The Wind in the Willows (1983 film)

The Wind in the Willows
Directed by	Mark Hall Chris Taylor
Produced by	Brian Cosgrove Mark Hall John Hambley
Written by	Rosemary Anne Sisson (Screenplay)
Based on	The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Starring	David Jason Richard Pearson Ian Carmichael
Music by	Keith Hopwood Malcolm Rowe
Edited by	John McManus
Production company	Cosgrove Hall Films
Distributed by	Independent Television (ITV)
Release date	27 December 1983 (UK)
Running time	79 min.
Country	UK
Language	English

The Wind in the Willows is a 1983 British stop motion animated film produced by Cosgrove Hall Films for Thames Television and aired on the ITV network. The film is based on Kenneth Grahame's classic story The Wind in the Willows. It won a BAFTA award and an international Emmy award. Subsequently the studio made a 52 episode series,The Wind in the Willows based on characters from the Wind in the Willows between 1984 and 1990. Music & songs composed by Keith Hopwood, late of Herman's Hermits & Malcolm Rowe.The Stone Roses guitarist John Squire worked on this series as a set artist. Voice actors on this adaptation included David Jason, Ian Carmichael and Michael Hordern.

Fed up with spring cleaning, Mole ventures out of his underground home. He goes for a walk in the countryside and soon comes to a river where he meets and befriends Ratty (who lives there). Rat takes Mole on a picnic where they notice Badger (who appears behind the bushes) and ask him to join them, but he just mutters "Hmmm! Company!" and walks off home (though he still is their friend). Rat starts to warn Mole of the Wild Wood and its inhabitants, but they are interrupted by the arrival of the Chief Weasel and his henchman. While the Chief distracts them, his henchmen steals a jar of potted meat and they make their getaway. Ratty then takes Mole to visit their friend Toad at Toad Hall, and Toad asks them to come with him on a caravan trip on the Open Road; with his horse Alfred pulling it. Ratty really misses his home on the river but does not want to disappoint his friends. On the Open Road, disaster strikes as a passing motorcar sends Alfred into a panic and the caravan into a ditch. Toad suddenly decides he no longer wants to travel by Alfred and the caravan cart, and thinks that motor cars are the only way to travel. As time goes by, Rat and Mole can do nothing but look on as Toad buys and then almost immediately crashes his cars one after another. In winter, Rat and Mole are extremely worried and they decide to call on Badger to see if he has any suggestions; if there's anyone Toad will listen to, it's Badger. But Rat fell asleep, refusing to take Mole to the Wild Wood.