Richard Todd in 1950

We have recently seen a picture of Joan Rice in 1950, so here is Richard Todd in that same year reading a script; could it be The Story of Robin Hood?

Sitting alongside him is his first wife Kitty (Catherine Bogle).

To read more about Richard Todd please click on the Label below.

Joan Rice in 1950

This is a very rare image I have discovered of Joan Rice apparently modeling hats at a Milliners Show in 1950!

This was possibly before she signed a contract with Rank, but if anybody has any more details, can they contact me at disneysrobin@googlemail.com


For more information on her life, please click on the Joan Rice Label below.

Robin & Marian found in a Broom Cupboard!

Yet another Robin Hood discovery has recently been reported in the local papers. This time it is an extremely valuable Victorian painting depicting Robin and Maid Marian which was found by a cleaner in the broom cupboard of a Sussex workings men’s club.

The oil-on-canvas painting was discovered during a spring-clean of the 'unnamed' Sussex club and has been estimated by Bonhams auction house to be worth between £5,000 -£7,000. It measures 114.5 x 86.5cm (45 1/16 x 34 1/16in).

In the right hand corner of the painting is the monograph of Thomas Heaphy and the date 1866. Thomas Frank Heaphy was born on 2nd April 1813, son of the first president of the Society of British Artists, also called Thomas (1775-1835). Thomas visited Italy with his father in 1831 and developed an interest in Italian religious paintings and portraiture. He also published eight articles in the ‘Art Journal’ on the ‘origin of the likeness of Christ.’ Between the years 1859-1862 he exhibited a series of portraits of peasant women at the Royal Academy. He died in London on the 7th of August 1873.

This is one of the best 'Robin Hood' paintings I have ever seen. The more you look at it-the more you see. Notice the May blossom, Marian's bare feet and rosy cheeks, Robin's 'cross-bow', the attentive hound, Marian's set of keys and the opened chest filled with treasure. Wonderful!

British 'Story of Robin Hood' Poster (1972)

This poster advertising the 1972 release of Walt Disney’s Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men is the dynamic art-work of Arnaldo Putzu whose mainstay of work was found on British Cinema posters of the 60’s and 70’s.

Arnaldo worked in the chief film agency in Britain, run by one of the un-sung heroes of British cinema-the commercial artist Eric Pulford (1915-2005). In 1943 Rank invited Pulford to set up a design studio which later became known as Pulford Publicity. By 1963 it had evolved into the large London agency Downtown Advertising, which in addition to Rank and its Gaumont and Odeon Cinema chains, later held accounts for Universal, RKO, United Artists, British Lion, Columbia and Disney.

From the mid 1950’s Pulford employed a series of Italian artists and his studio eventually included 44 artists and photographers.

In about 1967 Arnaldo Putzu was brought over by Pulford as an in-house artist at Downtown Advertising and later for Feref Associates. Like the other Italians employed by Pulford, Arnaldo was very quick, normally taking about two days to paint a poster. Critics would probably vote his art work for Michael Caine’s gangster film Get Carter (1971) as one of his best.

During the 1970’s Arnaldo went on to become the regular cover-artist for the teen-age magazine Look-In; these days he is still happily painting in Rome.

Arnaldo’s 1972 poster for the re-release of Walt Disney’s Story of Robin Hood is typical of his flamboyant style. But it borrowed heavily from the original British poster of 1952, which in my opinion was far better. In his version the style is more graphic and the colours are darker; particularly the green. The image of Robin with his bow is far more menacing than the original twenty years earlier and Arnaldo has switched the positions of Robin and Marian which in the 1952 version was a straight copy from the publicity still.

I would be interested to know which you prefer.

Original British 'Story of Robin Hood' poster (1952)

Once again a big thank you goes out to Mike, for sending me a copy of his much-treasured original British poster of Walt Disney’s Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (1952).

In my opinion this is by far the best artwork I have seen for the movie, it captures beautifully the colour, action and romance of the film. I would love to own a copy of this. Unfortunately I have not found the name of the artist, although it seems to have been produced by Pulford Publicity in London which later became known as Downtown Advertising and Feref Associates. If anyone can help me find a name for the artist, please get in touch at disneysrobin@googlemail.com.

James Hayter as Mr Pickwick in 'The Pickwick Papers' (1952)

Two Friars. James Hayter was later picked by Ken Annakin to become the celebrated Friar Tuck in Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood (1952). Alexander Gauge seen here as Mr Tupman, also became Friar Tuck in TV's Adventures of Robin Hood in 1955.

Ken Annakin (1914-2009)

I have just heard the very sad news that Ken Annakin has passed away in Beverly Hills aged 94. As my regular readers will know, it was Ken who directed Walt Disney's be-loved Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men. (1952).

Ken had previously been in good health and always talked about making more films, even though he had not directed since the early 1990s, his daughter Deborah Peters said. "He was absolutely fine, other than old age," she said. "He was walking and mobile, chatting and working, still trying to get films made. I don't think anybody like that ever really stops." His health had been failing since he had a heart attack and stroke within a day of each other in February. He passed away on Wednesday night.

I intend to look into the life of this Disney Legend in the future, but for now here is today's obituary from the New York Times:

"Starting as a cameraman in Britain on training films for the Royal Air Force in World War II, Mr. Annakin went on to direct more than 40 feature films for the British screen and Hollywood.
His 1965 comedy about the early days of aviation, the full title of which is Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew From London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes, starred Stuart Whitman as an American flier racing for a prize awarded by a British newspaper. It intertwined romance, cheating and international conflicts with soaring flight scenes. It earned Mr. Annakin an Oscar nomination, with Jack Davis for best screenplay.

Comedies were Mr. Annakin’s specialty in his early directing days. One hit from those years was Miranda (1948), with Glynis Johns as a mermaid caught by a doctor on a fishing trip; her tail reappears whenever she gets wet. In 1948 and ’49 Mr. Annakin directed a series of films about a down-to-earth British family, the Huggetts.

One of the first live-action Disney movies was Mr. Annakin’s “Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men,” with Richard Todd as Robin Hood. Shot in England and released in the United States in 1952, it entered many more childhood memories when it was shown on television in 1955. Another Disney film directed by Mr. Annakin was the 1960 version of “Swiss Family Robinson,” with John Mills, Dorothy McGuire and James MacArthur.

Some of Mr. Annakin’s work was more serious. In 1957 he directed “Across the Bridge,” in which Rod Steiger played a Wall Street swindler hiding in Mexico using the identity of a man he had murdered. Mr. Annakin’s daughter said “Across the Bridge” was her father’s favorite film.
In 1962 Mr. Annakin was one of the four directors of “The Longest Day,” the sprawling World War II epic about the invasion of Normandy. He directed the scenes involving British and French troops.

In 1965 he was the sole director of “Battle of the Bulge,” with Henry Fonda.
Among Mr. Annakin’s other directing credits are “The Biggest Bundle of Them All” (1968), a comedy heist movie set in Italy; “The Call of the Wild” (1972), starring Charlton Heston; and “The Pirate Movie” (1982), an adaptation of “The Pirates of Penzance” starring Kristy McNichol and Christopher Atkins.

Kenneth Cooper Annakin was born in Beverley, in Yorkshire, England, on Aug. 10, 1914. His daughter said he was an only child who left his parents as a teenager and never told her his parents’ names. Besides his daughter, he is survived by his wife of 49 years, the former Pauline Carter; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

After dropping out of school, Mr. Annakin traveled to Australia, New Zealand and the United States. He returned to England and sold insurance and cars, then joined the RAF.
In 2002 Queen Elizabeth named Mr. Annakin an officer of the Order of the British Empire."

Disney's nephew Roy described Ken Annakin as, "an important part of the Disney legacy [who] made several memorable films for my uncle Walt."

“Star Wars” creator George Lucas paid him an indirect compliment when he named the character Anakin Skywalker for him.

In addition to his daughter Deborah, Annakin is survived by his wife of 50 years, Pauline; grandchildren Alice and Matthew; and great grandchildren, Oliver and Zoe. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. on Monday at Westwood Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles.

In 4 days time Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood DVD will go on general release across America. This film will be one of a number of wonderful lasting legacies of a man who insisted, that he only made films for audiences.

Thank you Ken.

St George and England!

April 23rd is St George’s Day. Sadly for decades it has been un-fashionable to celebrate England’s patron Saint. Our American cousins, Ireland, Scotland and most other countries around the globe celebrate their national identity with pride, in England we don’t. A survey by a government agency revealed that fewer than one in five people mark St George's Day on April 23rd. There have been many excuses given out by government officials and local councils down the years as to why. It has been even been reported that some local shops have been forbidden to fly the national flag from their premises, for fear of upsetting the local residents from diverse cultures.

Meanwhile the flag of St George has developed negative connotations of football hooliganism and the racism of the National Front. In schools in the inner cities and across the country, lessons in the history of our nation have been removed from the curriculum or dumbed down to such an extent that in a survey in 2008, carried out by the Daily Mail newspaper, they found these shocking results:

“In the Survey a quarter of the population thought that Winston Churchill never actually existed.

While a poll recently named him the greatest Briton of all time, the wartime prime minister is seen by many as a mythical figure along with the likes of Florence Nightingale and Sir Walter Raleigh. Churchill, the 'greatest Briton of all time,' is merely a myth to some.

This could well have something to do with the TV insurance adverts inviting viewers to challenge Churchill and featuring a lugubrious talking dog.

According to the survey of 3,000 respondents, many believe the inspirational Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi, Cleopatra and the Duke of Wellington are also characters dreamed up for films and books.
Some think Charles Dickens was himself a character in fiction rather than the creator of David Copperfield, Oliver Twist and Martin Chuzzlewit.

In this damning indictment of the nation's historical knowledge, many of those surveyed said they believe Sherlock Holmes was a real person, along with the pilot Biggles and even the Three Musketeers!

Almost 50 per cent were certain that Eleanor Rigby existed not just in the imagination of John Lennon and Paul McCartney.”

Such damming evidence of a basic knowledge of our history and culture has inspired this recent poem:

DON’T SAY YOU ARE ENGLISH

Goodbye my England, so long old friend
Your days are numbered, being brought to an end.
To be Scottish or Irish or Welsh that’s just fine,
But don’t say you’re English that’s way out of line!

The French and the Germans may call themselves such,
As may the Norwegians, the Swedes and the Dutch.
You can say you are Russian or maybe a Dane,
But don’t say you are English ever again.

At Broadcasting House that word is taboo,
In Brussels they’ve scrapped it, in Parliament too.
Even schools are affected; staff do as they’re told,
They mustn’t teach children about the England of old.

Writers like Shakespeare, Milton or Shaw,
Do pupils not learn about them anymore?
How about Agincourt, Hastings or Mons?
Where England lost hosts of her very brave sons.

We’re not Europeans, how can we be?
Europe is miles away, over the sea!
We’re English from England let’s all be proud.
Stand up and be counted, shout it out loud!

Let’s tell Tony Blair and Brussels too.
We’re proud of our heritage, not just red, white and blue.
Fly the flag of St. George, not the Union Jack!
Let the World know ENGLAND is back!

The tide is turning and dear old blighty is starting to reclaim the day of its Patron Saint in a spirit of inclusiveness and rejuvenation spearheaded by London Mayor’s Boris Johnson. Let’s hope it’s not too late!

In an official statement published on March 22, Johnson said: "St George’s Day has been ignored in London for far too long, but I’m truly pleased to announce some fantastic events to mark this occasion. We have much to be proud of in this great country, England has given so much to the world, politically, socially and artistically."

So on April 23rd wherever you are, raise your glass and recite these famous words from Shakespeare's (he was born and died on 23rd April) famous St. George speech (Henry V - Act III, Scene I):

"I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,

Straining upon the start.

The game's afoot:

Follow your spirit, and upon this charge

Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!”

Russell Crowe as Robin Hood

Here he is! Our very first glimpse of Russell Crowe as Robin Hood, filming Ridley Scott’s eagerly anticipated £110 million remake of the classic tale. Opening in theatres on May 14, 2010, the Universal action-drama co-stars Cate Blanchett, Vanessa Redgrave, Mark Strong, Scott Grimes, Kevin Durand, Alan Doyle, Oscar Isaacs, Lea Seydoux and William Hurt. According to the press, the 45-year old actor has started a crusade of dieting and exercise to lose more than four stone. Crowe is said to have eaten food with a low glycaemic index, such as peanuts, apricots and porridge which leave the dieter feeling satisfied for longer. He has also cycled daily in preparation for the film.

USA Today says:

Sporting a Caesar haircut and slimmed-down physique, Crowe shed the weight he gained for his portly characters in State of Play and Body of Lies. He also updated the bandit's wardrobe.

"He doesn't have the old Robin Hood tights," says producer Brian Grazer. "He's got armor. He's very medieval. He looks, if anything, more like he did in Gladiator than anything we're used to seeing with Robin Hood."

And though it won't be easy replicating the box office or Oscar success of the 2000 film —Gladiator raked in $458 million worldwide and won five Academy Awards, including best picture — Grazer says Robin Hood's story was ripe for revisiting.

"Oddly, it's a metaphor for today," Grazer says. "He's trying to create equality in a world where there are a lot of injustices. He's a crusader for the people, trying to reclaim some of the ill-gotten gains of the wealthy. That's a universal theme."
Not that the film will linger on the contemporary. "We just shot a scene where Maid Marion fires a flaming bow and arrow into the night sky. It's just a cool story."

Apparently the film has a Gladiator-style retelling of the old English legend, in which Robin Hood's psychological issues are examined. Crowe plays Robin of Loxley in an “original story of Robin Hood that hews close to historical facts of the period. Abandoned as a child, he finds community with the common people of Nottingham. Robin's abandonment and trust issues hamper his ability to fall in love. He meets his match in Marian (Blanchett), a strong, independent woman."

Sienna Miller was originally offered the role as Maid Marian, but the producers of the film feared that her slim physique would appear to make Crowe seem too chubby on the screen, so the part of Robin’s love interest has been given to 39 year old Cate Blanchett.

Some of the reaction on the web has been interesting:

• errol flynn will be turning in his grave, first costner now bloody crowe...this is sooooo wrong!

• bloody 'eck. Hope 'e's got the accent right. Be very disappointing if he hasn't. Much as I love the Aussie accent it just won't sound right on Robin.
  Vonne,Yass (down under)
• 
  Expect lots of slow motion blurry cam shots from Ridley 'I used to make good movies but then started using cgi' Scott.
• 
  Kevin Costners American accent speaking and clean shaven Robin hood was the worst ever portrayed. The film was fun but he was laughable! The current BBC Robin Hood is a joke too with Robin looking like a member of a Brit-pop band! Patrick Bergin was the most authentic looking Robin Hood since Errol Flynn's 1938 Adventures of Robin Hood masterpiece that is still not beaten today! Russell looks as brutish as he always does, not exactly the classic look for Robin Hood and not much of the Lincoln Green in the costume department either. I'm almost biting my tongue when I say this but they should have tried again with Orlando Bloom, he's not the greatest actor without a good supporting cast but he at least looks the part and won't have to fake his accent for a change! ..Besides, he’s only good with a bow and arrow in his hands.
• 
  First off, Ridley Scott is going for the real look of how Robin Hood would have been in the era he lived in. In the era that Robin Hood lived in, men didn't wear tights as tights weren't invented yet. Also were does everyone get that Robin Hood is some kind of pretty boy or some young stud? seriously? the myth of Robin Hood never states the character's age. Hell, the myth of Robin Hood is technically flawed on several accounts. Ridley Scott is delivering a realistic & griddy Robin Hood. If you want the whole fantasy green tight wearing Robin Hood go watch the classic of Michael Curtiz' "The Adventures Of Robin Hood". If you want a comedic take on the myth go watch Mel Brooks' "Men In Tights". If you want a inadmissible Robin Hood film then go watch Kevin Costner's "Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves". You'll see why he got a Razzie for that performance. But hey, Kevin Costner's been nominated for a total of 14 Razzies. Then there's the BBC's Robin Hood who looks like a punk band Robin Hood which is just a joke. All you people who are pre-judging or hating on Ridley Scott's "Robin Hood" for being "inaccurate" are just being either ignorant, narrow-minded, ill-advise, or all of the above. Technically, Ridley's verison is going to be the most historically correct version.P.S. Orlando Bloom would have been the cliché fantasy pick for Robin Hood something that's been done already with Errol Flynn.