Cousin Will

 Anthony Forwood played Will Scarlet in Walt Disney’s The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952), starring Richard Todd as Robin Hood. Known as “Cousin Will,” he was one of Robin’s men and brought a quiet charm and elegance to the role.

Despite being an established member of Robin’s band, Will Scarlet receives very little character growth throughout the film. We learn almost nothing about his background, personality, or relationship with Robin beyond being called his cousin. His role is largely confined to supporting the other Merrie Men, with one of his more memorable moments being the playful “christening” of Little John by throwing him into the river.

Forwood continued acting in films throughout the 1950s, including Knights of the Round Table (1953). Although his time as Will Scarlet was brief and the character was underdeveloped, his handsome appearance and natural presence made him a memorable part of Disney’s colourful vision of the legend.

Robin Hood Alive

There’s something rather sad about seeing The Death of Robin Hood (2026) — a much darker, more sombre and revisionist take on a legend many of us grew up loving.

Reviews have described the film as “brutal”, “grim” and “contemplative”, stripping away much of the “merry” spirit of the traditional legend and focusing instead on violence, guilt and atonement.

But I have to admit… I prefer my Robin Hood alive! 🏹🌳

Give me the Robin Hood of old — Sherwood Forest, Maid Marian, Little John, the Merry Men, the laughter, the adventure and that wonderful sense of freedom and justice. Those are the memories that made Robin Hood such a timeless hero.

Some legends simply belong in the forest, bow in hand, with a twinkle in their eye — alive, merry and forever young. 

Autographs of the Stars!

 

Special thanks to John Nelson for sharing this amazing collection of autographs from the stars of Disney’s The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men. The collection was discovered on an American auction site and was probably worth a king’s ransom! Most intriguingly, the autographs are dated 24 April 1951.

Filming began at Denham Studios on 30 April 1951, with Walt Disney visiting the production in June. Filming continued through July and was completed in August 1951. This raises the fascinating possibility that these autographs were collected at Denham before the start of filming.

The film’s copyright was registered on 6 March 1952, and it premiered in London on 13 March 1952.

Joan & Richard

 

Don’t forget to visit our Disney’s Story of Robin Hood Facebook page, now with over 640 followers! 🏹🌲 Thank you for your amazing support! ❤️

Belgian Comic Strip 1.

My loyal blog readers will recall the two Disney Robin Hood comic strips featured over the years. Below is the first version, published in the Belgian Mickey Magazine in the 1950s.

Publicity Still

 

A publicity still featuring Richard Todd as Robin Hood and Joan Rice as Maid Marian—one of the very first items in my collection.

 

Flying Vegetables!

 Watch out for the flying vegetables, Sheriff!

Televised World Premiere

Joan Rice arriving at the Leicester Square Theatre for the world premiere of "Robin Hood

An article in 'The Motion Picture Herald' of April-June 1952:

British Premiere For Disney's 'Robin Hood'

by PETER BURNUP

LONDON: Two other American companies here—RKO Radio and Republic—were quick to match the gauntlets thrown down by Metro and Paramount in their "Quo Vadis" and "Greatest Show on Earth" challenge; much to the satisfaction of lesser fry like theatre men in remoter places. They're all convinced now of the virtue of keeping the folks talking.

Maybe RKO had the stiffer stint with two big charity premieres within a week in London's West End. (The pictures were Disney's "Robin Hood"—Leicester Square theatre, March 13—and David E. Rose's "Saturday Island"—Odeon, at Leicester Square, March 17.)

The "Robin Hood" show was a brilliant climax to six months' planning and plugging. All the civic dignitaries of the ancient city of Nottingham—the operational base of Britain's legendary bandit—came to London for the performance. It was a flower-decked decorative occasion with linkmen dressed as Sherwood Foresters and usherettes as Maid Marions. The BBC's television crew filmed the entire foyer fiesta for broadcast throughout England the following night.

Implemented Publicity

Since the introduction of newsprint rationing early in the last war. Other magazine editorial space has been grabbed on its behalf. The BBC set aside 30 minutes for a recording which was made of the picture's opening on March 17. Another BBC programme will be devoted to the film's background music on the day of the opening.

Photo Caption:

Joan Rice, star of the film, arriving at the Leicester Square Theatre for the world premiere of "Robin Hood" in London. Some of the "Merrie Men" can be seen in the background.

Walt meets the King and Archbishop

 On 24 June 1951, Walt Disney visited the sound stages at Denham Studios and the location sets at Burnham Beeches during the production of his second live-action feature, The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men. His visit was covered by Reuters. In this photograph, Walt is pictured with Anthony Eustel, who portrayed the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Patrick Barr, who played King Richard.

Signed Robin Hood LP

 John Nelson recently sent me details of an eBay USA auction for a purportedly signed copy of the LP Walt Disney Presents The Story of Robin Hood on Disneyland Records, believed to be the 1963 soundtrack release (catalogue no. DQ-1249).

The inscription on the front cover appears to read, "With Best Wishes, Walt Disney." Although the signature's authenticity has yet to be established, the record was listed at £223.31. Unfortunately, I have been unable to determine the final selling price. My own copy, regrettably, is unsigned!

Richard Todd & The Major Oak

 

Richard Todd visited the Major Oak in Sherwood Forest in 1951 as part of his preparation for the role of Robin Hood in Walt Disney's The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men. While the film was ultimately shot at Burnham Beeches and Denham Studios in Buckinghamshire, Todd's visit to the legendary tree was featured in the promotional film The Riddle of Robin Hood, which shows him climbing into its ancient branches.

The Death of The Major Oak

 

After the euphoria of England’s football victory yesterday, it came as a real shock to wake up to the news this morning of the death of England’s heart of oak. The Major Oak in Sherwood Forest, believed to be around 1,200 years old, has reportedly succumbed to the pressures of excessive tourism, according to the Woodland Trust.

I have always loved Sherwood. It is a truly beautiful forest, rich not only in legendary tales but also in wildlife and natural beauty. So, with a heavy heart, I say goodbye to an old friend—one I have had the privilege of visiting several times over the years.

The loss of such an iconic and ancient tree feels like the end of a remarkable chapter in England’s natural heritage. May it continue to inspire future generations through its legacy, stories, and memories. 

Robin Hood's Chair Yet Again!

 

Yes, it's been spotted again!

Regular readers will be familiar with our ongoing search for the distinctive Robin Hood chairs designed by Carmen Dillon and her art department for Walt Disney's 1952 film The Story of Robin Hood. Over the years, these remarkable props have turned up in a surprising number of productions.

Thanks to a sharp-eyed blog reader, one of the chairs has now been identified in a scene from Without a Clue (1988), shown above.

Below is the latest updated list of productions in which these famous chairs have been spotted. If you recognise them in any other films or television programmes, please do get in touch.

The Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (1952)

The Men of Sherwood Forest (Film, 1954)

The Black Knight (Film, 1954)

The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV, 1955–1958)

The Dark Avenger (Film, 1955)

Ivanhoe (TV, 1958) – Episode: The Night Raiders (featuring Joan Rice, who would have remembered these chairs from her time filming at Denham Studios)

Sword of Sherwood Forest (Film, 1960)

Richard the Lionheart (TV, 1962-1963)

Robin of Sherwood (TV, 1984–1986)

The Mission – Stay With Me (Official Music Video, 1986)

Without A Clue (Film, 1988)

Horrible Histories (TV, 2013–2015)

Disney's Robin Hood Radio Series

Did you know that Disney’s The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men was also adapted into a radio series? I was just as surprised as you might be! Thanks to another fantastic contribution from our regular contributor, Neil Vessey, we now have images of the Radio Times listings from 1952 that reveal this little-known production.

Beginning on Monday, 28 April 1952, the BBC broadcast The Adventures of Robin Hood on the Light Programme in five daily half-hour episodes, concluding on 1 May 1952. The series aired around the time of the general release of Disney’s live-action film The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men and featured many members of the film’s original cast.

Listeners heard Richard Todd as Robin Hood, Joan Rice as Maid Marian, Patrick Barr as King Richard, Elton Hayes as Alan-a-Dale, Hubert Gregg as Prince John, Peter Finch as the Sheriff of Nottingham, Reginald Tate as Hugh Fitzooth, Louise Hampton as Tyb, and Hal Osmond as Midge the Miller.

Several other roles were recast for the radio series. Anthony Forwood’s character, Will Scarlet, was played by Andrew Faulds (1923–2000), while John Turnbull (1880–1956) replaced Anthony Eustrel as the Archbishop of Canterbury. The role of Stutely, portrayed in the film by Bill Owen, was taken by Jack Shaw.

The series was written by Desmond Carrington and produced by Thurston Holland. Interestingly, the radio adaptation introduced several characters from the Robin Hood legend who did not appear in the Disney film, including Gilbert of the White Hand, the Sheriff’s henchman Troughton, and Arthur à Bland.

How wonderful it would be to hear these broadcasts today. Sadly, it appears that the master recordings were destroyed, leaving only the programme listings and a fascinating glimpse into this forgotten chapter of Disney and Robin Hood history.

One curious detail in the Radio Times listing is the reference to Disney's forthcoming film as The Adventures of Robin Hood. This must surely be an error, as Disney's motion picture, The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men had already premiered in London on 13 March 1952  and would soon be on general release. 

Don't forget to visit Neil's fantastic website: Films of the Fifties

A Cut Scene

The image shared by Neil

 Recently, Laurence sent me an image from a rare Belgian stamp book showing what appears to be a scene that was ultimately cut from The Story of Robin Hood. It depicts Marian disguised as a page boy, accompanied by Allan-a-Dale, as they make their way through Sherwood Forest.

Laurence's Stamp Book image

It's a wonderful discovery. Not only are the distinctive pollarded trees of Burnham Beeches clearly visible around them, but in the background there also appears to be Upper Pond. This strongly suggests that the scene was originally filmed on location rather than in the studio setting seen in the final cut.

This week, Neil, another regular contributor, shared a second image from the same scene (top image). This time it shows Marian, Allan-a-Dale and Midge the Miller. Interestingly, there is no sign of the pond in the background. This raises the possibility that the two images were taken from different angles, or perhaps at different stages during the filming of the sequence.

Neil's image enhanced

A special thanks to Neil and Laurence.

Belgium Stamp Book

 It is always a genuine pleasure to hear from fellow enthusiasts of The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men. Laurence, a long-time and valued contributor to the blog, was recently inspired by my post regarding the film's deleted scenes. In response, he generously shared a few remarkable images from his own prized possession: a rare Belgian stamp book. Fascinatingly, a few illustrations capture rare moments from the production that appear to have been left entirely on the cutting room floor.

One stamp (above) shows a scene where Alan-a-Dale, Marian, and Midge the Miller are deep in Sherwood. This was not used in the finished film, for as we know, that scene was shot in the studio.

I think it is interesting in that you can see quite clearly what appears to be the Upper Pond in Burnham Beeches in the background! Wouldn't it be absolutely wonderful to see those edited scenes?

I will be showing more in my next post. 

A Picnic in Sherwood

 

Walt with Richard Todd (Robin Hood) and Joan Rice (Maid Marian) during filming The Story of Robin Hood (1952).

Welcome to the Greenwood!

 

Robin and Marian want to give a special thanks to all our regular readers. Welcome to the greenwood!

Training Friar Tuck

 

Rupert Evans (1911–1995) puts Friar Tuck — portrayed by James Hayter (1907–1985) — through his paces!

Disney's First Maid Marian

 

“I was Disney’s first Maid Marian,” Joan Rice would often proudly tell friends at her local pub in Maidenhead. Through my research into the life of this often-overlooked actress, her contribution to the Robin Hood legacy on the silver screen is finally receiving the recognition it deserves. And on this day, celebrating Maid Marian, I also want to honour the young girl from a fractured family, raised in an orphanage in Nottingham, who played in Sherwood Forest, worked as a waitress in a coffee shop, and was personally chosen by Walt Disney to bring Maid Marian to life.