Matt Crandall has kindly sent me a copy of this 'Robin Hood Flour' poster. It was issued as part of the promotion for Walt Disney's live-action movie The Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (1952).
We have looked at this advertisement several times. Janet VanMeter, a Robin Hood fan and regular blog reader, shared pictures of her complete cookie-cutter collection.
Also included in the film promotion were three giveaway small comic books, 7.25 inches tall x 5 inches wide and printed by Western Publishing. The first free comic was ‘The Miller’s Ransom,’ followed by the ‘Ghosts of Waylea Castle', the third is sadly unknown. The comics were written by Don Christensen and illustrated by Tony Sgroi and Russ Manning.
Robin Hood Flour was founded in 1900 by Donald Mclean in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, in western Canada. In 1909 the mill was taken over by Francis Atherton Bean of Minneapolis and within two years, it produced over 1,600 barrels of flour daily.
Using the green and red archer emblem as a sign of good value and respectability, Robin Hood Flour and its recipes have remained popular for over a century. In the late 50s and early 1960s, the company even used a jingle made from the theme tune of the classic TV series The Adventures of Robin Hood which starred Richard Greene.
Although the illustration on the poster is supposed to represent Richard Todd as Robin Hood, I don't think it's a very good likeness. What do you think?
If you want to see previous articles about Robin Hood Flour, just click on the label 'Film Promotion.'
