The Bandit of Sherwood Forest (1946)

Occasionally I like to look at how the legend of Robin Hood has been interpreted on the silver screen. There are now 40 pages dedicated to the ‘Robin Hood’ movies. Of course The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) is looked upon by every movie critic as the bench-mark to which all later cinematic versions about the outlaw hero are judged and it took Hollywood eight years before they attempted a return to  the outlaw’s haunts. But they did, with Columbia’s The Bandit of Sherwood Forest (1946), which is based on the novel, ‘Son of Robin Hood’ by Paul A Castleton.

Cornel Wilde as Robert of Nottingham

The tyrannical King John is now dead and the outlaws have all disbanded. Robin (Russell Hicks) and Marian have a fully grown son, Robert of Nottingham (Cornel Wilde), who eventually helps the Queen Mother and the beautiful Lady Catherine (Anita Louise) to protect the young King Henry III from the evil William Pembroke (Henry Daniell) and the nasty, but bumbling Sheriff (Lloyd Corrigan).

Anita Louise and Cornel Wilde

Of course, the veteran Robin Hood, Earl of Huntingdon, and his band of stalwarts Little John (Ray Teal), Friar Tuck (Edgar Buchanan), Will Scarlet (John Abbott) and Allen-A-Dale (Leslie Denison) return to their old ways to assist his son and save the young king from the clutches of the despotic Regent of England.

This 85 minute romp through the pages of England’s favorite story book hero has very little of the quality of the previous Warner Brothers masterpiece. But it does retain the sumptuous Technicolor glamour of its predecessor, owing to the experience of three cinematographers including, Tony Gaudio, who had previously worked on The Adventures of Robin Hood.

Anita Louise as the imprisoned Lady Catherine

With his specially padded shoulders and his toothy smile, (somewhat reminiscent of Douglas Fairbanks) Cornel Wilde (a real-life Olympic champion fencer) does an acceptable job as the son of the outlaw. Anita Louise as the high-born Lady Catherine, lady-in-waiting to the Queen Mother, finally got her chance to become the love interest in a ‘Robin Hood Movie’. She had previously been scheduled to play Maid Marian alongside Errol Flynn for Warner Brothers but was dropped in favor of Olivia deHavilland.

Anita Louise and Cornel Wilde

 

On several occasions, particularly during the ‘Bandit’s’ climatic sword-fight scene in the castle, we also witness a nod to the famous expressionistic shadow shots used by the ‘Adventures’ director Michael Curtiz’. But sadly, with the Merry Men all galloping around on stallions like the 7^th Cavalry, this movie has more resemblance to the fast pace and shoot -‘em-up qualities of a B-western produced for Saturday matinees. Still, this colorful adventure did earn Columbia an impressive $3 million at the box office, which is impressive for a movie with a modest budget like this one.

James Hayter (1907-1983)

James Hayter as Friar Tuck

I recently received an email from Elina Lampart asking permission to use some stills and pages of information from my blog regarding the great character actor James Hayter. She runs a site dedicated to the classic TV series Are You Being Served, in which he appeared as the cantankerous Mr Tebbs.

In Walt Disney’s Story of Robin Hood (1952), Hayter played one of the most memorable Friar Tuck’s of all-time and went on to re-create his famous role for Hammer Films A Challenge for Robin Hood in 1967. But in his long acting career he starred in countless film, stage and television productions.  He is probably best remembered for being the voice of Mr Kipling Cakes and James Onedin’s father-in-law in the costume drama, The Onedin Line.

But towards the end of his long and illustrious acting career, Hayter was chosen by comedy writer and producer, David Croft, to appear as a new assistant in his successful TV series Are You Being Served. Croft said:

"James Hayter had not worked for me before, but he was a well known featured player in movies over here,” Croft remembers, “and as far as I was concerned was the only candidate providing he was available and willing to play the part."

So as the mischievous Percival Tebbs, Hayter appeared in 6 episodes of Are You Being Served. Unfortunately for many years, Mr Kipling Cakes had used his distinctly fruity voice, for their advertisements on British television and the company did not like the character he now portrayed in this series.

They thought the personality of the character he portrayed was unpleasant and had an air of indignity that might put the viewing public off buying their “exceedingly good cakes”!

Hayter at first argued that he was free-lance and could chose to play any character he desired, but when Mr Kipling Cakes finally offered him three times his BBC salary for the next series, not to do it and terminate his contract, he accepted.

The cast of Are You Being Served were very disappointed to see such a successful comedy talent leave, but he confessed, “if they are prepared to pay me three times as much not to it, then I won’t do it– at my time of life, I have no more ambition.”

James Hayter died in Spain aged 75 on 27th March 1985.

This is the link to Elina’s very informative web site dedicated televisions classic comedy series Are You Being Served and the career of James Hayter.

This blog also has 20 pages of information on the life and career of James Hayter and many pictures and stills. Also, don’t forget to vote for your favorite Friar Tuck of all time in the side-bar.

German Advertiseing Leaflet

Above is a very rare German advertiseing leaflet promoting Walt Disney's live-action movie the Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men. The film was first released in West Germany in 1952. As Joan Rice gets top billing (alongside Richard Todd) and an interesting portrait in the top right-hand corner, I supsect that this leaflet was produced about that time.

There are now many various posters and lobby cards on this blog, from all around the world, showing the different images and colourful illustrations used to advertise this Disney masterpiece. 

Happy New Year !

Above is the only Robin I saw during my visit to Sherwood Forest last year!

A very Happy New Year to all my readers and thank you for your continued support. This blog has continued to grow beyond my wildest dreams and a lot of it it is due to the amazing input and encouragement of Neil, Albie, Trish, Mike, Geoff and Laurence. Thank you so much for your help and regular comments. 

This site is now getting over a hundred visits a day so hopefully we will hear from a few more readers this year!

Joan's Whirlwind Romance

In July 1952, during the filming of His Majesty O’ Keefe, Joan Rice became engaged to Martin Boyce, the manager of an auto parts factory, whom she described as a ‘regular pip of a fellow.’

In a press article she said, “"We went together for a year and three months before he proposed. As I recall it, we held hands after four months, then he kissed me on the sixth month of our meeting each other and things were on a standstill after that, until I got the news I was coming to the States."

But her engagement with Martin Boyce lasted less than 5 months and a recent discovery I have made on the back of a press photograph  reveals a little more information on her whirlwind romance with her first husband, David Green.

15^th January 1953:

“Miss Joan Rice 22 year old waitress turned film star; photographed last night with her fiancée; 19 year old Mr. David Green. When she returned from the Fiji Islands two months ago she denied that she had broken her engagement to Martin Boyce – but last night she revealed her engagement to Mr. Green, whom she met at a Christmas party. He was a Public Schools Heavyweight Champion before leaving  Harrow, and is now a film salesman travelling for a Hollywood company in England.”

Joan and David were married at Maidenhead Registry Office a month later, on the 16^th February 1953.

There are now over 56 pages of pictures and information about Joan Rice, so to find out more about her fascinating life, please click here.

Queues at the Leicester Square Theatre

This article taken from ‘To-Day’s Cinema’ on Thursday March 27^th 1952, was kindly sent in by Neil and shows the crowds of people hoping to see Walt Disney’s live action movie the ‘Story of Robin Hood.’ By the look of the pictures the film remained a huge success with audiences of the 1950’s in the second week of its release. Unfortunately I am still having trouble finding out how much it made for the Disney organisation at the box office. So if anyone can help with this information, I would be very grateful.

The magazine caption reads:

“Walt Disney’s Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men, the RKO Radio release in Technicolor starring Richard Todd with Joan Rice is keeping up its second week pressure, as evidenced by these photographs taken outside the Leicester Square Theatre, where it has been attracting spectacular business since its World Premiere on March 13^th. Part of the second week-end queues to one side of the house, with a defile waiting patiently across the other side of the street, facing that along the theatre itself.”

German Film Magazine

 

 

 

This lovely picture of Joan Rice as Maid Marian promoting Disney's live action movie the Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men, appeared in the German film magazine 'Die Filmwoche' in 1952. If my German translator is correct, the title of the magazine means The Film Week.



Geoffrey Rodway

It’s always great to get some feed-back from my blog posts. Two years ago I posted a picture of Joan Rice (1930-1997) in the make-up department for her role as Maid Marian during the filming of Walt Disney’s Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men in early 1951.

At the time, I was not sure who the gentleman was applying the make-up. I went through the names, including Geoffrey Rodway the Makeup Supervisor on the movie, Trevor Crole-Rees, Stuart Freeborn, Eddie Knight, A. L Lawrence, Robert Alexander and Wally Schneiderman. They are all listed in various articles as uncredited makeup artists on Disney’s live-action movie. At the time I guessed in might have been Geoffrey Rodway.

 Well I was thrilled recently to receive a comment on that post from Alex Rodway who said:

“Yes that is Geoffrey Rodway, my grandfather.”

I am hoping Geoff will get back in touch and perhaps share any anecdotes he may have heard regarding his grandfather’s career in the film business, particularly on the ‘Story of Robin Hood!’ 

Cavan Malone the Mysterious Page Boy

Cavan Malone as Giles the Page Boy with Joan Rice as Maid Marian

Four years ago I thought I had found the page boy that appeared, but was uncredited, in Walt Disney’s Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (1952). At the time, I thought the young actor was the stage and screen star Brian Smith (b.1932). His film career started in 1950 and he appeared as Taplow in the classic, The Browning Version (1951) alongside Michael Redgrave. Smith went on to appear in TV’s Billy Bunter in 1954, the colourful swashbuckler, Quentin Durward (1955) with Robert Taylor and the 1957 version of The Barretts of Wimpole Street. But Neil, one of my regular readers wasn’t sure and I must admit I later began to have doubts.

Now, after a lot of trawling the web, I can hopefully reveal, the person who played Giles, that mysterious page boy!

Cavan Malone (born 25th November 1939) was the son of the Irish tenor Danny Malone. His mother Hazel Malone ran the famous Corona Stage School in Chiswick, London, during WWII.  As a former child actor he had appeared with Alec Guinness in the movie classic Kind Hearts and Coronets in 1949 and also on television as far back as 1947.  On the small screen he starred in episodes of No Hiding Place, Dixon of Dock Green and also played Gordon Davies, husband to Joan Walker, in Coronation Street in 1961.  But after appearing in the classic war film 633 Squadron during the mid sixties he seems to have quit acting.

He sadly passed away in 1982, aged 42.

Below is Cavan Malone’s TV and Film Career:

 1964: 633: Squadron ... Ericson

1964: Downfall ... Driving Instructor

1964: The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre (TV series)

– Downfall (1964) … Driving Instructor

1962: Outbreak of Murder (TV series) ... PC Wright

1962: Suspense (TV series)

– Killer in the Band (1962) … Charlie

1962: Dixon of Dock Green (TV series)

– A Special Kind of Jones (1962) … Arthur Flint, as a Young Man

1961: Highway to Battle ...Hoffman

1961: The Cheaters (TV series)

– Fire! (1961) … Detective

1961:  Coronation Street (TV series)

– Episode #1.18 (1961) … Gordon Davies

– Episode #1.17 (1961) … Gordon Davies

1961 Return of a Stranger ... Detective

1960: Linda...Chief

1960: Emergency-Ward 10 (TV series)

– Episode #1.310 (1960) … Tony Aight

1959: No Hiding Place (TV series)

– The Sharp Knife (1959) … Eddie

1959: Julius Caesar (TV movie) ... Servant to Julius Caesar

1958: Further Up the Creek ... Signalman

1957: The Adventures of Peter Simple (TV series)

– The Plot Against Peter (1957) … Midshipman Thompson

1956: Over to William (TV series)

– The Begging Letter (1956) … Robert Brown

– Cats and White Elephants (1956) … Robert Brown

– William and the Three-Forty (1956) … Robert Brown

– The Browncheck Sports Coat (1956) … Robert Brown

– William and the Ebony Hairbrush (1956) … Robert Brown

Richard Todd (Robin Hood), Cavan Malone (Giles) and Martitia Hunt (Queen Eleanor)

1952: Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men... Giles the Page Boy (uncredited)

1952: Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School (TV series)

– The Siege (1952) … Lord Mauleverer

1951-1952 BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (TV series)

Earl of Warwick's page / Prince Henry

– The Life and Death of King John (1952) … Prince Henry

– Festival Drama: Saint Joan (1951) … Earl of Warwick's page

1949:  Kind Hearts and Coronets ... Young Graham (uncredited)

1949:  Macbeth (TV movie)...Macduff's son

1948:  It's Hard to Be Good ...Tommy Beckett (uncredited)

1948: Mr. Perrin and Mr. Traill ... Benson

Bill Owen and Cavan Malone in When the Bough Breaks (1947)

1947: When the Bough Breaks ... Jimmy

1947: Captain Boycott ... Billy Killain