Final Resting Places

I am very grateful to Christian who has very kindly sent in information regarding the final resting places of five of the actors and actresses in Walt Disney's live-action movie the Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (1952).

These pictures are tinged with much sadness as those stars have contributed such joy and happiness to generations of people. But I am sure you will agree that it is interesting to see where these screen legends were put to rest.

Together with Christian's images I have included pictures of Laurence's wonderful autograph collection to remind us of their wonderful roles in the Story of Robin Hood.

Richard Todd is buried at St. Guthlac's Churchyard

Little Ponton

South Kesteven District

Lincolnshire

England.

Anthony Eustrel's ashes were scattered at

at the Chapel of Pines Crematory

Los Angeles 

Los Angeles County

California

USA.

Bill Owen was buried at

St. John the Evangelist Churchyard

Holmfirth

Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees

West Yorkshire

England.

                                                

                                   Martitia Hunt is buried at

Golders Green Crematorium

Ivor Novello Bed

Golders Green

London Borough of Barnet

London

England.

As a Royal Navy veteran of World War II 

Sir Michael Hordern's ashes

were scattered at sea.

To read more about the lives of the actors and actresses in Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men please click on the relevant names in the side bar or below. 

Special thanks to Christian and Laurence for their contributions to this website.

Cavan Malone the Mysterious Page Boy

Cavan Malone as Giles the Page Boy with Joan Rice as Maid Marian

Four years ago I thought I had found the page boy that appeared, but was uncredited, in Walt Disney’s Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (1952). At the time, I thought the young actor was the stage and screen star Brian Smith (b.1932). His film career started in 1950 and he appeared as Taplow in the classic, The Browning Version (1951) alongside Michael Redgrave. Smith went on to appear in TV’s Billy Bunter in 1954, the colourful swashbuckler, Quentin Durward (1955) with Robert Taylor and the 1957 version of The Barretts of Wimpole Street. But Neil, one of my regular readers wasn’t sure and I must admit I later began to have doubts.

Now, after a lot of trawling the web, I can hopefully reveal, the person who played Giles, that mysterious page boy!

Cavan Malone (born 25th November 1939) was the son of the Irish tenor Danny Malone. His mother Hazel Malone ran the famous Corona Stage School in Chiswick, London, during WWII.  As a former child actor he had appeared with Alec Guinness in the movie classic Kind Hearts and Coronets in 1949 and also on television as far back as 1947.  On the small screen he starred in episodes of No Hiding Place, Dixon of Dock Green and also played Gordon Davies, husband to Joan Walker, in Coronation Street in 1961.  But after appearing in the classic war film 633 Squadron during the mid sixties he seems to have quit acting.

He sadly passed away in 1982, aged 42.

Below is Cavan Malone’s TV and Film Career:

 1964: 633: Squadron ... Ericson

1964: Downfall ... Driving Instructor

1964: The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre (TV series)

– Downfall (1964) … Driving Instructor

1962: Outbreak of Murder (TV series) ... PC Wright

1962: Suspense (TV series)

– Killer in the Band (1962) … Charlie

1962: Dixon of Dock Green (TV series)

– A Special Kind of Jones (1962) … Arthur Flint, as a Young Man

1961: Highway to Battle ...Hoffman

1961: The Cheaters (TV series)

– Fire! (1961) … Detective

1961:  Coronation Street (TV series)

– Episode #1.18 (1961) … Gordon Davies

– Episode #1.17 (1961) … Gordon Davies

1961 Return of a Stranger ... Detective

1960: Linda...Chief

1960: Emergency-Ward 10 (TV series)

– Episode #1.310 (1960) … Tony Aight

1959: No Hiding Place (TV series)

– The Sharp Knife (1959) … Eddie

1959: Julius Caesar (TV movie) ... Servant to Julius Caesar

1958: Further Up the Creek ... Signalman

1957: The Adventures of Peter Simple (TV series)

– The Plot Against Peter (1957) … Midshipman Thompson

1956: Over to William (TV series)

– The Begging Letter (1956) … Robert Brown

– Cats and White Elephants (1956) … Robert Brown

– William and the Three-Forty (1956) … Robert Brown

– The Browncheck Sports Coat (1956) … Robert Brown

– William and the Ebony Hairbrush (1956) … Robert Brown

Richard Todd (Robin Hood), Cavan Malone (Giles) and Martitia Hunt (Queen Eleanor)

1952: Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men... Giles the Page Boy (uncredited)

1952: Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School (TV series)

– The Siege (1952) … Lord Mauleverer

1951-1952 BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (TV series)

Earl of Warwick's page / Prince Henry

– The Life and Death of King John (1952) … Prince Henry

– Festival Drama: Saint Joan (1951) … Earl of Warwick's page

1949:  Kind Hearts and Coronets ... Young Graham (uncredited)

1949:  Macbeth (TV movie)...Macduff's son

1948:  It's Hard to Be Good ...Tommy Beckett (uncredited)

1948: Mr. Perrin and Mr. Traill ... Benson

Bill Owen and Cavan Malone in When the Bough Breaks (1947)

1947: When the Bough Breaks ... Jimmy

1947: Captain Boycott ... Billy Killain

Bill Owen

Bill Owen

Will Stutely is played memorably in Disney’s Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men by the great multi-talented British character actor Bill Owen. This is a brief look at his fascinating career.

Born William Rowbotham in Acton Green, London on March 14th 1914, Bill knew from an early age what he wanted to do, he wanted to go on the stage. His father was a train driver and his mother a laundress and could not afford to send their talented son to drama school. So young William Rowbotham left school and became a printers apprentice, a job he hated.
His ambition to perform drove him into becoming a vocalist and he even started playing the drums for a local dance band. He toured the local music halls with a cabaret act, which later led to summer seasons at Butlins Holiday Camps.

With the money from this, he saved enough to start an acting course. His talents shone through and he soon gained respect as a talented stage producer at the Unity Theatre.

With the outbreak of World War II, Bill enlisted in the Royal Army Corps, where he reached the rank of lieutenant. But one day during battle training he was injured in an explosion and was forced back out into civilian life.
His acting skills now began to get noticed and his film career took off with.

‘The Way To The Stars’ (1945)
‘Daybreak’(1946)
‘School of Secrets’ (1946)

In 1947 Bill signed for J. Arthur Rank Organisation and it was then that he was persuaded to change his name from Rowbotham to Owen. With this new name he took on the role of Bill Collins in his first film for Rank called When the Bough Breaks. This part established him in British cinema and a career of 46 film parts continued, including:


Once A Jolly Swagman (1948)
The Weaker Sex (1948)
The Gay Lady (1949)
The Story of Robin Hood (1952)
The Square Ring (1953)
The Ship That Died Of Shame (1955)

But Bill’s first love was the stage and he continued to perform in the theatre, with a memorable moment in his career playing Touchstone alongside Katherine Hepburn, in ‘As You Like It’ in New York.
His musical talents were called upon once again in a stint with Sadlers Wells in ‘The Mikado’ and in ‘Mac the Knife’ in ‘The Threepenny Opera.’ But his talent didn’t stop there. He enjoyed writing plays, songs, musicals and political revues. Bill was a active supporter of the Labour party and penned What’s Left? and Babes in the Wood.
Meanwhile, Bill was getting a semi-regular in the Carry On comedies usually playing cockneys.

Carry On Sergeant (1959)
Carry On Nurse (1959)
Carry On Regardless (1960)
Carry On Cabby (1963)

In the 1960’s Bill produced the stage musical The Matchgirl on the West End in London. He also became musically linked with Mike Sammes and together they wrote songs for Pat Boone, Harry Secombe and Engelbert Humperdinck.


Together with Mike Sammes, Bill’s biggest song writing success was ‘Marianne’ recorded by Sir Cliff Richard in 1968.

His early TV appearances included the BBC comedy ‘Taxi,’ starring Sid James, ‘Coppers End’ and ‘Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads.’ But he will forever be remembered as the scruffy, welly-wearing Compo. A role he played for twenty years and over 200 episodes in the BBC’s record breaking Last of the Summer Wine.
He continued working up to his death from Pancreatic Cancer on July 12 1999. He was buried at St. John’s Church, Holmfirth in Yorkshire. A place used for filming ‘Last of the Summer Wine’ and an area Bill had grown to love over the years.
In 1976 Bill had been awarded an MBE for his tireless work for the National Association of Boys Clubs and his role as Chairman of the Performing Arts Advisory Panel. He was also awarded an Honoury Degree in 1998.

© Clement of the Glen 2006-2007