Two Friar Tucks

Above is a publicity poster for Noel Langley’s film adaption of Charles Dickens’s The Pickwick Papers, released in London on 26th November 1952. Appearing amongst a whole host of stars, including Joyce Grenfell, Hermione Gingold, Nigel Patrick and James Donald was James Hayter (top left), in the main role as Samuel Pickwick. This was his fourth movie to be released in 1952 and would earn him a nomination for a BAFTA as ‘Best British Actor.’

Walt Disney’s Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men had its Royal Premier in March of that year and Hayter’s Friar Tuck had ‘almost stolen the show.’ Another actor appearing in Pickwick would be next to put on the Franciscan habit of Robin’s faithful Friar, and go on to make 89 episodes of the classic television series, The Adventures of Robin Hood - Alexander Gauge (1914-1960) (bottom row-second from the left). Gauge played the character Tupman in Pickwick and had been a celebrated Shakespearean actor, but will always be remembered for his role as Friar Tuck, alongside Richard Greene as Robin Hood in Hannah Weinstein’s ground-breaking television production for Lew Grade’s newly formed ITC Company.

The Pickwick Papers was filmed at Nettlefold Studios, Walton-on-Thames in Surrey, where from 1955 to 1960, a hundred and forty-three half hour, black and white episodes of the hugely successful The Adventures of Robin Hood were recorded for the small screen. James Hayer would later appear as Tom the miller in two of the stories, following in the footsteps of two other stars from Disney’s Story of Robin Hood-Hal Osmond who played four separate characters and Patrick Barr, who re-created his role as King Richard the Lionheart.

(To read more about James Hayter and Patrick Barr, please click on their 'Labels' in the right-hand panel or below).

Peter Ellenshaw Paints Disneyland

After Peter Ellenshaw’s success with his wonderful Matte work and special effects on Walt Disney’s live action movies, such as Treasure Island, The Story of Robin Hood and Sword and the Rose - Fred Leahy, (the future production manager on 20,000 Leagues under the Sea) asked him if he would be interested in working at the Disney Studios in Hollywood.

Ellenshaw was uncertain; he later described the offer as like, ‘a risky handshake deal’ - a vague promise of work. He had to consider his wife Bobbie and his young son Harrison. But he was ambitious and work in England was becoming increasingly hard to find. So after a great deal of thought he sent a message of acceptance to Leahy, sold-up and set of by ship to America.

The journey by train to Los Angeles was a long one and on arrival, Ellenshaw took a taxi to Hollywood, mistakenly thinking that the Disney Studios were based there. They were in fact at Burbank.

Eventually he met up once again with Fred Leahy who took him to meet Walt Disney. When the legendary film producer saw him he stunned the artist with the comment, “Hi Peter! What are you doing here?”

Disney went on to explain that production on 20,000 Leagues had been held back until they had adjusted the story line. Peter Ellenshaw was in a state of shock. He had sold everything to work for Walt in America.

But Disney turned to Fred Leahy and said the ‘magic’ words, “We’ll find something.”

One of Ellenshaw’s first assignments, in his new office in the upper floor of the Animation Building, would also be one of the most historic. It would be to paint for Walt Disney a ‘conceptual rendering of something called Disneyland.’ So Ellenshaw, a former graduate of the Royal Academy of Arts, took up his paintbrush and a 40’’x 90’’ piece of fiberboard from the animation department and went about creating the first ever, full colour view of the magic kingdom.

The complete tableau was unveiled on Walt Disney’s weekly television program ‘Disneyland,’ on October 27th 1954. But Peter Ellenshaw’s iconic image was not only shown to television audiences, it was also printed on all the early postcards, souvenir booklets and used to encourage potential investors in the theme park from all around the world.
Peter Ellenshaw also contributed to many of the new theme park’s attractions, including TWA’s Rocket Ship To The Moon, X-1 Satellite View of America and the first Circle-Vision Theatre Show.

(For more on the work of Peter Ellenshaw click on the label opposite)

Errol Flynn's Robin Hood Statue

In late 1937 the directors of The Adventures of Robin Hood, Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, presented Errol Flynn with this statue, for all his hard work on the phenomenally successful movie. A European master artist had been instructed by the film’s producers to create this Art-Deco figurine in the likeness of Flynn in his starring role. It stands 30 inches tall from the top of the wooden bow, to the bottom of the Italian Swirled marble base and weighs approximately 30-35 pounds.

It spent many years in Errol Flynn’s holiday home in New Hampshire in the U.S.A.

James Robertson Justice, Richard Todd, James Hayter

Disneyland

A regular favorite BBC television program of mine during the Bank Holidays of the 1970’s and early 1980’s was Disney Time. For a fan of the great film-maker, like me, this was an ideal opportunity to see clips of his classic work and forthcoming releases.

In the early days of television Walt Disney was of course, a great pioneer, and at a time when film studios feared the small screen, he was the first of the major Hollywood producers to venture into the ‘new’ medium. His very first one hour TV special was sponsored by Coca-Cola and was called One Hour in Wonderland. The show was aired by NBC in America, on Christmas Day 1950 and managed to pull in a massive 90% of the television audience. A year later he repeated this success with The Walt Disney Christmas Special.

Along with his brother Roy, Walt Disney now began to discuss a possible television series with NBC or CBS. But eventually a deal was struck with the third place, ABC Television network. Part of the package was a secured financial loan of $500,000 for the construction costs in Anaheim of Disney’s new project, a theme park called Disneyland.

On 27th October 1954, Walt Disney himself hosted the first of his weekly hour long programs for ABC, known like his forthcoming theme park, Disneyland. The show included various cartoons and material from the Disney Studio's vast family orientated library. The series was popular right from the start and soon became ABC’s first ever top ten show.

With Tinkerbell beginning each hour long episode with a wave of her magic wand, accompanied by the song ‘When You Wish Upon A Star’, the show would start from either, Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland or Tommorowland. This would cleverly familiarize the television viewers with Disney’s up and coming ‘Magic Kingdom - his Disneyland park, which would open in July 1955.

Along with the classic Disney cartoons, educational shorts and film promotions, Disneyland also featured a number of mini-series, including True Life Adventures, The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca, Texas John Slaughter, Spin and Marty, The Swamp Fox and Davy Crockett. With Fess Parker as the historical American frontiersman, Davy Crockett was first shown in December 1954. Two more hour long episodes were aired in early 1955 and America was soon gripped with ‘Crockettmania.’ The Ballad of Davy Crockett became a chart topping hit record later that same year. The three Crockett episodes, shrewdly filmed in Technicolor, were edited into a full length feature film, which was then given a worldwide release in the summer of 1955, making millions of dollars in merchandising.

In 1958 the television series changed its name to Walt Disney Presents. The ABC loan was paid back and Disney now gained total control of his Magic Kingdom. But he had always been keen to progress into colour broadcasting, so in 1961 he moved his television show to the more technologically advanced NBC and Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color hit the small screens at 7.30pm on Sunday September 24th of that year.

It was on the 2nd November 1955, during the second series of Disneyland that the Story of Robin Hood was first aired. The feature film had been edited, like many at that time, into a two part television presentation, with the second part broadcast during episode 9 on the 9th November 1955.

During Walt Disney Presents on ABC, The Story of Robin Hood was shown again in two parts, on 26th December 1958 and 2nd January 1959. In the 1964-1965 hour long NBC season of Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color, Part 1 was aired on 16th May and Part 2 on 23rd May 1965.

'Whistle My Love' Music Sheet

This is the music sheet of 'Whistle My Love' from my own collection, sung by Elton Hayes in Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood (1952). It originaly cost one shilling. The song was composed by Eddie Pola and George Wyle and copyrighted as early as 1950.

(To see all posts about Elton Hayes please click on the label marked Elton Hayes in the right-hand panel or below).

Elton Hayes sings 'Whistle My Love'

I was pleased to find, uploaded on YouTube, Elton Hayes singing a version of 'Whistle My Love' from Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood (1952). I believe Elton Hayes was filmed by British Pathe recording this song in 1957 for a feature on British Cinema called Film Fanfare, which was introduced by Paul Carpenter.

To listen to 'Whistle My Love' just click on the music player in the right-hand column of the website.

Happy Easter

A very happy Easter to Neil, Christian and all my readers. Thank you so much for your input and I look forward to hearing from you all very soon.

The image above is an advert from Easter 1959 for Robin Hood Shoes!

American Poster