Showing posts with label Picture Gallery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Picture Gallery. Show all posts
Richard Todd and Joan Rice Postcard
Joan Rice March 1952
Joan Rice in a rare publicity picture taken in March 1952 for the forthcoming release of Walt Disney’s Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men. Interesting to see the Mickey Mouse figure in Robin Hood costume, ‘whispering’ in Joan’s ear. Although the ‘medieval' Mickey character might have been designed for the premier of the live-action film, he was probably left-over from the animated feature Mickey And The Beanstalk in 1947.
James Hayter as Friar Tuck
This colourful publicity still of James Hayter as Friar Tuck in Walt Disney’s Story of Robin Hood (1952) was sent to me by Neil.He said:
“The picture I have, is scanned from an Australian book called the Little Golden Book with a copyright of 1973 - twenty one years after the film release.
As someone in business myself over many years where marketing plays a very important role, I am so impressed and surprised by the marketing ability of Walt Disney on a world scale, long before the internet days which have made things easier in that regard.”
He continues:
“I have been away in Dorset for a week or more and in one shop browsing through the 'Films on Video' books I looked up one of the comments on this film. It stated among other things that this film must lay claim to being the finest Technicolor film ever made in England. I would agree with that.”
And I would second that Neil!
At the beginning of Walt Disney’s Story of Robin Hood, a book opens to reveal an illustration of Huntingdon Manor; from that moment on, we are treated to a film that is beautifully painted with a sparkling array of Technicolor hues. Every scene has a sumptuous picture-book quality that is perfectly demonstrated in the scene above.
To read more about the actor James Hayter or the legend of Friar Tuck, please click on the labels below.
Joan Rice at Middle Pond
This is my first-and much treasured- picture of the gorgeous Joan Rice as Maid Marian, taken at Middle Pond at Burnham Beeches possibly during the filming of the Whistle My Love sequence for Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood (1952), sometime between April/June 1951. Below is the picture of the same area taken on my visit there on 30th April 2009.
Patrick Barr as Richard the Lionheart
This stunning picture of Patrick Barr as Richard the Lionheart, was kindly sent to me by Mike.
The publicity photographers for Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood were Ian Jeays, George-Courtney Ward and Frank Bellingham.
I have tried to identify the work of the photographer of this and some of the stills I own, but it has proved impossible. So if anyone can help, please get in touch and if you have any stills from the film that you would like to share with the readers of this blog, please send a copy to disneysrobin@googlemail.com
Joan Rice and the Rook
In January, I emailed Burnham Beeches for any information they might have on the filming of Walt Disney’s Story of Robin Hood in 1951. I eventually received this response from Jeremy Young, one of the keepers at Burnham:“Hi,
I work at Burnham Beeches and one of my responsibilities is to manage all the filming activity on the site. I have been here for over twenty years and seen many film units come and go but unfortunately 'Robin Hood and his Merrie men' was a little before my time! I do however have several stills from the film and can identify at least two of the locations for you as the middle pond and Mendelssohn's slope.
I also have a fantastic picture of a local boy standing watching the filming with his pet Rook (bird) on his arm, this attracted the attention of Walt Disney and his daughter who were on location this day and both are pictured leaning over stroking the bird.
Unfortunately I don't remember the Archie Duncan scene or the tree you actually refer to but if you have a still from the scene it may help me to identify it?
There have been many other films over the years that have featured our ancient pollards and other trees. They are to name but a few………..Great Expectations (1946), A Town Like Alice (1956), Goldfinger (1960), The Loneliness of a Long Distance Runner (1962), Agatha (1979), Company of Wolves (1984), The Princess Bride (1987), Robin Hood Prince of Thieves (1990), The Crying Game (1992), First Knight (1994), King Arthur (2004), I Could Never Be Your Woman (2005), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2006), Eden Lake (2007) and Creation (2008)I hope this may be of some help to you. When you are over visiting, and if I am available, I would be happy to give you a guided tour to these and some of the other locations used over the years.
Kind regards Jeremy”
I am waiting to hear back from Jeremy for some more information. Obviously I would like to see those pictures of Disney and his daughter with the Rook, but I do have a lovely picture of Joan Rice taken with what appears to be the same bird.
Martitia Hunt as Queen Eleanor
This fantastic still of Martitia Hunt elegantly posing as Queen Eleanor, was kindly sent to me by Mike. There are more to come!
The Page Boy from Nottingham
A few weeks ago a good friend of this web site, Neil Vessey, sent in another stunning still from Walt Disney’s live-action film the Story of Robin Hood. It shows Joan Rice as Maid Marian, dolefully looking out from Nottingham Castle towards Sherwood Forest, as she tries to think of a way of finding her lost love, Robin Fitzooth.
But Neil wanted some information on Giles, the Page Boy, who stands behind, asking her, “Mistress Marian, why so sad?”
This rekindled an inquiry that I started a few years ago and set me off once again, looking for the young actor who mysteriously does not appear on the list of credits at the end of the film, even though his character had dialogue.
Well it looks like I could have found him! It seems that Giles the Page Boy was played by television and film actor Brian Smith. I can not find anything else about his life apart from the fact that he was born in Nottingham, England on 24th December 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 colorful swashbuckler, Quentin Durward (1955) with Robert Taylor and the 1957 version of The Barretts of Wimpole Street.
Through the next four decades, Brian Smith appeared in a whole range of various television programs, the last of which was Peak Practice in 1996.
Why did his name not appear in the acting credits of Walt Disney’s Story of Robin Hood? Perhaps it will remain a mystery. But The Browning Version was released in April 1951 and amongst the cast and crew were the familiar names of Bill Travers and Carmen Dillon who would start working, it seems, with Brian Smith on Disney’s Story of Robin Hood at the end of that month.
Martitia Hunt
The tall, elegant, velvet voiced Martitia Hunt (1900-1969) was the perfect choice to play the part of Queen Eleanor in Walt Disney’s Story of Robin Hood (1952). To read the biography of this wonderfully talented actress, please click on the ‘label’ Martita Hunt in the right-hand column or below.
Richard Todd and Joan Rice
Merry May Day to all my readers!
Today is the first day of May. A time of great celebration dateing right back to pagan times. Robin Hood became linked with the spring and summer festivals at an early stage and I shall look at this aspect of the legend in the future. In the meantime, here is the lord and lady of May, Robin Hood and Maid Marian (Richard Todd and Joan Rice).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)