The Wind in the Willows (1983 film)

The Wind In The Willows film was based on the original book by Kenneth Grahame. It was described as the "pilot" episode which launched the TV series. The screenplay for the film was written by Rosemary Anne Sisson.

Cast

 * Mole (Voiced by Richard Pearson)
 * Rat (Voiced by Ian Carmichael)
 * Toad (Voiced by David Jason)
 * Badger (Voiced by Sir Michael Hordern)
 * Chief Weasel (Voiced by David Jason)
 * Weasel Henchman (Voiced by Brian Trueman)
 * Other Voices: Edward Kelsey, Jonathan Cecil, Alan Bardsley, Beryl Reid and Una Stubbs

Plot
Mole works very hard in his home at Mole End doing Spring cleaning. Finally he gets fed up and decides to go outside where he meets Rat who introduces him to the River and it's ways. While they are having a picnic, they meet Badger and Rat invites him to join them, but being a hater of society Badger goes home.

They later go to see Toad at Toad Hall who is always coming up with new ideas and crazes that often get him into trouble. This time he decides to travel the world in a caravan with a horse to pull it and invites Rat and Mole to join him. However during the trip, a motorcar whizzes by and the cart is destroyed, but Toad doesn't care for he now has a new craze: Motorcars.

He wastes no time in buying several of them, but he always ends up crashing and destroying each one. Mole and Rat watch him with great worry.

In Winter, Mole wants to see Badger, but when Rat won't take him, he decides to go on his own to the Wild Wood where he lives and ends up getting lost and very frightened.

Rat discovers that Mole is not at home and goes off to the Wild Wood to search for him and finally finds him at the bottom of a hill. They travel on together and Mole trips over a door scraper. The two animals rub the snow away to reveal Badger's house.

They ring the bell and Badger appears. At first he's a little grumpy thinking that the Wild Wooders are playing a silly joke on him, but when he sees it's Rat and Mole he invites them in.

They sit around the fire having conversations and finally discussing Toad and his craze for Motorcars. Badger decides that all three of them should visit Toad and try to covert him back to being sensible.

They all arrive at Toad Hall where Toad is just getting ready for a "jolly spin" in his new and latest Motorcar and invites the others to join him. Badger gruffly tells him that he will send the Motorcar back and tells the others to take Toad inside.

Badger has a stern talk with Toad in the library saying that he is giving the animals a bad name with his dangerous driving, smashes and rows with the police, but he is a good fellow in many respects and he doesn't want to be too hard on him. He makes Toad promise to give up Motorcars forever and the animal agrees.

But after they leave Toad immediately says that he isn't sorry and will go in the very first Motorcar he sees. Badger decides to use force to bring Toad to reason by locking him in his bedroom.

The three animals take turns in watching and looking after Toad for several days. Toad pretends that he is still driving on the highway, picking up a plate and pretending to drive. It is Rat's turn to watch him and Badger leaves, warning him that Toad may try to trick him. Toad manages to persuade Rat that he's ill and when he leaves to discuss the situation with the others, Toad escapes from his window and they end up chasing him down the snowy path.

They eventually lose him and suddenly Mole smells his own home that he left behind so he and Rat go back to find it.

Meanwhile Toad tricks a couple and steals their Motorcar as well as being extremely rude to a policeman. He drives away down the road into the distance.

At Mole End, Rat is marvelling over Mole's home. While they are having dinner, some Carol singers arrive and the two friends invite them in. One of the Carol singers tell them that Toad has been arrested

At the court, the Judge charges Toad with stealing a motorcar, driving to the public danger and finally being rude to the Police. With the help of the Clerk in making a decision, Toad is sentanced to twenty years in prison. He is then transported to an underground cell.

Meanwhile at Toad Hall, Badger who has heard the news from his friends is telling Mole and Rat that he will continue to watch Toad Hall untill Toad returns, unaware that one of the Weasels is watching them.

Toad is extremely miserable and sobbing, the jailer's daughter enters his cell and gives him some food. Toad starts cheering up and starts chatting with her.

The Weasels led by their Chief creep up to Toad Hall. They sneak in and after knocking Badger out, drag him out into the cold night and take over the Hall.

Back at Toad's cell, the Jailer's daughter gives Toad a way of escaping by disguising himself as a washerwoman, which he at first refuses, but he sees the girl's good intentions and eventually agrees.

Toad manages to get past the Jailer who is suddenly suspicious of this washerwoman's manners and realises that Toad has escaped. Toad meanwhile makes his way out of the prison gate and goes to the Train station, only to find to his horror that the same people that he stole the motorcar from are there.

He rushes to the Train Driver and pretends that he is a poor washerwoman who needs to get home to his children. The kind Train Driver agrees to give him a lift although it is against regulations.

Suddenly the Judge and two Policeman appear, but the Train already starts and goes off into the distance, suddenly the couple realise that Toad is on that train.

Toad is feeling extremely pleased with himself untill another train is persuing them, he is forced to admit who he really is to the Train Driver who in turn pushes him off into a field by the Railway tracks. Toad goes to Rat's house, but his friend doesn't recognise him until he tells him so and goes inside. Mole is there too and together they tell Toad about Badger and that Toad Hall has been taken over by the Weasels.

Badger suddenly appears and tells Toad how he has been looked after by Rat and Mole and has come up with a plan to get Toad Hall back. That same night, the Weasels are celebrating.

Next Morning Badger is looking over some documents showing the interior of Toad Hall, while Rat is watching through a telescope of how strong guarded the Hall is. Toad gets up and Badger tells Toad that the hall has a secret passage that only he and Toad's father knew about, but would only tell him in most urgent of needs.

Mole arrives dressed in Toad's washerwoman disguise and tells his friends how he scared the Weasels by telling them that they would be attacked by several animals resembling them which was all part of Badger's plan.

That night, the four friends find the tunnel and hear the Weasels having a banquet. The Chief Weasel is raising a toast to Toad and making fun of him which makes Toad very angry. They go through the secret doorway and begin to fight the Weasels with Toad swinging from a chandiler, Mole and Rat attacking with a cricket bat and sword and Badger thumping each one with all his might. In the end, Toad falls from the chandelier and lands hard on the Chief Weasel. The four friends celebrate their victory.

Later Rat, Mole and Badger are relaxing near the river at Rat's House. Toad suddenly flies past them almost knocking them over in an aeroplane which is his new latest craze. All three of his friends are very angry and watch as Toad's aeroplane breaks down and crashes into the river. During the end credits, they are seen pulling Toad out of the river.

Transcript

 * The Wind In The Willows (1983 film)/Transcript

Credits
Jonathan Cecil, Edward Kelsey, Una Stubbs, Brian Trueman and Alan Bardsley Jerry Andrews, John Squire and Tony Dunsterville
 * Story by Kenneth Grahame
 * Adapted by Rosemary Anne Sission
 * Voices by Richard Pearson, Ian Carmichael, David Jason, Sir Michael Hordern, Beryl Reid,
 * Animated by Majorie Graham, Barry Purves, Andrea Lord and Sue Pugh
 * Model Characters Designed and Sculpted by Brain Cosgrove, Bridget Appleby and David Hayes
 * Model Characters Constructed by Peter Saunders, Neal Scanlan, Rebecca Hunt and Bridget Smith
 * Models, Sets and Props by Chris Walker, Yvonne Fox, Terry Brown,
 * Illustration by Beverley Bush
 * Costume Design by Nigel Cornford
 * Stills Photography by Richard Smiles
 * Music Composed by Keith Hopwood and Malcolm Rowe
 * Arranged by Brian Ibbleston
 * Model Camera by Joe Dembinski
 * Rostrum Camera by Frank Hardie
 * Dubbing Mixer: Ted Spooner
 * Processing by Humphries Laboratories, Manchester
 * Film Editor: John McManus
 * Assistant Editors: Nibs Senior and Zygmunt Markiewicz
 * Executive Producer: John Hambley
 * Produced by Mark Hall and Brian Cosgrove
 * Animation Director: Chris Taylor
 * Directed by Mark Hall
 * A Cosgrove Hall Production (c) 1983