James Cagney as Robin Hood!

Above is an extremely rare, undated picture of the Hollywood movie star James Cagney taken at an Archery Competition, staged to promote what would later become the movie, The Adventures of Robin Hood, released in1938. Incredibly it was James Cagney who was considered for the role of Robin Hood before Errol Flynn!

Also in the picture, awarding the winner, is Basil Rathbone (later Sir Guy of Gisborne) and the famous archer Howard Hill, who became Errol Flynn’s instructor on the use of the longbow. Hill also made all of the stunt body shots, the splitting of the arrow shot at the Archery Tournament, and he played the Captain of the Archers in the movie. This photo was one of several photos given by Howard Hill to his niece, Lorain Hill.

So why did James Cagney get chosen to play Robin Hood by Warner Brothers?

In Hollywood during the mid 1930’s, the ‘Motion Picture Production Code of Ethics’ was being enforced a lot stronger than before. Like many film studios of that time, Warner Brothers had to improve their image and output. So they decided to expand their horizons and move away from the steady stream of violent gangster movies that they had become renown for, and explore more prestigious areas.

Warner Brothers decided upon producing Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ using their stock company of actors and actresses, which included Olivia de Havilland, Ian Hunter, Anita Louise and James Cagney.

Dwight Franklin (1888-1971) at the time was Warmer’s historical advisor and costume designer on ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’ It was he who sent a memo to Jack Warner suggesting making a movie about Robin Hood, with James Cagney as the outlaw, Anita Louise as Maid Marian and Hugh Herbert as Friar Tuck. He also had the idea of using the usual Warner Brothers ‘gangster cronies,’ Frank McHugh, Allen Jenkins, Hugh Herbert and Ross Alexander as the ‘Merry Men!’

Jack Warner was quite keen on the idea and went ahead with pre-production plans. James Cagney, who had been asking for ‘non-gangster roles’ was drafted in and producer Hal B Wallis hired English screenwriter Rowland Leigh to prepare a script for Cagney as Robin.

But Cagney, who was then a vice-president of the newly formed Screen Actors Guild, had made five movies in 1934, against his contract terms, which forced him to bring legal proceedings against Jack Warner. He had also complained about his ‘journeyman salary’ and the factory like conditions.

During his career, Cagney had walked out on several occasions before, but three months into the making of Robin Hood he walked off the lot in a tremendous rage, placed himself under suspension and never returned.

Meanwhile ‘Captain Blood’ had been released with huge success making a new and up and coming star out of 27year old Errol Flynn who had replaced Robert Donat in the role. Cagney was forgotten about and the rest is part of Hollywood’s golden history!

Picture Strip 31 : Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood

Part 31 of Laurence's very popular picture strip of Walt Disney's original movie the Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (1952).

To see previous pages of the picture strip, please click here: Picture Strip.

If you want to learn more about the making of this wonderful film or the legend that inspired it, please click on the relevant subjects in the sidebar.

Walt Disney and a Princess visit Robin Hood

Above is Walt Disney feeling the weight of a helmet, on the Nottingham Castle set during his visit to Denham Studios in June 1951. Alongside him is Elton Hayes (as the minstrel Allan-a-Dale) and Richard Todd (Robin Hood ‘disguised as a soldier of the Sheriff’). In his autobiography (‘Caught in the Act,’ Hutchinson 1986) Richard Todd describes the ‘solid’ dungeon walls as being constructed of pure wood and plaster and the ‘metal’ ring made of papier mache'.

Filming of Walt Disney’s Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men began on 30th April 1951. Ken Annakin, the director of the movie, in his autobiography (‘So You Wanna Be a Director,’ Tomahawk 2001) says that 10 weeks into shooting, Disney made a surprise visit to the set. Annakin describes how the great man had photos taken with the stars of the film in the Nottingham Square set on the lot. This also included ‘numerous’ pictures with Joan Rice (Maid Marian) on the archery field.

This fits with Richard Todd (Robin Hood) memoirs where he describes Disney coming over from London to Denham near the end of June 1951 and how he was thoroughly pleased with the way things were going.

Coinciding with Walt’s stopover, the then Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) paid a visit to the Denham Studios, accompanied only by her Lady-in-Waiting and Equerry. The future queen was shown by Walt Disney and the art director Carmen Dillon around the outside sets and the costume department. Perce Pearce, the producer of Walt Disney’s Robin Hood, insisted that filming should continue as normal, as that is what the young princess wanted to see. So for about twenty minutes she stood quietly in a dark corner, while production carried on, then gave a friendly wave and slipped out of the stage. I wonder what scene it was she saw being filmed?


To read more about the production of the film, Walt Disney, or see the Picture Gallery please click on the labels below.

Picture Strip 30 : Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood

Part 30 of Laurence's very popular picture strip of Walt Disney's original movie the Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (1952).

To see previous pages of the picture strip, please click here: Picture Strip.

If you want to learn more about the making of this wonderful film or the legend that inspired it, please click on the relevant subjects in the sidebar.

Joan Rice and 'The Company of Youth'

Recently we have discovered that Joan Rice (1930-1997) continued her acting career on the stage after her film career had sadly faded. A while ago I posted a programme of Arthur Miller’s ‘A View From The Bridge,’ which was kindly sent in by Neil, showing Joan in her favourite play, as Catherine, at the Savoy Theatre in Kettering in September 1959.

Above is a much later programme showing Joan performing in John Mortimer’s ‘A Voyage Round My Father’ at the Wimbledon Theatre in May 1973.

I hope these postings have helped counter the statements by Richard Todd and Ken Annakin that Joan was never an actress. She actually attended ‘The Company of Youth,’ often known as the ‘Rank Charm School,’ J. Arthur Rank's training institution for young film actors. It was established adjacent to Rank's experimental Highbury studio in a disused church hall, under the auspices of Olive Dodds, the Organisation's Director of Artistes. The school trained its pupils in everything from voice production to fencing and launched the careers of stars like: Christopher Lee, Dirk Bogarde, Patrick McGoohan, Donald Sinden, Honor Blackman, Michael Craig, Kay Kendal, Shirley Eaton, David McCallum, Joan Collins and Diana Dors.

It is interesting to see Gay Hamilton also listed in the programme above. Gay had played the part of Maid Marian in the Hammer production ‘A Challenge for Robin Hood,’ in 1967; Joan of course played the same part beautifully for Walt Disney in 1952. Both actresses had also played alongside James Hayter in the role as Friar Tuck.

This site is dedicated to the memory of Joan Rice: if you have any information about her life or ever met her I would love to hear from you. Please get in touch at disneysrobin@googlemail.com.

To read more about Walt Disney’s first Maid Marian please click here: - Joan Rice.

The Forest Table

This picture was taken one morning, in 'The Forest Table’ restaurant in the Visitor Centre, Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire. Sherwood is my spiritual home. There are posters from the many Robin Hood films made down the years, on the walls all around, and this is the owner of this blog sitting next to undoubtedly the best version of them all!

I thought I would take this opportunity to thank some of my regular contributors and visitors for their help and support of my blog. I would especially like to thank Laurence for his recent input and fantastic picture strip, Albie, Neil, Mike, Geoff and Avalon for their regular comments and contributions (it really means a lot!). Also a special thank you to my 24 Google Blog Followers! Together I believe we have helped give Walt Disney’s ‘Story of Robin Hood,’ some of the publicity and recognition it deserves.

Well, I have now reached 525 posts on this blog and had 5,269 visitors last month. Many come to read my articles about the film and its production; others enjoy reading about the legend of Robin Hood and places associated with him. We have travelled many paths in the search for the outlaw and there are a lot more to come!

So if you are a regular visitor to this site or it is your first time  here, it would be great to hear from you. It can be information or a question about the legend, the Disney movie, its production, the actors and actresses, or comments about the blog, please get in touch. I will do my best to answer any questions you might have.

The More The Merrier !!

Picture Strip 29 : Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood

Part 29 of Laurence's very popular picture strip of Walt Disney's original movie the Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (1952).

To see previous pages of the picture strip, please click here: Picture Strip.

If you want to learn more about the making of this wonderful film or the legend that inspired it, please click on the relevant subjects in the sidebar.

Henry VIII meets Robin Hood

Spring is my favourite time of year and in particular the month of May, when the celebrations begin to welcome the return of warmer weather.

May Day doesn’t appear in the Christian calendar, its origins are steeped in pagan tradition. The celebrations contain elements from the Roman Festival of Flora the Goddess of flowers and Beltane one of four major Celtic festivals. Taken from the god, Bel - the 'bright one', and the Gaelic word 'teine' meaning fire, we get ‘bright fire', representing the first day of Summer and the end of Winter. The thought of those long summer nights and a good harvest, with a plentiful supply of food to come, provided every excuse to celebrate May Day.

It was a tradition for young men and women to go out into the woods before sunrise in order to gather flowers and greenery to decorate their houses and villages with the belief that the vegetation spirits would bring good fortune and make the land fertile. Neighboring villages would compete to see who could bring back the largest piece of wood, which would be used as the maypole. Meanwhile young girls washed their faces with morning dew with the hope they would have radiant beauty for the rest of the year and made May garlands of flowers and foliage.

In 1480 the mayor of Coventry gives us an insight into the custom of ‘bringing in the May.’

“The people of every city – as London and other cities – yearly in Summer do harm to diverse lords and gentles having woods and groves nigh to such cities by taking of boughs and trees; and yet the lords and gentles suffer such deeds oft-times of their good will.”

The rest of the day was given over to various festivities. The villagers would take part in dancing on the village green, plays, archery and contests of strength. The highlight of the day was the crowning of the May Queen later the Maid Marian, the human replica of Flora. By tradition she took no part in the games or dancing, but sat like a queen in her flower-decked chair to watch over the subjects.

Maid Marian and the Friar with various characters from the May celebrations.

 

A shepherdess called Marian and her lover Robin have links with these village plays and pastourelles at a very early medieval period. Eventually the outlaw traditions merged with these games, plays and celebrations and gradually up and down the country Robin Hood and Maid Marian became interchangeable with the Lord and Lady of the May Celebrations.

In surviving churchwarden accounts we have the records of these ‘revels,’ 'sports,’ and ‘plays,’ of Robin Hood.’ In Croscombe, just outside Wells in Somerset, the parish records include ‘Roben Hodes recons,’ for the ‘sport’ or ‘revel’ of Robin Hood. The player of the outlaw paid the amounts regularly. The churchwarden’s accounts for Kingston-on-Thames mention the costumes of ‘Robyn Hode with the mores daunsaies, the frère and mayde Maryan.’ The Friar wore white and Marian was given a green cloth (Kendal) and a satin trimmed cloak.

 

 

Henry VIII and Katherine

 

It was during the early 16th century that the printing presses began producing editions of the ‘Geste of Robyn Hode.’ The popularity of the outlaw was now immense and this fascinating report from Edward Hall’s (c. 1498–1547), ‘Chronicle’ of 1516 shows that even royalty were invited to celebrate May Day with Robin Hood:

 

“The King and Queen [Henry VIII and Queen Katherine] accompanied with many lords and ladies rode to the high ground of Shooters Hill to take the open air; and as they passed by the way, they espied a company of tall yeoman, clothed all in green with green hoods and bows and arrows, to the number of two hundred. Then one of them, which called himself Robyn hood, came to the King, desiring him to see his men shoot, and the king was content. Then he whistled and all the two hundred archers shot and loosed at once, and then he whistled again, and they likewise shot again; their arrows whistled by craft of the head, so that the noise was strange and great, and much pleased the King and Queen and all the company. All of these archers were of the King’s guard and had thus appareled themselves to make solace to the King. The Robyn hood desired the King and the Queen to come into the green wood, and to see how the outlaws live. The King demanded of the Queen and her ladies, if they durst adventure to go into the wood with so many outlaws. Then the Queen said that if it pleased him, she was content. Then the horns blew till they came to the wood under Shooters Hill, and there was an arbour made of boughs, with a hall and a great chamber very well made and covered with flowers and sweet herbs, which the King much praised. Then said Robyn hood, Sir, outlaws breakfast in venison, and therefore you must be content with such fare as we use. Then the King and Queen sat down, and were served with venison and wine by Robyn hood and his men to great contention.”

This account shows that by the Tudor period Robin Hood was not only associated with unruly and often bawdy May celebrations, but had diversified into a genial host and had began to prepare the grounds for later theatrical productions.

Martitia Hunt as Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine

Martitia Hunt (1900-1969) on the set at Denham Studios as Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine in Walt Disney’s ‘Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (1952). Playing the part of the mother of the crusading King Richard I and his scheming brother Prince John, she found herself the linchpin of a divided kingdom, a part, the elegant Martitia was made for.

To read more about the tall, stately, velvet voiced actress please click here: Martitia Hunt.