as a man and was unfamiliar with Mole End, Mole's residence which he has visited often, and they realize that this Toad is a false one.

While having to wash dishes, the real Toad discovers his old maid's uniform and uses it as a disguise to escape, just like how he escaped from prison as a washerwoman. But is given away by his suit which he is accidentally wearing underneath and is caught. Forced to wait on the weasels while dressed in the uniform, the three friends realize his plight and sneak into the Hall via a tunnel with a distraction by Billy and the mice. Capturing Isambard when he visits the wine cellar, instead of getting Toad to safety Badger has Toad assume Isambard's identity to spy on the Weasels. The next morning, Toad pretends to visit London as Isambard and reports back to his friends. The plot unwinds: the Weasels plan to dynamite Mole End, Rat's river house, and Badger's burrow, forcing them to leave the area while keeping the real Toad as a permanent prisoner. To avoid suspicion, Toad is convinced to return to the Hall, just in time to prevent the real Isambard from exposing Toad. The weasels sent to blow up the homes are captured by the three friends and their other friend Otter. The explosives are detonated harmlessly to trick the weasels out into the open.

The riverbankers all arrive at the Hall and capture the remaining weasels, but Isambard, escaping his bonds, has disguised himself as Toad again. The two hectically chase each other around the dining room, ending with Isambard being knocked out. Before fainting, Toad proves himself to be the true Toad by crying "Semper Bufo": Latin for the family motto "always a Toad." The imposter and Chief Weasel are arrested and sent to jail while the friends enjoy another peaceful day by the river, and Toad takes up yet another craze: stage acting.

Cast

Related Research Articles

<i>The Wind in the Willows</i> 1908 childrens novel by Kenneth Grahame

The Wind in the Willows is a classic children's novel by the British novelist Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908. It details the story of Mole, Ratty, and Badger as they try to help Mr. Toad, after he becomes obsessed with motorcars and gets into trouble. It also details short stories about them that are disconnected from the main narrative. The novel was based on bedtime stories Grahame told his son Alastair. It has been adapted numerous times for both stage and screen.

<i>Toad of Toad Hall</i> Play by A. A. Milne

Toad of Toad Hall is a play written by A. A. Milne – the first of several dramatisations of Kenneth Grahame's 1908 novel The Wind in the Willows – with incidental music by Harold Fraser-Simson. It was originally produced by William Armstrong at the Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool, on 21 December 1929. It was given in the West End the following year, and has been revived frequently by many theatrical companies.

Redwall is a series of children's fantasy novels by British writer Brian Jacques, published from 1986 to 2011. It is also the title of the first book of the series, published in 1986, as well as the name of the abbey featured in the book, and is the name of an animated television series based on three of the novels, which first aired in 1999. The books are primarily aimed at adolescents. There have been 22 novels and two picture books published. The twenty-second, and final, novel, The Rogue Crew, was posthumously released on 3 May 2011, almost three months after Jacques' death on 5 February.

<i>The Animals of Farthing Wood</i> (TV series) British-French television series

The Animals of Farthing Wood is a British animated series commissioned by the European Broadcasting Union between 1993 and 1995, and is based on the series of books written by English author Colin Dann. It was produced by Telemagination, based in London, and La Fabrique, based in Montpellier in France, but also aired in other European countries. The first countries to air the series were Norway, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, and the United Kingdom, in January 1993.

<i>The Bellmaker</i> 1994 novel by Brian Jacques

The Bellmaker is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 1994. It is chronologically the seventh book in the Redwall series.

<i>Mossflower</i> 1988 novel by Brian Jacques

Mossflower is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 1988. It is the second book published and third chronologically in the Redwall series.

<i>The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad</i> 1949 animated Disney film

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad is a 1949 American animated anthology film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. It consists of two segments: the first based on Kenneth Grahame's 1908 children's novel The Wind in the Willows and narrated by Basil Rathbone, and the second based on Washington Irving's 1820 short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and narrated by Bing Crosby. The production was supervised by Ben Sharpsteen, and was directed by Jack Kinney, Clyde Geronimi, and James Algar.

<i>The Wind in the Willows</i> (1996 film) 1996 British film by Terry Jones

The Wind in the Willows is a 1996 British adventure comedy film based on Kenneth Grahame's 1908 novel The Wind in the Willows, adapted and directed by Terry Jones, and produced by Jake Eberts and John Goldstone. The film stars Terry Jones, Steve Coogan, Eric Idle and Nicol Williamson. While positively regarded, it was a box office bomb and had distribution problems in the United States.

<i>The Wind in the Willows</i> (1983 film) 1983 British stop-motion animated television film

The Wind in the Willows is a 1983 British stop motion animated film produced by Cosgrove Hall Productions for Thames Television and aired on the ITV network. The film is based on Kenneth Grahame's classic 1908 novel The Wind in the Willows. It won a BAFTA award and an international Emmy award.

The Wind in the Willows is a British stop motion animated television series that was originally broadcast between 1984 and 1988, based on characters from Kenneth Grahame's 1908 novel The Wind in the Willows and following the 1983 feature-length pilot film.

<i>Emmet Otters Jug-Band Christmas</i> Christmas TV special first aired in 1977

Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas is a 1977 television special directed by Jim Henson, based on the 1971 children's book of the same name by Russell Hoban, itself inspired by "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry. The special features characters from Hoban's novel, in a teleplay adapted by Jerry Juhl. The special features narration by Kermit the Frog, who tells the story of Emmet Otter and his widowed Ma, a poor family of otters who struggle to get Christmas presents for the other as a result of their financial situation. The special was produced by The Jim Henson Company and first premiered on CBC Television on December 4, 1977.

<i>Wind in the Willows</i> (1988 film) 1988 Australian TV series or program

Wind in the Willows is a 1988 Australian made-for-television animated film created by Burbank Films Australia. The film is based on Kenneth Grahame's 1908 English children's novel of the same name.

Little Grey Rabbit is the lead character in a classic, eponymous series of English children's books, written by Alison Uttley and illustrated by Margaret Tempest, except for the last five, illustrated by Katherine Wigglesworth. They appeared over a forty-year period up to the mid-1970s to great acclaim, and gave rise to a TV series in 2000.

<i>The Wind in the Willows</i> (1987 film) 1987 animated television film by Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass

The Wind in the Willows is a 1987 American animated musical television film directed by Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass, co-founders of Rankin/Bass Productions in New York, New York. It is an adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's 1908 novel The Wind in the Willows. Set in a pastoral version of England, the film focuses on four anthropomorphised animal characters and contains themes of mysticism, adventure, morality, and camaraderie. The film features the voices of Charles Nelson Reilly, Roddy McDowall, José Ferrer, and Eddie Bracken. The screenplay was written by Romeo Muller, a long-time Rankin/Bass writer whose work included Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964), Frosty the Snowman (1969), The Hobbit (1977), and The Flight of Dragons (1982), among others. The film's animation was outsourced to James C.Y. Wang's Cuckoo's Nest Studios in Taipei, Taiwan.

Fern Hollow Animal Stories is a series of over sixteen books written and illustrated by British author John Patience.

<i>The Willows at Christmas</i> 1999 children’s novel by William Horwood

The Willows at Christmas is a children's novel by English writer William Horwood, first published in 1999. It is the fourth book of the Tales of the Willows series, a collection of four sequels to Kenneth Grahame's 1908 novel The Wind in the Willows.

<i>The Wind in the Willows</i> (1995 film) 1995 British animated television film by Dave Unwin

The Wind in the Willows is a 1995 British animated television film directed by Dave Unwin and written by Ted Walker, and based on the 1908 novel of the same name, a classic of children's literature by Kenneth Grahame. It was produced by the TVC in London.

<i>The Wind in the Willows</i> (musical) Musical

The Wind in the Willows is a musical written by Julian Fellowes, with music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, based on the 1908 novel of the same name, written by Kenneth Grahame. The musical received its world premiere at the Theatre Royal in Plymouth in October 2016, before transferring to The Lowry in Salford and the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton. The following year the production transferred to the West End's London Palladium, where it was filmed for cinema broadcast.

Toad Hall (<i>The Wind in the Willows</i>)

Toad Hall is the fictional home of Mr. Toad, a character in the 1908 novel The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.

<i>The Reluctant Dragon & Mr. Toad Show</i> 1970 Rankin/Bass animated television series

The Reluctant Dragon & Mr. Toad Show is a 1970 American animated television series that aired on ABC's Saturday morning schedule. The show features two characters created by British children's writer Kenneth Grahame: the Reluctant Dragon from the 1898 short story of the same name, and Mr. Toad from the 1908 novel The Wind in the Willows. The show was created by Rankin/Bass Productions in New York City, who produced 17 episodes. The show was a flop and canceled midway through its first season, airing from September 12 until December 26, 1970. ABC aired reruns of the show on Sunday mornings during the 1971–72 season. Copies of all 17 episodes were deposited at the Library of Congress, but only 8 episodes from other sources have been made publicly available as of 2024.

References

  1. Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 305. ISBN   0-8160-3831-7 . Retrieved 6 June 2020.