Behind the Scenes at Denham Studios

Anthony Eustrel, Patrick Barr and Walt Disney

Once again I am indebted to Neil Vessey for sending me yet more rare pictures of the making of Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (1952). Neil has kindly scanned these images from the Picture Show Annual of 1953. Above we can see Anthony Eustrel in costume as the Archbishop of Canterbury, Patrick Barr as King Richard the Lionheart with Walt Disney, during the filming of Robin Hood at Denham Studios.

In July 1951, just as his cartoon version of Alice in Wonderland  was released in America, Walt Disney visited England with his wife Lilian and his daughters, to supervise the production of his second live-action movie.


Ken Annakin with Perce Pearce

In the second image (above) we can see Ken Annakin (1914-2009) the director of this wonderful film with Perce Pearce (1899-1955). Pearce was chosen by Disney to supervise and produce his early film productions in England, including Treasure Island, The Sword and the Rose, Rob Roy the Highland Rogue and of course The Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men.

To read more about the making of Robin Hood at Denham Studios and the wonderful cast of actors that appeared in this Technicolor masterpiece, please click on the relevant labels.



5 comments:

Clement Glen said...

Thanks to Neil for sharing these rare images of behind the scenes at Denham in 1951.

Neil said...

The last film ever made at Denham - and what a great one to end with - so it is always exciting to see pictures taken 'Behind the Scenes' at the time - as these were. It must have seemed like a last ditch chance to keep the Studios going when none other than Walt Disney decided to make Treasure Island' and then 'The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men' there. More so in that these two pictures did very well at the Box Office on a Worldwide scale - something that the British films of that time or earlier made at Denham seemed unable to do. The promotion of these films was really excellent and a real lesson on how to do just that - in many ways a very vital part of film making and indeed any business venture. The lavish sets and startling Technicolor helped also in an era when early television certainly - and many of the films - were in Black and White.

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