The idea to adaptRobin Hood into an animated feature was dated back toWalt Disney's interest in the tale ofReynard the Fox following the release ofSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). The idea was repeatedly shelved for several decades. In 1968,Ken Anderson pitched a film adaptation of Robin Hood, incorporating ideas from Reynard the Fox by using anthropomorphic animals rather than humans. The project was approved, becoming the first completely"post-Walt" animated feature and the first with an entirely non-human cast.
Robin Hood was released on November 8, 1973. The film received mixed reviews from critics, but it was nonetheless a box-office success, grossing $33 million worldwide against a production budget of $5 million. Although some retrospective reviews have criticized the heavy use of animation recycled from previous Disney films, the film's reputation has grown positively over time and has since become acult classic that inspired the adultfurry fandom which also influenced the later Academy Award-winning animated film,Zootopia.
InMedieval England,minstrelAlan-a-Dale narrates the story about an heroic outlaw namedRobin Hood. While crossingSherwood Forest, Robin and his friendLittle John narrowly escape capture by theSheriff of Nottingham and hisarchers. They learn that the arrogant, greedy, and immaturePrince John — who has usurped the throne from his brotherKing Richard after hisaide-de-camp Sir Hiss hypnotized Richard into fighting in the Crusades — will be traveling through the forest. Disguised as fortunetellers, they rob the Royal caravan, embarrassing Prince John, who promises revenge.
Robin and Little John distribute Prince John's wealth among the starving and overtaxed villagers ofNottingham. Robin also gives a hat and bow to young Skippy Rabbit for the latter's birthday. Trying out the bow, Skippy accidentally fires an arrow into the courtyard of Prince John's castle. While retrieving it, Skippy and his friends meet King Richard’s nieceMaid Marian and herlady-in-waiting Lady Kluck. Skippy's hat reminds Maid Marian of Robin Hood, and she reveals that they were childhood sweethearts. She wonders if Robin Hood still remembers her.
Meanwhile, Robin is thinking of Maid Marian at his and Little John's forest hideaway. Local priestFriar Tuck brings news that Prince John will be hosting an archery tournament; the grand prize will be a kiss from Maid Marian. Ignoring that it is a trap set by Prince John, Robin and Little John, disguised respectively as aDevonshirestork and the Duke of Chutney, infiltrate the competition, which Robin wins; however, Prince John sees through Robin's disguise and sentences him to death. Maid Marian pleads for Robin's life; while they proclaim their love for each other, Little John gets Robin released by threatening Prince John with a dagger in his back. Suddenly, the Sheriff of Nottingham intervenes, and Prince John again orders Robin's death. Robin, Little John, Maid Marian, and Lady Kluck fight Prince John's soldiers. During the fight, Robin proposes to Maid Marian, which she accepts. Robin, Maid Marian, Lady Kluck, and Little John escape.
Robin and Maid Marian share a romantic evening, which is disrupted by the partying of the Nottingham villagers. They sing a song, "The Phony King of England," that mocks Prince John's fraud and incompetence; the song becomes popular even among Prince John's own advisors. Prince John angrily triples the taxes on the villagers, all of whom are soon jailed when their money runs out. Visiting Friar Tuck's now-empty church, the Sheriff of Nottingham takes the lastfarthing from the poor box. When Friar Tuck finally snaps and begins assaulting the Sheriff in his rage, he is arrested for hightreason. Prince John orders his execution as bait to trap Robin Hood.
The night before the execution, Robin and Little John break into the jail. They free the villagers, who make off with Prince John's wealth. Sir Hiss tries to stop the breakout by rousing the castle. The villagers escape, but Robin is trapped while rescuing Skippy's younger sister Tagalong. The Sheriff of Nottingham chases Robin with a lit torch, setting the castle on fire. Cornered, Robin evades Prince John's archers by diving from a turret into the moat. Sir Hiss, fed up with Prince John’s constant abuse and failures, criticizes him for the plot, which resulted in his mother's castle being destroyed. Infuriated, Prince John chases Sir Hiss through the flames.
Some time later, King Richard returns from the Crusades. He pardons Robin Hood, forgives the villagers' taxes, and imprisons Prince John, Sir Hiss, and the Sheriff of Nottingham for their crimes. Robin and Maid Marian are married and ride off together, with Little John and Skippy in tow.
Peter Ustinov asPrince John, the cowardly and ruthlessPrince Regent of England and Maid Marian's uncle. Ustinov also voiced Prince John in the German version of the film.[3] He is portrayed as a scrawnylion without a mane.
Ustinov also voicesKing Richard, John's older brother, the rightful King of England. Unlike John, Richard is depicted with amane.
Terry-Thomas as Sir Hiss, Prince John's advisor. Portrayed as asnake.
Billy Whitaker, Dana Laurita, Dori Whitaker, and Richie Sanders as Skippy, Sis, Tagalong, and Toby, respectively, local children of Nottingham who idolize Robin Hood. Skippy, Sis, and Tagalong arewhite rabbits while Toby is atortoise.
"As director of story and character concepts, I knew right off that sly Robin Hood must be a fox. From there it was logical that Maid Marian should be a pretty vixen. Little John, legendarily known for his size, was easily a big overgrown bear.
Friar Tuck is great as a badger, but he was also great as a pig, as I had originally planned. Then I thought the symbol of a pig might be offensive to theChurch, so we changed him. Richard the Lion-hearted, of course, had to be a regal, proud, strong lion; and his pathetic cousin [historically, and in the movie, his brother] Prince John, the weak villain, also had to be a lion, but we made him scrawny and childish. I originally thought of a snake as a member of the poor townspeople but one of the other men here suggested that a snake would be perfect as a slithering consort [Sir Hiss] to mean Prince John."
During production onSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937,Walt Disney became interested in adapting the twelfth-century legend ofReynard the Fox.[5] However, the project languished due to Disney's concern that Reynard was an unsuitable choice for a hero.[6] In a meeting held on February 12, 1938, Disney commented:
I see swell possibilities in 'Reynard', but is it smart to make it? We have such a terrific kid audience ... parents and kids together. That's the trouble – too sophisticated. We'll take a nosedive doing it with animals.[7]
ForTreasure Island (1950), Disney seriously considered three animated sections, each one of the Reynard tales, to be told byLong John Silver toJim Hawkins as moral fables. Ultimately, the idea was nixed asTreasure Island became the studio's first fully live-action film. In the next decade, the studio decided to make Reynard the villain of a musical feature film based onEdmond Rostand'sChanticleer, but the production was scrapped in favor ofThe Sword in the Stone (1963).[5]
In October 1968,Ken Anderson went on a fishing trip with Disney Studios presidentCard Walker. There, Walker suggested that a classic tale should be the subject for the next animated film afterThe Aristocats (1970). Anderson proposed the tale ofRobin Hood, to which Walker responded enthusiastically.[8] Back at the studio, Anderson relayed the idea during a story meeting onThe Aristocats which was met with approval. In a follow-up meeting, withWolfgang Reitherman,Bill Anderson (no relation), andLarry Clemmons, Ken Anderson was assigned the job to begin "exploratory animal character drawings".[9] On his own, Anderson blended his ideas for the character Robin Hood by conceptualizing him as a slick fox that still used his skills to protect the community.[10]
Additionally, Anderson wanted to set the film in theDeep South desiring to recapture the spirit ofSong of the South (1946). Anderson explained, "Basically I had a wonderful time onSong of the South, and I know that all of my friends in animation did. They loved the part I played and I loved the part they played ... And so it was an attempt on my part to get the best of that sort of thing and get it going on again, bring it up-to-date."[11] However, the Disney Studios executives had precautions because of the racial controversy surroundingSong of the South. Reitherman further overruled Anderson's creative suggestion by setting the film in its traditional English location as inspired byThe Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952).[12] Clemmons came on board the project to write a story outline with dialogue that was laterstoryboarded by other artists.[10]
As production went further along, Robin Allan stated in his bookWalt Disney and Europe that "Ken Anderson wept when he saw how his character concepts had been processed into stereotypes for the animation onRobin Hood."[13] According toFrank Thomas andOllie Johnston, one such casualty was the concept of making the Sheriff of Nottingham a goat as an artistic experiment to try different animals for a villain, only to be overruled by Reitherman who wanted to keep to the villainous stereotype of a wolf instead.[14] Additionally, Anderson wanted to include theMerry Men into the film, which was again overridden by Reitherman because he wanted a "buddy picture" reminiscent ofButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969).[15] Little John was the only Merry Man retained in the film, while Friar Tuck was put as a friend of Robin's who lived in Nottingham, and Alan-a-Dale was turned into the narrator.
Because of the time spent on developing several settings, and auditioning actors to voice the title character, production fell behind schedule.[12] In order to meet its deadline, the animators had no other choice but to recycle several dance sequences from previous Disney animated films, includingSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937),The Jungle Book (1967), andThe Aristocats (1970) that are used in the "Phony King of England" scene.[16]
By October 1970, most of the voice actors were confirmed, with the exception ofTommy Steele cast in the title role.[17] Steele himself was chosen because of his performance inThe Happiest Millionaire (1967) whilePeter Ustinov was cast because Walt Disney had enjoyed his presence on the set ofBlackbeard's Ghost (1968). However, Steele was unable to make his character sound more heroic,[12] and his replacement came down to final two candidates which wereBernard Fox andBrian Bedford.[18] Disney executives had first seen Bedford performing onstage in Los Angeles, in which they brought him in to test for the role in May 1971 and ultimately cast him.[19] Meanwhile,Louis Prima was so angered at not being considered for a role that he personally paid the recording expenses for the subsequent album,Let's "Hear" it For Robin Hood, which he sold toDisneyland Records.[20]
For thefiscal year 1973, Walt Disney Productions began its year-round celebration of the studio's 50th anniversary.Robin Hood was scheduled to open during Christmas time, timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary ofSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).[21] For the pre-release promotional campaign forRobin Hood, a ten-minute excerpt from the film aired on January 21, 1973 during the "50 Happy Years" episode forThe Wonderful World of Disney television program. Veteran Disney animators and other personalities began a twenty-city promotional tour making network and syndicated television appearances. The costumed characters from the film also appeared at exclusive press and exhibitor previews at the Disney Studios in Burbank, California andWalt Disney World inOrlando, Florida.[22]
On November 8, 1973,Robin Hood premiered as the Christmas attraction at theRadio City Music Hall.[22][23] On Thanksgiving Day,Pat Boone hosted an hour-long, nationally televised tribute to the Disney corporation prior to the 47th annual broadcast ofMacy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. Both the pre-show and parade activities featured costumed characters from the film.Robin Hood was later released in 400 theaters across the United States and Canada on December 21.[22] The film was re-released on March 26, 1982.
The film was first released on VHS, CED, Betamax, and Laserdisc on December 3, 1984, becoming the debut installment of theWalt Disney Classics home video line.[24] Disney had thought the idea of releasing any of its animated classics (known as the "untouchables") might threaten future theatrical reissue revenue. However,Robin Hood was viewed as the first choice since it was not held in such high esteem as some of the other titles.[25] The VHS counterpart was re-released several times. The release went intomoratorium in April 1987.[26] 4 years after the moratorium, it was re-issued as a permanent availability title on July 12, 1991.[27] The film was re-released on VHS six more times; on October 28, 1994, March 3, 1995, October 4, 1995, February 28, 1996, July 15, 1997, March 31, 1998, and July 13, 1999, in the Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection line.
In January 2000,Walt Disney Home Video launched the Gold Classic Collection. Six months later,Robin Hood was re-released on VHS and DVD in the line on July 4, 2000, and remained in stock until the spring of 2006.[28] The DVD contained the film in its 1.33:1aspect ratio, and was accompanied with special features including a trivia game and the cartoon short "Ye Olden Days".[29] The remastered "Most Wanted Edition" DVD ("Special Edition" in the UK) was released on November 28, 2006, in a16:9 matted transfer to represent its original theatrical screen ratio. It also featured a deleted scene/alternate ending of Prince John attempting to kill a wounded Robin Hood. On August 6, 2013, the film was released as the 40th Anniversary Edition on a Blu-ray combo pack.[30]
Judith Crist ofNew York magazine wrote the film was "nicely tongue-in-cheek without insult to the intelligence of either child or adult." She also stated that it "has class – in the fine cast that gives both voice and personality to the characters, in the bright and brisk dialogue, in its overall concept."[31]Vincent Canby ofThe New York Times wrote that it "should ... be a good deal of fun for toddlers whose minds have not yet shriveled into orthodoxy" and he called the visual style "charmingly conventional".[32] Dave Billington ofThe Montreal Gazette wrote: "As a film,Robin Hood marks a come-back of sorts for the Disney people. Ever since the old maestro died, the cartoon features have shown distressing signs of a drop in quality, both in art work and in voice characterization. But the blending of appealing cartoon animals with perfect voices for the part makesRobin Hood an excellent evening out for the whole family."[33] Also writing inNew York magazine, Ruth Gilbert called it "a sweet, funny, slam-bang, good-hearted Walt Disney feature cartoon with a fine cast" and wrote it was "a feast for the eyes for kiddies and Disney nostalgics."[34]
Charles Champlin of theLos Angeles Times wrote that the Disney "hallmarks are there as they ever were: the incomparably rich, full animation, the humanized animal characters perky, individual and enchanting, and the wild, inventive slapstick action."[35] Awarding the film four stars out of five, Ian Nathan, in a retrospective review forEmpire, praised the vocal performances of Peter Ustinov and Terry-Thomas acknowledging "while this is hardly the most dazzling of animated features, it has that cut-corner feel that seem to hold sway in the '70s (mainly because Disney were cutting corners), the characters spark to life, and the story remains as rock steady as ever."[36]
Among less favorable reviews,Jay Cocks ofTime magazine gave the film a mixed verdict writing, "Even at its best,Robin Hood is only mildly diverting. There is not a single moment of the hilarity or deep, eerie fear that the Disney people used to be able to conjure up, or of the sort of visual invention that made the early features so memorable.Robin Hood's basic problem is that it is rather too pretty and good natured."[37]Gene Siskel of theChicago Tribune gave the film one-and-a-half stars out of four, describing the film as "80 minutes of pratfalls and nincompoop dialog," and criticizing the animation quality as "Saturday morning TV cartoon stuff."[38] John Baxter ofThe Monthly Film Bulletin wrote that "for the most part the film is as bland and one-dimensional as the product of less sophisticated studios; and except for Peter Ustinov's plummy Prince John, the voice characterisations are as insipid as the animation is unoriginal."[39]
Decades since the film's release, the film has been noted for the recycled scenes of animation.[40] Thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes reported that the film received a 58% approval rating with an average rating of 5.7/10 based on 31 reviews. The website's consensus states that "One of the weaker Disney adaptations,Robin Hood is cute and colorful but lacks the majesty and excitement of the studio's earlier efforts."[41]Metacritic gave the film a score of 57 based on 9 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[42]
During its initial release,Robin Hood earned $9.6 million in rentals in the United States and Canada.[43] It also grossed $18 million in foreign territories, which was at the time a Disney record, for a worldwide rental of $27.5 million.[44]
The film has earned a lifetime gross in the United States and Canada between $32–35 million across its two releases.[2][45][46]
In 1969,Roger Miller began composing the songs for the film.[49] A record of the film was made at the time of its release in 1973, which included its songs, score, narration, and dialogue. Both "Oo-De-Lally" and "Love" appear on the CD collection,Classic Disney: 60 Years of Musical Magic. "Love" is featured in the soundtrack for the 2009 filmFantastic Mr. Fox, directed byWes Anderson. The full soundtrack of the film was released on August 4, 2017, as part of theWalt Disney Records: The Legacy Collection series on compact disc and digital.[50]
The song "The Phony King of England" bears a strong resemblance to a much older, bawdy English folk song, "The Bastard King of England".[51]
The film has since become a fan favorite.[52][53] Disney animator and directorByron Howard admitted thatRobin Hood was his favorite film while growing up and cited it as a major influence onZootopia.[54] It was also one of the many inspirations for the then-emergingfurry fandom.[52] Some of the characters from the film also cameoed in the 1983 Oscar-nominated featurette shortMickey's Christmas Carol.[55] The film was nominated for a spot onAFI's 10 Top 10 byAmerican Film Institute in 2008 for the Animated Film list.[56]
The song "Love" was featured in the 2009 feature filmFantastic Mr. Fox.[57] as well as on the 2023Amazon.comSuper Bowl ad "Saving Sawyer".[58][59][60] The song "Whistle-Stop" was sped up and used in theHampster Dance, one of the earliest internet memes,[61] and later used at normal speed in theSuper Bowl XLVIII commercial forT-Mobile.[62] The song "Oo De Lally" is featured in a 2015 commercial forAndroid which shows animals of different species playing together.[63]
Robin Hood, Little John, Maid Marian, Prince John and Sir Hiss appear as playable characters in the video gameDisney Magic Kingdoms, along with attractions based on Sherwood Forest and Nottingham. In the game, the characters are involved in new storylines that serve as a continuation of the events of the film.[64]
In April 2020, it was reported that Disney was developing alive-action/CG hybrid remake ofRobin Hood featuring the same kind of anthropomorphic characters as in the 1973 film, with Kari Granlund writing,Carlos Lopez Estrada directing (after previously directing theAcademy Award-nominatedRaya and the Last Dragon), and Justin Springer producing. The remake was set to be released exclusively onDisney+.[66]
^Solomon, Charles (1995).The Disney That Never Was: The Stories and Art of Five Decades of Unproduced Animation.Hyperion Books. p. 81.ISBN978-0-786-86037-1.
.svg)
