Giles & The Loyal Sheriff

Cavan Malone as Giles with Martitia Hunt as Queen Eleanor

Several actors in Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (1952), remain uncredited in the film. 

In 2012 we finally discovered the actor who had played Giles the page boy. This was Cavan Malone (1939-1982). Cavan appeared in several scenes of The Story of Robin Hood, including lending Marian his costume and allowing her to visit Sherwood Forest. 

Cavan Malone with Joan Rice as Maid Marian

Cavan Malone (born 25th November 1936) 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 child actor, he appeared with Alec Guinness in the movie classic Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949). 

Cavan Malone

Cavan Malone in TV's Coronation Street

Cavan appeared in TV shows as far back as 1947 like 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.

Cavan sadly passed away in 1982, aged 46. 

Fred Johnson as the loyal sheriff

Recently, I was asked by Chrisandmike Smith if I knew the actor's name who portrayed the loyal sheriff who begged King Richard to let him join the Crusade? 

I had overlooked this character in the movie, but regular contributor Christian did some research in 2014.

The old sheriff begs King Richard to take him on Crusade

The old Sheriff appears only once but plays a pivotal role in the film since it justifies the whole plot of Robin becoming an outlaw. Should the sheriff have remained in England, the story would have been very different for obvious reasons.

Fred Johnson (left) in A Christmas Carol

Christian believes the sheriff was played by Irish actor Fred Johnson (1899-1971), a character actor who unfortunately made very few films (mostly horror pictures). He is uncredited in the Story of Robin Hood and no filmography lists him as one of the actors in this film.

Fred Johnson was born in Dublin on August 6th 1899 and went on to appear in films like Martin Luther (1953), The Curse of Frankenstein (1971), Dr. Blood's Coffin (1961) and a favourite of mine, A Christmas Carol (1951).

The Archbishop's Blessing

This rare still from Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood was kindly sent in by Mike. It shows the Archbishop of Canterbury played by Anthony Eustrel leading prayers for King Richard (Patrick Barr) and his Crusaders as they leave for the Holy Land.

On the steps of Nottingham Castle can be seen Prince John   (Hubert Gregg) and Queen Eleanor played by Martitia Hunt.

Do you think the young choir boy (front/left of the picture) looks remarkably like the Page (Cavan Malone) who appears later in the movie?

To read more about the stars of this wonderful movie please click on their names on this site.

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