Making The Story III

Richard Todd and Antony Forwood on bicycles

Richard Todd as Robin Hood and Anthony Forwood (Will Scarlet) arrive in Burnham Beeches on bicycles for some location shooting, just seven miles from Denham Studios. And, is that the actress Martitia Hunt on a motorbike (below)? 

We will also see Joan Rice on a bicycle later. Let's take another glimpse behind the scenes of the making of Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (1952).

Is this Martitia Hunt?

This is the third and final part of my look at Walt Disney's Riddle of Robin Hood (1951). This promotional film was for his live-action Technicolor movie The Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (1952).

I must apologise for the quality of the images in this article as they are simply taken from the grainy original film. But they give us an exclusive glimpse behind the scenes of the making of The Story of Robin Hood.

Joan Rice arrives at Denham Studios

The director Ken Annakin bemoaned in his autobiography how Joan Rice (1930-1997) would ride her bike everywhere and sometimes fall off. In the latter part of The Riddle of Robin Hood, we see the beautiful actress (above) leave her cottage and ride through the gates of Denham Studios.

Nearly all of The Riddle of Robin Hood has been uploaded on YouTube and can be seen under the title: How Disney Made The Story of Robin Hood (1952) | You Asked For It. But, sections are missing, including Walt Disney with art director Carmen Dillon examining a model of Nottingham castle's drawbridge (below).

Carman Dillon and Walt Disney

Another interesting shot (below) shows director Ken Annakin and producer Perce Pearce planning a scene, while some of the cast take a break.

Kan Annakin and Perce Pearce

A young award-winning director of photography, Guy Green is shown using one of the huge Technicolor cameras in the castle (below).

Guy Green filming in the castle

The narrator of The Riddle of Robin Hood (possibly Hans Conried, the voice of Captain Hook in Disney's Peter Pan) claims that the animals used in The Story were authentic to the medieval period. The horses, shown below were English hunters and proved quite temperamental during filming.

The horses on set in Nottingham Square

And finally below, is an interesting shot of the mastiff with its trainer and the crew filming the scene when Friar Tuck's dog chases the sheriff across a stream.

The mastiff with its trainer

A huge thank you to Neil Vessey for making The Riddle of Robin Hood available for me to see.

Making The Story II

Ken Annakin starts filming inside Nottingham Castle

This is my second blog post about the short promotional film 'The Riddle of Robin Hood'. My first article described how this 12-minute movie was the idea of Disney legend Bill Walsh (1913-1975), pictured below. The film showed some fascinating behind-the-scenes footage of the making of 'The Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men' (1952). The image above is a good example and shows director Ken Annakin starting to shoot a dramatic castle scene.

As you can probably guess, I have always loved the movie, 'The Story of Robin Hood'. It triggered not only my interest in the legend of the outlaw but a love of history. 

There were reports that Warner Brothers, the makers of the classic 1938  'Adventures of Robin Hood' starring Errol Flynn, resented the fact, that an animation studio, was lining up to film a new live-action version in the early 1950s. Producer Perce Pearce admitted that at that time, it would be the 14th film interpretation.

So, Walt knew that he needed to approach the story differently. The main message put across in the 12-minute promotional film, 'The Riddle of Robin Hood,' is that their Robin Hood film would be historically 'accurate' and shows the research crew's trip to England.

One of the team inspected a medieval manuscript

Richard Todd, producer Perce Pearce, scriptwriter Lawrence Edward Watkin, historical advisor Dr Charles Beard and art director Carmen Dillon visited Nottingham City Library, Nottingham Castle, Newstead Abbey, Edwinstowe, Sherwood Forest, Ollerton, Creswell Crags, Nottingham’s Caves, the Salutation Inn and the Trip to Jerusalem Inn. Their quest was to 'bring the REAL story of Robin Hood to the screen.'

Richard Todd explores a limestone cave

The narrator describes how they sifted through hundreds of manuscripts and old documents in museums and libraries across England. Even inspecting the ballads sung by minstrels.

We get to see art director Carmen Dillon's original drawings and model for Nottingham Square (above) that have been inspired by all the historical research. 

One of the research crew and advisors on the film was Dr Charles Beard, seen above, described as a historical scholar and expert on the "mode and the manners and customs of medieval England".  But, I don't think they had cigarettes in those days!

A very interesting moment in the 'Riddle of Robin Hood' is seeing Richard Todd being trained by Rupert Evans, 'England's outstanding authority on ancient and medieval combat'.

"Even the horses typical of Robin's time and place were sought", says the narrator, "not Hollywood cow ponies or Arabian stallions, but English hunters, of a breed familiar to the period."

Evidence of attention to historical detail by Carmen Dillon's art department can be seen in the still above showing an example of a Norman arch of the 11th and 12th Centuries.

It was Perce Pearce, Disney's director on 'The Story of Robin Hood' who was tasked to find a young British actress - 'perhaps someone relatively unknown, who suggests the countryside, but is also aristocratic.' 

Six girls auditioned for the role. Out of the six, it was twenty-one-year-old Joan Rice (1930-1997) who was chosen for a screen test at Denham Studios, in full costume in February 1951. The tests were then sent back to Walt in America. After seeing Joan he told Perce Pearce, that she has quality, a "great little emoter, the camera loves her, she gets my vote!"

 

During the beginning scenes of 'The Riddle of Robin Hood', I spotted Perce Pearce carrying an image of Joan Rice (above). 

The image above of Joan (above) might possibly have been used for a screen test.

I want to thank regular contributor Neil Vessey who originally tracked down the 'Riddle of Robin Hood'.

More to follow.

Making The Story

Walt Disney reading Robin Hood

In 2008, I was lucky enough to watch Walt Disney’s 12-minute promotional film ‘The Riddle of Robin Hood.’ This is an extremely rare piece of cinematic history. What it reveals is the amount of groundwork and research Disney and his staff carried out before a single frame of his lavish Technicolor movie  ‘The Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men’ was shot.

Producer Perce Pearce, Richard Todd and the research team

Walt Disney’s production crew, including producer Perce Pearce, scriptwriter Lawrence Edward Watkin, historical advisor Dr Charles Beard art director Carmen Dillon and Richard Todd visited Nottingham City Library, Nottingham Castle, Newstead Abbey, Edwinstowe, Sherwood Forest including Robin Hood’s Larder (now gone) and the Major Oak, Ollerton, Creswell Crags, Nottingham’s Caves, the Salutation Inn and the Trip to Jerusalem Inn.

Richard Todd climbs the Major Oak

The idea for this short promotional film came from Bill Walsh (1913-1975). His career with Walt Disney began in June 1943. Initially, he started as a joke writer and publicist, which led to work on the syndicated Micky Mouse cartoon strip. But this portly, cigar-chomping New Yorker would later become one of the most successful producers in entertainment history.

Disney soon noticed Walsh's talents in publicity and put him in charge of the studio’s first television production ‘One Hour in Wonderland,’ which aired on Christmas Day in 1950. Later, when the studio began planning their second live-action movie, ‘The Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men’ in 1951, Disney invited Walsh over to England.

Left to right. Perce Pearce, Walt Disney, Lawrence Watkin

Once in England, Walsh put his instinct as a publicist to good use and conceived the idea of a 12-minute promotional film about the making of this new Disney live-action movie. He called it 'The Riddle of Robin Hood' and it included details about the amount of research the studio had made into the ancient legend and backstage production scenes. The Riddle of Robin Hood was shown in schools, cinemas and TV stations across the country. Walsh described Disney as being delighted because:

“We were getting a lot of mileage out of this goofy little film and Walt was sort of enchanted by all that free space promoting the film.”

Today, Walsh's 'goofy little film' gives a fascinating insight into the Disney studio’s live-action production of Robin Hood.  It takes you behind the scenes, right from the early research, the planning stages, set construction and on to the filming at Denham Film Studios in 1951. 

To be continued soon…

Carmen Dillon's Robin Hood

Scathelock is put in the stocks

Neil has been a regular contributor to this blog for many years and shown above is a still that he recently sent to me. It is of course from Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (1952). I love seeing these images from my favourite movie. When concentrating on the film's

action, it is easy to miss some of this detail. Look at the elaborate hinges on the door for example.

It was Carmen Dillon (1908-2000) who was given the job of art director on Robin Hood by Walt Disney. She had a fine reputation on both sides of the Atlantic for imagination and artistic flair allied to a practical approach to set design and construction, which had been evident in her art direction of some of the biggest and most highly praised period films made in Britain at that time, including Henry V and Hamlet, for which she won her Oscar. 

Carmen Dillon discusses the design of Nottingham Square

Catherine O'Brien in her article, Carmen Over Came Prejudice
 ..........And Put On Her Slacks, gives a detailed account of this remarkable woman and her work on Robin Hood:

"Small and neat of figure, with greying hair and light blue eyes, Carmen Dillon was born in Ireland. After she had qualified as an architect, she became greatly attracted by the artistic possibilities of film set design and set out to get a job which would train her in this field. It is strange to reflect that this happened only fifteen years ago and yet at this time no one in film studios would take the idea of a woman art director seriously.

Carmen discussing a castle interior

Anyone knowing Carmen Dillon, however, would realise that such an attitude would only serve to strengthen her determination to attain her objective. Eventually, she obtained toe-hold in a studio at Wembley, as an assistant in the art department. Even then petty restrictions beset her at every turn. She was not permitted to go on a set in slacks and was forbidden to discuss her work with the men in the studio workshops and stages. After a few weeks of making the best of this difficult situation, Carmen was asked to take over the work of an art director who had fallen ill on the eve of a production. By proving her undoubted talent and aptitude for production design she was able to overcome the prejudice which had hitherto hampered her career.

The townsfolk turn on the Sheriff

On Walt Disney’s Robin Hood, Carmen was in control of a staff of over two hundred men, who accepted her advice and judgement with the same respect and deference as they would accord to any male art director. Among the technicians, she has earned, through her skill and tact, a reputation for knowing exactly what she wants, without fuss or muddle. She carries all the details of planning and building the sets in her head and has a remarkable knack of foreseeing and thus forestalling building problems.
Before the stage is set for the actors, the lighting cameraman and the director, Carmen plans the work, step by step, with fastidious detail. In the case of Robin Hood, the first step was research, to ensure that the pictorial effect should have a truly authentic 12th-century keynote.

Collecting for the King's ransom in Nottingham Square

Two of the twenty-five interior sets designed by Carmen Dillon for Walt Disney’s Robin Hood serve to illustrate the immense research and artistry with which she conjured up the background and atmosphere of 12th-century England. One of- Nottingham Square, in the reign of Richard Lionheart-was, constructed both on Denham lot and on one of the studio stages-to cater for both units.

Three sides of an irregular square were surrounded by houses, some half-timbered and all pre-fabricated in the plasterer's shop under the direction of Master Plasterer Arthur Banks. The houses and shops made of plaster and wattle (which was, in fact, the building material of that period) had every appearance of solid antiquity in despite of their backing of tubular steel scaffolding. Most imposing was the Sheriff’s house, with its carved arches and steep outside staircase. Thatching was carried out by one of Britain’s oldest surviving craftsmen in this line Mr A. Gilder of Stoke Poges.

The centre of the square was filled with wattle hurdles and pens in which were enclosed game and produce of every type. By the time the stars, featured players and extras-numbering up to two hundred-had taken their place in the square it was hard to imagine a more convincing reproduction of life in 12th century England. It is in this setting that Robin Hood and his men ride in from the forest to rescue a poacher and a farmer who are suffering at the hands of the Sheriff of Nottingham and succeed in turning the tables on their hated persecutor.

The Outlaws receive a signal

One of the most important sets in the film is the Sherwood Forest camp where Robin Hood and his Merry Men live in outlawry, in their woodland hideout. Some weeks before the film, Carmen accompanied a research party including producer Perce Pearce, scriptwriter Larry Watkin, and film star Richard Todd to Nottingham and returned laden with photographs of every relic of Robin Hood days, which would help her construct the original setting at Denham Studios.

In what little remains of the original Sherwood Forest, Carmen studied the Queen Oak, where Robin Hood and Maid Marian are said to have their trysting-place; Robin Hood’s Larder, another giant oak, where legend has it, the outlaws stored their game and the vast labyrinth of caves at the foot of Creswell Crags, where Robin Hood and his men are said to have hidden their horses when the Sheriff of Nottingham was on their tracks. 

Back in the studio, Carmen incorporated many of these features of the Robin Hood country into her set design, which then became the subject of a conference between producer Perce Pearce, scriptwriter Larry Warkin and herself before passing it into the hands of the draughtsmen and model makers in her art department. From their blueprints and scale models the construction manager, Gus Walker, was then able to allocate to the various departments concerned the work required to bring the sketch into concrete existence".

Carmen plans Nottingham Square

Carmen Dillon was without a doubt one of the main reasons Disney's Story of Robin Hood oozed quality. I believe her remarkable talent needs to be highlighted a lot more. 

In an interview, Ken Annakin, the director of Robin Hood said of her:

"Carmen was one of the great art directors on the European scene. Not only was she an accomplished painter, but she was able to supervise big set construction and set-dressing, down to the last nail. So much so, that sometimes when I was lining up a shot, I found her a bit of a pain in the ass because she would insist that her designs and her visual conception of a scene must be adhered to, whereas I regarded the sets only as a background for the actors".

Carmen Dillon plans another set

Annakin went on:

"He [Walt] didn’t stay very long on Robin Hood. He had great trust in Carmen Dillon, who was responsible for the historical correctness. Everything, from costumes to sets to props and he - I’m not so sure why he was so certain - but he was dead right at having chosen her. And she did that picture and Sword and The Rose too. And his reliance was 100%. A director can’t go into every historical detail and so I would check with her also, pretty well on most things. And she would quietly be on the set and if we used a prop wrongly, she would have her say. Mine was the final say, as director, but one couldn’t have done without her ".

The Adventures and The Story

Two Robin Hood films. One was made in America and became legendary in its own right. The other was made in England and has almost completely been forgotten. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and The Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (1952). In this article, I would like to compare these two versions. 

In his book The Best of Disney (1988),  Neil Sinyard says:

"Nobody would make great claims for the imaginative cinematic qualities of the films Disney made in Britain in the 1950s."

He then goes on to say:
" The Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (to give it its full title) certainly pales in comparison with earlier film versions of the legend starring Fairbanks and Flynn."

I am a great admirer of both early versions. I think Warner Brothers The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) truly deserves its iconic status. But, I do have issues with Sinyard over his statement that Disney's Story of Robin Hood lacks 'imaginative cinematic quality'. In my opinion, 'Uncle' Walt's live-action romp through Sherwood stands-up well, alongside Hollywood's Oscar winner. 

The Story of Robin Hood was one of the most popular films in Britain in 1952 and would eventually gross over $4,578,000 at the American box office and $2.1. million worldwide. It was the last film to be made at Korda's legendary Denham Studios in Buckinghamshire. The location filming was done in the beautiful countryside of Burnham Beeches. They didn't need to spray the leaves green like their American cousins!

Erich Korngold's score for The Adventures of Robin Hood has, of course, passed into cinematic history. It's 'chromatic harmonies,  instrumental effects, passionate climaxes—all performed in a generally romantic manner,'  have been rightly praised. But, The Story of Robin Hood also had a lush, rousing, symphonic score, played by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by Muir Mathieson. Its composer was Clifton Parker (1905-1989). 

Parker received very little recognition for his film scores in his lifetime, but during his distinguished career, he composed for 50 feature films, as well as numerous documentary shorts, radio and television scores and over 100 songs and music for ballet and theatre. Sadly today, many of his compositions are lost. But, Parker was regarded by film-makers of the time, as ' the composer who never disappoints.' On The Story, he certainly did not!

When comparing the two movies, I believe it is respect for the legend that is important. For me, the research conducted by the Disney team shines through.

When Walt Disney first announced that he was to make The Story of Robin Hood, he received a letter from the Sheriff of Nottingham inviting him to visit the City Library and inspect the collection of over a thousand books of ‘Robin Hood’ lore. Walt Disney replied that he  would be unable to go to England until the film went before the cameras, but that he would extend the kind invitation to Richard Todd and his production unit under the supervision of producer Perce Pearce.

The Disney production crew, including Richard Todd in Nottingham

Walt Disney’s production crew included producer Perce Pearce, scriptwriter Lawrence Watkin, historical advisor Dr Charles Beard and art director Carmen Dillon. Some of the places that the production crew visited included Nottingham City Library, Nottingham Castle, Newstead Abbey, Edwinstowe, Sherwood Forest including Robin Hood’s Larder (now gone) and the Major Oak, Ollerton, Creswell Crags, Nottingham’s Caves, the Salutation Inn and the Trip to Jerusalem Inn.

The legend of Robin Hood was first transmitted by travelling entertainers - minstrels and The Story has Alan-a-Dale, played by a real balladeer, Elton Hayes, who not only carries the story from scene to scene but cleverly imitates how the myth was formed.

Elton Hayes as Alan-a-Dale

Elton Hayes had a hit record with, Whistle My Love (1952) from The Story of Robin Hood. In the 1938 Errol Flynn film, the character Alan-a-Dale is merged with Will Scarlet and given the name 'Will o' Gamwell'. This character, played by English actor Patric Knowles, just plucks at a lute in one scene.

One of the strong-points in The Adventures is, of course the iconic sword-fight between Robin (Errol Flynn) and Guy of Gisborne (Basil Rathbone). The shadow of the two characters flickering on the castle walls is a piece of cinematic history.

Errol Flynn as Robin Hood and Basil Rathbone as Guy of Gisborne

But, The Story of Robin Hood has an equally climactic scene. Sheriff De Lacy (Peter Finch) has gone back on his word as a knight and prevents Robin Hood (Richard Todd) from re-joining Marian (Joan Rice) and the outlaws in Sherwood Forest. As Robin reaches the drawbridge, the treacherous Sheriff seizes a spear from a castle warden and launches it at the outlaw, wounding him.

Richard Todd as Robin Hood

Peter Finch as the Sheriff fights with Robin Hood

The outlaw then scrambles over the drawbridge, avoiding being crushed and has to swim across the moat, amidst a shower of arrows - a breath-taking scene in which Richard Todd was nearly seriously injured!

Claude Rains (Prince John), Basil Rathbone (Gisborne) and Melville Cooper (Sheriff)

I am sure that fans of The Adventures of Robin Hood will argue that the sheer quality and sumptuous sets and costumes of this classic, raise it well above Walt Disney's live-action version. Once again, I argue that there is little to choose between the two. The costumes and sets were equally as glamorous. Hubert Gregg, who played Prince John in The Story complained that his expensive costume was so heavy he had trouble getting down from his horse:

"The costumes were beautiful, if unnecessarily weighty in their adherence to medieval reality. One cloak was heavily embroidered and lined with real fur: it cost more than a thousand pounds (a good deal of money in pre-inflationary days) and took all my strength to wear. In one scene I had to ride into the town square, leap off my horse and enter the treasury building in high dudgeon.

Hubert Gregg as Prince John in the £1000 cloak

To add to the reality our saddles were fitted with medieval pommels at the back that had to be negotiated carefully when dismounting. In the first take, I lifted my leg as gracefully as I could the necessary six inches higher than usual and leapt beautifully off my steed. As my feet touched the ground the weight of my cloak carried me completely out of frame to the left."

Prince John (Hubert Gregg) and the Sheriff (Peter Finch)

Many of the costumes and props from Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood found their way into later media productions of the legend, including the hugely successful TV series of the 1950s starring Richard Greene.

A sumptuous set from Disney's Story of Robin Hood

I could go on and on comparing these two wonderful films. But I would like to finish with a look at the two versions of Robin's beautiful girlfriend, Maid Marian.

Olivia De Havilland's role as Marian was something she was very proud of. Understandably so. Her partnership with Errol Flynn fizzed with electricity and it is claimed that she was in love with him during the filming. 

Olivia de Havilland as Marian and Errol Flynn as Robin Hood

She was described by Milo Anderson, the costume designer on The Adventures, as a strong-minded woman who had her own ideas about things on set and would do research into her roles. It paid-off. Olivia's performance broke the mould of Maid Marian. Before, the character had simply been a love-interest 'walking through lavish sets in a queenly manner.' But Olivia's Marian is fiercely independent and spirited. She is integral to the plot of the film, guiding the outlaws after his capture at the archery contest and attempting to get a message to him about the plot to kill King Richard.

This role of the independently willed Marian would be taken up thirteen years later by a young maid who grew up playing amidst the leafy glades of Sherwood Forest. Joan Rice (1930-1997), only recently propelled into the glittering world of stardom, was personally chosen by Walt Disney to play the part of the outlaw's lover in his Story of Robin Hood."

Joan Rice as Marian and Richard Todd as Robin Hood

Sherron Lux in her paper And The 'Reel' Maid Marian, gives Joan's 'Marian' some far-overdue credit:

"Joan Rice is vital to Ken Annakin’s 1952 film for Walt Disney, misleadingly called The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men; it is Marian’s story, as well, because without her, only about half the story would be left. Joan Rice gives us a bright, spunky young Lady Marian, faithful daughter of the Earl of Huntingdon, and loyal friend to her childhood companion Robin Fitzooth (Richard Todd); though he is the son of her fathers head forester, she eventually falls in love with him despite the social barriers. However, Rice’s Marian has a distinctly independent turn of mind. She defies the Queen Mother’s orders and slips out of the castle disguised in a page-boy’s livery, seeking out her friend Robin, who has become an outlaw in Sherwood Forest. Her actions ultimately help prove that Robin and his outlaws are King Richard’s real friends and that Prince John is a traitor."  

Joan Rice will always be my favourite Maid Marian.

Richard Todd as Robin Hood and Joan Rice as Maid Marian

My comparison of The Adventures of Robin Hood and The Story of Robin Hood was always going to be subjective. But I feel it is about time Walt Disney's version was brought out of the shadows, dusted down and given some rightful praise. To describe The Story as 'lacking any imaginative cinematic quality' is an affront not only to the rich cast of actors who appeared but also to Disney's multi-talented production crew who produced what critics describe as one of the best Technicolor films ever made in Britain. Watch it and see for yourself!