Lardner's Ring & Ring Lardner Jr.
In series two of the BBC’s largely disappointing Robin Hood series, starring Jonas Armstrong, Lucy Griffiths and Richard Armitage-the ninth episode was given the title Lardner’s Ring. This is undoubtedly a reference to the blacklisted American writer Ring Lardner Jr., who after being imprisoned and unable to work in his own country, wrote under several pseudonyms for the classic British television series, The Adventures of Robin Hood, in the 1950’s.In 1942 Ring Lardner Jr., known as ‘Bill’ to friends, the son of the famous humorist, was the youngest writer ever to win an Academy Award for ‘Best Original Screen-Play.’ His writing career was at an all time high. But his well publicized, foolhardy testimony, to Committee Chairman J. Parnell Thomas, as one of the ‘Hollywood Ten’ (communist or leftist sympathizers) during the era of Senator Joseph McCarthy’s ‘witch-hunt’, caused utter controversy. When brought before the House Un-American Activities Committee, Ring refused, along with the others, to answer any questions under the First and Fifth Amendments of the United States of America.
After a series of appeals they were eventually found guilty of ‘contempt of Congress.’ All ten were jailed and on November 24th 1947 Ring was fined $1000 and incarcerated for 10 months in the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut. His passport was impounded; he was fired from his job at Twentieth Century Fox and was unable to work in his native land.
So this talented scriptwriter was punished for a ‘crime’ that his country constituted as a basic right! (Like freedom of choice, freedom of speech etc.) In the so-called ‘land of the free’ he became a member of the infamous ‘blacklisted’ Hollywood fraternity and after his release from prison, fled with his wife Frances, (the widow of his brother David) to live firstly in Mexico City, then New York and possibly London.
Ironically the H.U.A.A. Committee chairman J. Parnell Thomas was convicted of embezzlement in 1950 and also became an inmate at Danbury. Four years later, the Senate voted to censure McCarthy and his career in major politics was soon over. But the ‘blacklist’ was not lifted until about 1960 and only then could Ring Lardner write under his own name again.
The screenwriter and playwright Michael Eaton met Ring Lardner, during the exiled writer’s invited visit to the Amiens film festival in Northern France. Ring was guest of honour and Eaton took the opportunity to show him a ‘rough cut’ of his forthcoming TV movie, ‘Fellow Traveller’ (1989) about the effects of growing up in Hollywood under the shadow of McCarthyism.
It was during their conversation about Ring’s years of suffering as an exile during the 1950’s that the subject of Robin Hood came up. During this period he was forced to write under pseudonyms, give credit to non-black-listed members or, simply write unaccredited for American sales. Ring described to Michael Eaton how some of his ‘Robin’ scripts for the TV series were smuggled over to England in great secrecy, before he eventually found work in London. But Ring and the other ‘blacklistees’ like Abe Polonsky and Walter Bernstein, had leapt at the opportunity for, as he put it, ‘commentary–by-metaphor’ on the issues and institutions of Eisenhower America.
When ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’ was aired in the USA it quickly became, of course, a huge success. Youngsters across America were soon re-enacting his tales, firing imaginary bows and arrows in their school playgrounds and tricking the cruel sheriff. One of those children was Ring’s youngest son. But, although his eldest children had lived through - and were well aware - of their fathers unjust imprisonment and exile, Ring could not risk telling the young boy that his favourite TV show, ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’ was partly created by his dad.
‘He couldn’t take the gamble that his child’s justifiable pride would not overflow and put him back in jeopardy.’ (Eaton)
I think you will agree that the domestic heartache Ring experienced as an outcast at that time brings into sharp focus the realities of challenging injustice. And, as Michael Eaton describes it, the timeless truths of Robin Hood.
Robin Hood And His Adventures
A book-cover illustration for Robin Hood and his Adventures by G.A. Davis HC. The novel was published in 1911.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.
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).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)