Robin Hood at School

We often revisit Disney's short promotional film The Riddle of Robin Hood, a rare gem that provides a fascinating look into the making of the live-action movie The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952). It highlights the efforts of Disney's research team in delving into the Robin Hood legend. While its primary purpose was to promote the upcoming film—an idea devised by Disney publicist Bill Crozier Walsh (1913–1975)—I was surprised to learn it was shown in nearly every school across the USA!

This article from "Walt Disney Studio Production News " again demonstrates something we have known for a long time—Disney was meticulous when promoting his films. Matt Crandall kindly sent me the pages shown above and below, which show the preparations for the future releases of Disney's animation Peter Pan (1953) and the live-action Story of Robin Hood (1952).

Here below is the text taken from the article:

"Probability that Walt Disney's live-action Technicolor romantic melodrama, THE STORY OF ROBIN HOOD, will be one of the hit pictures of the year got a big added push through a precedential promotion device blanketing every important school district in the nation.

It bears the provocative title, THE RIDDLE OF ROBIN HOOD, and is a 15-minute documentary prelude to the theatrical feature. 

 

Stirring highlights in the legend of the celebrated outlaw patriot are combined with a behind-the-scenes revelation of how the Disney picture was made. This, as scores of prominent educators have acknowledged, has legitimate classroom value. At the same time, wherever THE RIDDLE has been loaned to schools, a new focal point of intense interest in THE STORY OF ROBIN HOOD has been set up, with obvious reflection at the local theatre box office. 

Use and reception of the innovation by school authorities and students in scores of cities is the talk of the trade and portends further use of similar documentary shorts for other feature releases. 

It is also designed for television use and has already been importantly programmed in this medium as part of the enormous advertising, publicity and exploitation campaign in operation behind THE STORY OF ROBIN HOOD".

I have been told the Riddle of Robin Hood was also shown in Britain, both on television and in the cinema. Did you see it? 

 

 

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.

Bill Walsh's 'The Riddle of Robin Hood'

I last posted about The Riddle of Robin Hood over eight years ago.  Since then, I have discovered more fascinating information about the making of this little film.

Bill Crozier Walsh's (1913-1975) 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 studios first television production, One Hour in Wonderland which aired on Christmas Day in 1950. Walsh recalled Disney inviting him into his office and being told that he had decided to "go with television and that he was the guy that was going to do it."

Walsh was stunned and said, "I don't know anything about television." But Disney just grinned and said, "that's o.k. nobody does!" Walsh remained convinced this new venture was doomed to failure. So he wrote an urgent memorandum to Disney warning that the studio should avoid small screen productions at all costs.  

The note didn't work and ironically Disney's television debut was such a success that Walsh was then hired as head of all the studios television productions. These included the hugely popular series Davy Crockett, The Adventures of Spin and Marty, The Mickey Mouse Club and The Hardy Boys.

Bill Walsh with Walt Disney

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. When he inquired as to what his role would be, Walt replied:

"There's a funny little magic word called 'initiative', and that will tell you what to do." 

Once in England, Walsh put his instinct as a publicist to good use and conceived the idea of 12 minute promotional film about the making of this new Disney's live action movie. He called it The Riddle of Robin Hood and it included details about the research that 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 all over 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."

Whilst browsing the Chronology of the Walt Disney Company many years ago I discovered, under the year 1952, a mention of The Riddle of Robin Hood. It simply said-under, month unknown, “Disney releases the film The Riddle of Robin Hood for promotional use [501.470].” I immediately emailed the owner of the web site, but he later confessed that he knew very little else. So I put an appeal on this blog in September 2007 for anyone that might have seen this mysterious film.

Perce Pearce with Walt Disney in 'The Riddle of Robin Hood.'

Eventually Neil contacted me and revealed that he had acquired a copy of this very rare film. This was fantastic news! It was produced by the Disney organisation to promote their second live-action production The Story of Robin Hood (1952). It is not only an amazing piece of cinematic history - but also of Disney history.

Today, Walsh's 'goofy little film' gives a fascinating insight into the Disney studios 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. So you can imagine my surprise when I received this message from Disney expert Bill Cotter a few years ago:

“I just saw your post on this film and wanted to share what I wrote about it for my book The Wonderful World of Disney Television:

'Another project during this time also helped to confirm Walt's feelings about using television to promote his theatrical releases. After World War II, the Studio made several films in England to use funds being held there. Walt took Bill Walsh with him to England during the filming of The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men, a 1952 release starring Richard Todd. Walsh's assignment was to produce a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film, and he took the unusual approach of questioning Robin Hood's actual existence. The resultant 12-minute film, The Riddle of Robin Hood, was Walsh's first live action film. The Studio wasn't quite sure what to do with it, and as Walsh later retold it, they decided to give it away for free to anyone who was interested in it:

"In those days, naive was the word for the TV people. They didn't know what to do - they had to fill up a lot of time all day long, but they didn't have the stuff. We planted this film with a lot of TV stations all over the country, planted it with schools, because it had kind of a documentary feel about it. So pretty soon we were getting a lot of mileage out of this goofy little film. Walt was sort of enchanted by that, all that free space promoting the film, so the next year the networks came in and wanted Walt to do a TV show, and he was sort of spooky about it. I think he had had a bad experience on radio using the voices like the Duck and the Mouse. Nobody could understand it and the show wasn't successful, so he was a little leery about doing a TV show."

While it wasn't originally planned as a television program, The Riddle of Robin Hood certainly served the purpose of proving once again that television and films could happily co-exist.'

(Bill Cotter) 

Below are two more screenshots from The Riddle of Robin Hood.

Richard Todd up in The Major Oak in Sherwood Forest

Carman Dillon designing Nottingham town square

After several years in television Walsh switched to live-action films. He was either a writer, co-producer and producer on such memorable Disney productions like Mary Poppins, The Absent Minded Professor, That Darn Cat, Black Beard's Ghost, One Of Our Dinosaur's Is Missing, Bedknobs And Broomsticks, The Love Bug and Herbie Rides Again.

On Mary Poppins, Walsh shared an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture with Walt Disney.  He also shared an Academy Award nomination for Best Writing Adapted Screenplay with Don Da Gradi.

Bill Walsh

Marsh's remarkable creative talent led him to become Disney's right-hand man and close friend until Disney's death in 1966. 

Songwriters Richard and Robert Sherman described Bill Marsh as:

"one of the most gifted men ever to have worked for Disney-deft with language and humour."

Bill Warsh died of a heart attack on January 27th 1975.

Bill Walsh and 'The Riddle of Robin Hood'

It is always exciting and very rewarding to get feed-back on a post, and this one I found very interesting.

Whilst browsing the ‘Chronology of the Walt Disney Company’ three years ago I discovered, under the year 1952, a mention of ‘The Riddle of Robin Hood.’ It simply said-under, month unknown, “Disney releases the film 'The Riddle of Robin Hood' for promotional use [501.470].” I immediately emailed the owner of the web site, but he later confessed that he knew very little else. So I put an appeal on this blog in September 2007 for anyone that might have seen this mysterious film.

Eventually Neil contacted me and revealed that he had acquired a copy of this very rare film. This was fantastic news! It was produced by the Disney organisation to promote their second live-action production ‘The Story of Robin Hood' (1952). It is not only an amazing piece of cinematic history - but also of Disney history. So with Neil’s kind help I began to post sections of the script of ‘The Riddle’ on this blog.

What makes this 12 minute black and white film so special is that it not only deals with the legend of Robin Hood, but 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. So you can imagine my surprise when I received this message from Bill Cotter recently:

“I just saw your post on this film and wanted to share what I wrote about it for my book The Wonderful World of Disney Television:

'Another project during this time also helped to confirm Walt's feelings about using television to promote his theatrical releases. After World War II, the Studio made several films in England to use funds being held there. Walt took Bill Walsh with him to England during the filming of The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men, a 1952 release starring Richard Todd. Walsh's assignment was to produce a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film, and he took the unusual approach of questioning Robin Hood's actual existence. The resultant 12-minute film, The Riddle of Robin Hood, was Walsh's first live action film. The Studio wasn't quite sure what to do with it, and as Walsh later retold it, they decided to give it away for free to anyone who was interested in it:

"In those days, naive was the word for the TV people. They didn't know what to do - they had to fill up a lot of time all day long, but they didn't have the stuff. We planted this film with a lot of TV stations all over the country, planted it with schools, because it had kind of a documentary feel about it. So pretty soon we were getting a lot of mileage out of this goofy little film. Walt was sort of enchanted by that, all that free space promoting the film, so the next year the networks came in and wanted Walt to do a TV show, and he was sort of spooky about it. I think he had had a bad experience on radio using the voices like the Duck and the Mouse. Nobody could understand it and the show wasn't successful, so he was a little leery about doing a TV show."

While it wasn't originally planned as a television program, The Riddle of Robin Hood certainly served the purpose of proving once again that television and films could happily co-exist.'

(Bill Cotter)

I would like to thank Neil and Bill for their help in solving our very own ‘Riddle of Robin Hood!’

Bill Cotter’s web site is at: http://www.billcotter.com/index.htm

Remember Disney’s TV series Zorro? Bill also runs a great web site dedicated to the Disney series of the 1950’s about the story of a masked rider who battles the unjust rulers of the pueblo of Los Angeles during the days of Spanish rule. Bill’s site, ‘Walt Disney’s Zorro,’ can be found at http://www.billcotter.com/zorro/index.htm

The Riddle of Robin Hood # 4

Above is a still from Walt Disney’s short promotional film The Riddle of Robin Hood. It shows the screen writer and ballad lyricist Lawrence Watkin, researching medieval music for the movie The Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (1952).

The fourth part of the The Riddle of Robin Hood is shown below:

"In any case, wherever you have ladies, you are certain to have love songs. To ensure that his re-creation of Alan-a-Dale’s romantic ballads are historically correct; writer Lawrence Watkin consults the tune-smiths of the Twelfth Century.

“I’ll always find you,
No matter where you may be...”

Contemporary research brought other facts to light. On their shopping expeditions for venison dinners and wealthy tourists, Robin’s men used arrows not only as weapons but as a means of communication. Whistling arrows served to convey messages from one part of the forest to another.

Now the chase for Robin’s elusive spirit on celluloid was joined in earnest. Models of actual castles and villages that were the scene of his exploits were constructed. If Robin could be re-called, he would certainly find no lack of familiar atmosphere."

To read earlier parts of the Riddle of Robin Hood, please click on the Label.

The Riddle of Robin Hood # 3

This is a continuation of the script from Walt Disney’s short promotional film the ‘Riddle of Robin Hood’ a unique insight into the making of his later live-action production the Story of Robin Hood. To read the earlier sections please click on the label below:

"Back in London another Disney task force went into action. This was headed by the only woman art director in the film business, Carmen Dillon (seen above with her assistant, either Arthur Lawson or Jack Stevens) . Whose deigns for Sir Lawrence Olivier’s ‘Hamlet’, won her an Academy Oscar.

Hers was the job of locating and bringing to life the physical background of Robin Hood’s day, the castles, the villages and the spirit of twelfth century England. Here the Tower of London as it was in Robin’s time, built from an artist’s conception but re-constructed from ancient engineering and architectural plans .Then Nottingham town. Of course Nottingham, one of England’s great cities today, is far different in appearance from when it was a quaint midland village, centuries ago.

But with honest research, comprehensive sketches, then carefully constructed models, it was hoped to bring it to life. To in view it with the same congenial charm that coaxed Robin out of nearby Sherwood for one of those stimulating visits, that used to upset the Sheriff there so much.

Close at hand during the [piece missing] ………..down to the last bolt on the helmet was the object of his most careful attention. As for ladies wear, they presented a bit of a problem in those pre-zipper days. By the time the lady struggled into her dress, half the day was gone. So there being no time to fix her hair, she usually wore one of those over her hair. It’s known as a cowl and what it saved in time, it probably lost in husbands!"

The Riddle Of Robin Hood #2

Richard Todd is shown above, photographed amongst the branches of the Major Oak in Sherwood Forest, during a fact finding visit, in preparation for the making of Walt Disney’s live-action film The Story of Robin Hood (1952). This is featured in the short promotional film The Riddle of Robin Hood.

Part 2 of the script from this very rare piece of Disney history is shown below:

"The Disney force headed for England to take up the quest for Robin on his own grounds. Here amid the fabled haunt of the outlaw and his merry men. In the midlands of England and Sherwood Forest itself, the trail began to warm up.

A clue was the ballads, from university libraries and private collections the ancient songs of Robin’s time were brought forward and examined. One of these ballad singers was Allan-a-Dale, reputedly a member of Robin’s band. It may well have been his song improvisations or those of someone like him that launched the story of Robin Hood on its merry way.

Allan-a-Dale sings:

“He robs the rich to help the poor,
A most unusual practice,
And now that he has been outlawed
He needn’t pay his taxes……..”

The famed Major Oak reputed trysting place of Robin and Maid Marian. The ancient village church of Edwinstowe, where Robin and the maid were married. The famous limestone caves of Sherwood, traditional hiding place of outlaws.

Photographs were taken of these places-more pieces to be fitted into the jigsaw riddle of the Robin Hood tale.

Would it be possible to evoke the ghosts of the past? And once again have these caverns ring with the laughter of pranks of the outlaw band!"

The Riddle Of Robin Hood #1

Below is the script for the beginning of Walt Disney’s short promotional film ‘The Riddle of Robin Hood.’ Possibly read by Hans Conried (later the voice of Captain Hook in Disney’s Peter Pan). I am indebted to Neil Vessey for sending me information on this extremely rare piece of cinematic history. What it emphasises is the amount of groundwork and research Disney and his staff carried out before a single frame of his lavish Technicolor movie was shot. Walt Disney was also brave enough to tackle a mystery that has caused ceaseless controversy amongst distinguished scholars and antiquaries for well over seven hundred years-who was Robin Hood?

His fact-finding expedition to Nottingham and Sherwood paid off. The end product was without doubt one of the best-if not the best-Robin Hood movie ever made. It certainly sparked an interest in the legend in me, that has lasted a lifetime. Thank you Mr Disney.

"Who was Robin Hood? Was he a man or a legend? Did such a person roam the glades of Sherwood Forest, robbing the rich and giving to the poor? Or was he simply a fable invented by strolling minstrels? If he did exist, was he an ordinary rogue whose concern was fattening his own purse, or was he a champion of mankind whose deeds help to light the first torch of freedom back in the dark ages?

Could there have been a real Robin Hood, or someone very like him who inspired the knights of England to force the Magna Carta, that first great document of human rights and law, from the tyrannical Prince John?

Would the outlaw story ever be known? The legendry challenge, the hope of untangling a trail of mystery that led back through the centuries was not lost on Walt Disney. With his producer Perce Pearce and his screen playwright, Lawrence Watkin, they stuck to the job of sifting through endless books, ballads, papers, public and private libraries, the scraps of song and traces of legend that have accumulated over the passing years.

Famous writers, back through the ages, Tennyson, Spencer, Chaucer, were fascinated by the Robin Hood story and referred to the outlaw frequently.

In Act 1 of 'As You Like It', Shakespeare too makes special mention of Robin. Still despite all the literary and historical clues, as the Sheriff of Nottingham discovered long ago. The capture of the elusive mocking spirit, known as Robin Hood, was not an easy one. Obviously if he was to be caught at all, it would not be in the sylvan glades of Hollywood. The Disney force headed for England to take up the quest of Robin on his own grounds".

The Riddle Of Robin Hood

About a year ago I discovered Ken Polsson’s highly informative website ‘Chronology of the Walt Disney Company.’ It was whilst browsing through his comprehensive lists of Disney’s historical landmarks and films that I first discovered, under the year 1952, a mention of ‘The Riddle of Robin Hood.’ It simply said-under, month unknown, “Disney releases the film The Riddle of Robin Hood for promotional use [501.470].” I immediately emailed Ken, but he later confessed that he knew very little else. So I put an appeal on this website in September 2007 for anyone that might have seen this mysterious film.

In January an anonymous message appeared under my posting of Hubert Gregg, informing me that they had a copy of the film in their possession and left an email address. It was Neil Vessey, who went on to kindly describe in great detail, scenes from this very rare black and white 13 minute film. I could hardly contain my excitement and when he later went on to post eight images taken from the film, I was ‘over the Moon!’ (A picture from the Riddle of Robin Hood taken by Neil, of Walt Disney and Perce Pearce can be seen above). This is seeing cinematic history at its very best and makes working on this blog so worthwhile.

Neil described to me, how this unique footage, firstly shows Walt Disney in his studio office at Denham, talking to Perce Pearce the producer of the film and Lawrence Edward Watkin the writer of the screenplay. It also shows some ‘still shots' of their ‘fact finding’ visit to Nottingham with Richard Todd (described on this web site under ‘Film Production’) in 1951. There are clips of Richard Todd (Robin Hood) and one of the ‘merrie men,' being driven, by open car to the set. Later two more of the ‘outlaws’ arrive on bikes and possibly Martitia Hunt (Queen Eleanor) on a motorbike! They all make their way over a bridge, close to where Friar Tuck’s dog is later filmed attacking the sheriff.

Friar Tuck’s dog is also shown with its trainer, while the camera crew film Peter Finch, as the Sheriff of Nottingham, running through the river. Richard Todd in his full costume, can be seen practising the quarter staff fight with former Champion at Arms, Rupert Evans and their is even a clip of the lovely Joan Rice (Maid Marian) leaving her house in Denham and cycling to the studios. Carmen Dillon, the set designer, is also shown at Denham Studios, with models of the castle and drawbridge explaining to Walt Disney how those particular scenes would later be filmed.

In one clip, Ken Annakin, the director of the movie, is arranging the dramatic shot of King Richard’s departure for the Crusades, also Guy Green is shown being pushed along on one of the massive Technicolor cameras, filming the climatic scene in which Robin Hood (Richard Todd) leads the Sheriff (Peter Finch) at knife point towards the castle’s drawbridge. Fascinating stuff!

If only Disney could release ‘The Riddle of Robin Hood’ and The Story of Robin Hood’ together!

A very special thank you goes out to Neil Vessey.

And if any one else has information, or memories of this production or Walt Disney’s Story of Robin Hood, and its cast members, please get in touch at :
disneysrobin@googlemail.com