Washington Irving‘s 1820 short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” heralded an enduring Halloween icon with the Headless Horseman, an unforgettable, imposing character that practically begged to be translated into a visual medium. While Disney’s classic feature The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad wasn’t the first to adapt Irving’s short, the more family-friendly approach and distinct Halloween setting to The Legend of Sleepy Hollow segment ensures that it’s a holiday staple that still holds up well 75 years later.

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad was released in theaters on October 5, 1949, but the road getting there was tough and winding thanks to World War II. The film pairs two unlikely tales together: The Wind in the Willows and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Both were intended as separate feature-length animated films, but the company was dealing with financial strife at the time and was forced to pivot.