Joan Rice at Riverside Studios

Joan Rice

Thanks to John Nelson for sending me this image of Joan Rice (1930-1997) - our Maid Marian. It was taken in the early 1950s at Riverside Studios in London, and it was here in 1945, that producer Sydney Box set up The Company of Youth for Rank Organisation. As a student of what became known as The Rank Charm School, Joan was given an allowance of £10 a week and trained in breathing, deportment, mime, accent correction, script reading, diction and rehearsing.

Among the many stars who attended this acting school were Petula Clark, Christopher Lee, Diana Dors, Joan Collins and Anthony Steele.

This blog has over 115 pages dedicated to the life and career of Joan Rice.

Alan-a-Dale's Dog

Elton Hayes as Alan-a-Dale with his dog

Throughout the movie, The Story of Robin Hood (1952), Alan-a-Dale played by Elton Hayes is followed by his faithful little dog, along the streets of Nottingham and through the winding paths of Sherwood Forest. By the end of the film, the minstrel and his loyal dog are in the outlaws' camp.  

To my knowledge, we never learn the little dog's name. But we do now!

Joan Rice with Alan-a-Dale's dog

On the back of a publicity photograph from the time of the films release, the name of the dog is revealed:

" RH-Pub-A8--JOAN RICE dressed as a page for her role as Maid Marian in "Robin Hood," makes friends with "Rusty." Rusty plays the part of Alan-a-Dale's (Elton Hayes) dog in the all-live-action Technicolor production, now being made by Walt Disney for RKO Radio."

So now we know!

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.

The Death of Maid Marian

Maidenhead Advertiser

I made it into some newspapers back in 2009. It was after my research into an almost completely forgotten film star.

Dorothy Joan Mckenzie died in Maidenhead, Berkshire England on New Year’s Day 1997. She was the wife of former journalist Ken McKenzie and was just 66 years old. During the 1960s, she had various mundane office jobs, including working for the Inland Revenue in Slough. In between this, she trod the boards in stage productions. Then in 1970, she set up her own letting agency in Maidenhead.

Joan Rice

But, it was as Joan Rice that Dorothy was better known and had touched stardom, wooed Hollywood and been sprinkled with Disney magic. After winning a beauty contest, this former Lyons Tea House waitress was picked out by a film agent and sent to attend the Rank Charm School, a training institution for young actors. At 21 years old, she was given a two-year Rank Film contract. After appearing alongside Dirk Bogarde in ‘Blackmailed’ she was personally chosen by Walt Disney from six others to play the part of Maid Marian alongside Richard Todd in his live-action ‘The Story of Robin Hood’ (1952).

I saw Disney’s ‘Story of Robin Hood’ during my school summer holidays in the early 1970s, it not only triggered my interest in the legend but I instantly fell in love with Joan. Back in the days before the internet, although there were plenty of biographies about stars in the film like Peter Finch and Richard Todd, I could not find anything about Joan. Who was she, and what happened to her? Meanwhile, this wonderful film faded from memory as Disney released a second movie about Robin Hood - a cartoon.

Richard Todd (Robin Hood) and Joan Rice (Maid Marian)

So, in 2006, using the pseudonym Clement Glen, I started a blog about the film and began to inquire into her life. I dedicated the website to Joan. Gradually down the years, my readers and her friends and family contacted me with their memories and anecdotes about her. I soon realised what an amazing life she had led.

“It was nice to find something on the internet about my Aunt Joan. I miss her a lot… She and I wrote each other up until her death and I still have her letters. My Mum and I went to see her grave shortly after she died... it was a sad trip”.

(A relative of Joan Rice)

Joan Rice

In 2009, a reporter from the Maidenhead Advertiser emailed me asking about my research into the life of their ‘forgotten’ resident. The reporter had been reading my blog and was surprised to read about Joan Rice’s short but glittering film career and learn she had lived first in Windsor and then settled in Maidenhead, Berkshire in 1964. 

Joan Rice and Ken McKenzie in Cookham near Maidenhead 1983

Using details from my blog, including how Joan was personally chosen by the legendary Walt Disney to play Maid Marian, the reporter appealed for information on her and where her final resting was? By the following week, the reporter got back to me saying it was confirmed that Joan Rice was buried in Braywick Cemetery in Maidenhead. 

Many local people were surprised to learn how this former resident had spent 8 years in a children’s home, became a waitress, and then experienced a Cinderella-like rise to stardom in Hollywood. 

Walt Disney, Richard Todd and Joan Rice

So, it was rewarding to know I had helped keep Joan's memory alive

and that this beautiful English rose had not been forgotten. If you want to know more about Joan's life and career just click on the blog label.

Joan Rice in 1969

Joan Rice with her two labradors c.1969

 

This website is dedicated to the memory of Joan Rice (1930-1997) and down the years I have tried to piece together the life of this forgotten English actress. Joan was always quick to say that she was Walt Disney's first Maid Marian. And it is this role that has stayed in the hearts of myself and most of my readers.

I discovered this newspaper clipping about Joan quite recently, unfortunately, it has no date or name of the publication. But it must have been about 1969:

"At 40 Joan is still as attractive as she was in her heyday. Her green eyes shine brightly, her hair is tousled and she has a face which has lost its plumpness but retained its photogenic qualities... in fact, a perfect film face.

The last time she appeared in the cinema was in Payroll with Michael Craig and Stanley Baker.

'Also in the film was Billie Whitelaw who became a great chum of mine and has helped me an awful lot over the last few years,' says Joan.

Dissolved 

After she got out of show business she had a succession of office jobs. But her life of obscurity since then hasn't depressed her in the slightest. 

 Her marriage was dissolved in 1964 and now she lives alone. Asked if she would consider marrying again she gives a flat 'NO' in reply.

She has a 16-year-old son, Michael, at school in America who she hasn't seen for over two years. 'That's just one of the things you have to accept,' she told me sadly.

After this film at Elstree, there is nothing definite in the pipeline for Joan's second assault on the pinnacle of success. She knows it won't come as easily as it did last time, but she is now experienced and prepared to work hard.

'Life begins at 40 for some people,' she says. 'However, I believe it starts whenever you want it to. When you are old enough to take things as they come and accept that there have to be problems it is then that it really begins." 

If this press report was published in about 1969, a year later she would be filming at Hammer Studios where she played the grave robber's wife alongside Dennis Price in The Horror of Frankenstein.

Dennis Price and Joan Rice

I have been told by several people that Joan adored her two labradors (see photo at top of page). In fact, it was reported that the dogs often attended rehearsals with her. I wonder if they accompanied Joan to the Hammer Studios?

Robin Hood's Promotion

 

Above is a screenshot from the Daily News (London) on March 14th 1952 showing Joan Rice at the London Première of Walt Disney's "Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men":

'There's no mistaking Maid Marian (Joan Rice) as she arrives for last night's première. Robin Hood motifs trim her tulle skirt. Her velvet bodice is in Lincoln Green, of course.

The amount of advertising and promotion that went on before and during the release of Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (1952) never ceases to amaze me. I have once again been delving in the newspaper archives and discovered another glimpse of the work that went on. This article appeared in Kinomatograph Weekly on March 5th 1952:

RKO’s Showmanship Link with CMA for ‘Robin Hood’ and ‘Saturday Island ' 

"The world premières of both ‘Robin Hood’ and ‘Saturday Island’ are to be presented by RKO-Radio, with the operation of CMA, in traditional showmanship fashion. They will be launched with publicity campaigns outstanding even in RKO showmanship.

A few days before the opening, on March 13, of Walt Disney’s ‘Robin Hood’ in Technicolor, at the Leicester Square Theatre, the Daily Graphic will start its picture serialisation and will be sponsoring a £200 competition on popular lines. It will be backed by widespread national campaigns by Kelsey Newspapers. The première, like that of the provincial opening later, in Manchester, will be in aid of the National Advertising Benevolent Society.

The BBC will serialise ‘Robin Hood’ on five successive evenings starting April 28 on the Light programme from 6.15-6.45 p.m., a time when the film will be at the height of its general release. The material will be from the sound track of the film with added matter recorded by stars Richard Todd and Joan Rice.

Joan Rice and Richard Todd

It will also be featured on the day of the première itself, in ‘Film Time’, while Joan Rice has a special ‘Robin Hood’ spot on television’s ‘Kaleidoscope.’ Many of Britain’s large circulation magazines are also devoting big spaces to the picture tying in with its première and general release.

In addition to this editorial coverage, national advertising started last Thursday with prominent spaces in leading journals and a widespread poster campaign both in the West End and in the provinces.

National tie-ins have also been arranged with a large number of commercial houses.

Elton Hayes, the BBC man with a small guitar, who makes a film debut in the picture, will tour key presentations in the provinces."

Kinomatograph Weekly March 5th 1952

I would love to hear those recordings that Richard Todd and Joan Rice made for the BBC! 

Does that episode of 'Kaleidoscope' with Joan Rice survive?

Joan's Premiere Skirt

70 years ago Walt Disney's live action movie The Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men had its premiere in London at the Leicester Square Theatre. Here is our lovely Joan Rice (1930-1997) wearing a specially designed skirt for the occasion. 

I wonder what happened to that skirt? 

It was possibly designed by Walt Disney's promotional team. The newspapers described Joan arriving in a limousine with Robin Hood motifs along the trim of her tulle skirt. Her velvet bodice was in Lincoln Green, of course! 

Joan Rice Sponsors Innoxa Fashion Cream

Joan Rice promoting Innoxa in1954

Above is an advert dated by the Innoxa company to 1954, featuring the beautiful English actress Joan Rice (1930-1997). 

Joan rose to fame as Maid Marian in Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (1952). This site is dedicated to her memory.

Joan promoted Innoxa Fashion Cream, described by the company as:

 ... far more than ordinary cake make-up and ideal for all types of skin. Needs no water and keeps the skin soft and radiant.

Shades: Honey Blonde, Sun Glow, and Golden Sand.

The year that the Innoxa advert appeared witnessed a turning point in Joan's film career. During December 1953, Joan had given birth to a son Michael, then  January 1954 saw the release of the lavish Technicolor adventure His Majesty O'Keefe. Joan played the beautiful island girl Dalabo Aki Dali alongside Burt Lancaster. 

Joan Rice as Dalabo

But, after the release of The Crowded Day in October 1954, Rank Organisation did not renew her contract. There is a lot of speculation as to why this happened. Some claim it was her struggle with asthma that curtailed her career. But I am not so sure.

Joan as Peggy French in The Crowded Day

In January 1955, Joan appeared in Norman Wisdom's second movie One Good Turn. A month later, she was photographed by the press leaving London airport en route for Dublin to appear on stage in the play Welcome Stranger at the Gaiety Theatre. Sadly the magical whirlwind that had lifted her to the dizzy heights of Hollywood was waning.

To read more about the life of Joan Rice, please click on the label.

Walt Disney Visits the Robin Hood Set

Richard Todd, Walt Disney and Joan Rice

 

Here is a collection of publicity shots of Walt Disney with Richard Todd (Robin Hood) and Joan Rice (Maid Marian). In July 1951, just as his cartoon version of Alice in Wonderland was released in America, Disney visited Europe with his wife Lillian and their daughters to supervise his second live-action movie, The Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (1952) which was financed again by the blocked monies of RKO and Disney. Apparently he was thoroughly pleased with the way things were going.

Walt Disney greets Joan Rice (Maid Marian)

Before leaving America, Walt had screened films at the studio, looking at prospective actors and directors and making what he himself called ‘merely suggestions’, while he left the final decisions to Perce Pearce, who was producing. For his part, Pearce had laid out every shot in the movie in thumbnail sketches, or storyboards, just as the studio had done with the animators, and sent them on along with photostats and the final script to Walt for his approval, which Walt freely gave, though not without a veiled threat that Pearce had better make the film as quickly as possible. “This is important not only to the organisation but to you as the producer,” he wrote.

Another publicity shot of Walt with Joan and Richard

In his biography Caught in the Act, Richard Todd described Perce Pearce as a jolly, rubicund Pickwickian figure. 

Perce Pearce with Richard Todd

Todd is vague in how he was chosen to play the part of Robin Hood for Disney. He didn't remember if it was through his agent or the legendary film maker himself.  But, after agreeing to play the part of the outlaw he met Perce Pearce and Maud Spector (the casting director) at the Dorchester Hotel in London and went through lists of candidates for parts in the film. Todd's only contribution was to suggest James Robertson Justice as Little John.

Walt Disney enjoys a picnic with Robin and Marian

What is certain is Disney personally chose Joan Rice to play the part of Maid Marian. Todd doesn't mention Joan in his biography but Ken Annakin, the director on The Story of Robin Hood, does. He depreciatingly describes Joan as Disney's, Achilles Heel and only fit to be somebody's house maid! 

Audiences around the world disagreed with Annakin.

Neil's fantastic website Films of the Fifties contains an extremely interesting article on how Joan was treated on the set of Disney's Story of Robin Hood: https://filmsofthefifties.com/the-bullying-of-joan-rice/

 

Joan Rice, Ivanhoe & Robin Hood's Chair

Joan Rice as Marcia

Over the past 16 years I have attempted to piece together the life of Joan Rice (1930-1997). This blog is dedicated to her memory.

Joan liked it to be known that she was Walt Disney's 'first' Maid Marian. She was personally chosen by the legendary film producer to appear alongside Richard Todd in the live-action movie The Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (1952).

I have known for many years that Joan Rice appeared in the TV series Ivanhoe (1958), but until recently I have never had an opportunity to watch it. But at last I have managed to see the particular episode on Youtube and it was good.

In an episode called The Night Raiders, Joan played the part of Marcia, a farmer's daughter who is abducted by a group of night riders terrorising a village. A young Roger Moore plays Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe, son of Sir Cedric of Rotherwood. The TV series was based on the novel by Sir Walter Scott and set during the reign of King Richard the Lionheart. The Crusades have ended in disaster for the English king, who is believed dead - and the running plot of this series mostly concerns Prince John's various efforts to claim the English throne and Ivanhoe's attempts to secure justice for the populace despite John's illicit rule.

Joan would have been familiar with this particular time in history after her appearance as the girlfriend of Robin Hood, six years earlier and assisting the outlaw in his duels with the cold-blooded Sheriff of Nottingham and evil Prince John. 

Roger Moore as Ivanhoe

This swashbuckling TV series was typical of the period. Shows like The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel, The Adventures of Lancelot and later the Adventures of Richard the Lionheart were all aimed at the younger audiences of the late 1950's and early 1960's.

While watching this particular episode of Ivanhoe, I was surprised to catch a glimpse of one of 'Robin Hood's Chairs'!

My regular blog readers will know about the 'Robin Hood's Chairs'. They were created by Carmen Dillon's art department for Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men in 1951 and Joan Rice would have remembered them from her days filming on the sound stages at Denham Studio.

The chair in The Story of Robin Hood

And here it is again below, in the Ivanhoe episode in which Joan Rice appeared.

The chair in the episode of Ivanhoe

Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men was the last major production made at Denham Studios and this huge complex later merged with the Rank Organisation's Pinewood Studios. Laurence points out that The Black Knight was made at Pinewood, which probably explains the availability of the chairs as props. 

Because of our discoveries, I have compiled a list of some of the film and television productions that have used those Robin Hood Chairs:

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

The Men of Sherwood Forest (Film:1954)

The Black Knight (Film:1954)

The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV:1955-58)

The Dark Avenger (Film:1955)

Ivanhoe (TV:1958) Ep.The Night Raiders.

Sword of Sherwood Forest (Film:1960)

Robin of Sherwood (TV:1984-86)

Horrible Histories (TV: 2013-15)

To read more about Joan Rice (1930-1997) and much more click on the labels.