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The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men

  • 19521952
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 24m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
1.9K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Joan Rice and Richard Todd in The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952)
Clip: Little John - 2:10
Play clip2:11
The Story of Robin Hood
2 Videos
26 Photos
  • Action
  • Adventure
  • Family

When King Richard the Lionheart leaves England to lead a crusade to the Holy Land, his treacherous brother conspires to bring himself to power.When King Richard the Lionheart leaves England to lead a crusade to the Holy Land, his treacherous brother conspires to bring himself to power.When King Richard the Lionheart leaves England to lead a crusade to the Holy Land, his treacherous brother conspires to bring himself to power.

IMDb RATING
6.6/10
1.9K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Ken Annakin
  • Writer
    • Lawrence Edward Watkin(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Richard Todd
    • Joan Rice
    • Peter Finch
Top credits
  • Director
    • Ken Annakin
  • Writer
    • Lawrence Edward Watkin(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Richard Todd
    • Joan Rice
    • Peter Finch
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 21User reviews
    • 10Critic reviews
    • 64Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos2

    The Story of Robin Hood
    Clip 2:11
    The Story of Robin Hood
    The Story of Robin Hood
    Clip 2:12
    The Story of Robin Hood

    Photos26

    Elton Hayes, James Robertson Justice, and Joan Rice in The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952)
    Hubert Gregg, Martita Hunt, and Joan Rice in The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952)
    Richard Todd in The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952)
    Joan Rice and Richard Todd in The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952)
    Hubert Gregg in The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952)
    Richard Todd in The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952)
    Patrick Barr and Richard Todd in The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952)
    Martita Hunt and Joan Rice in The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952)
    Joan Rice in The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952)
    Richard Todd in The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952)
    Richard Todd in The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952)
    Joan Rice and Richard Todd in The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Richard Todd
    Richard Todd
    • Robin Hoodas Robin Hood
    Joan Rice
    Joan Rice
    • Maid Marianas Maid Marian
    Peter Finch
    Peter Finch
    • Sheriff of Nottinghamas Sheriff of Nottingham
    James Hayter
    James Hayter
    • Friar Tuckas Friar Tuck
    James Robertson Justice
    James Robertson Justice
    • Little Johnas Little John
    Martita Hunt
    Martita Hunt
    • Queen Eleanoras Queen Eleanor
    Hubert Gregg
    Hubert Gregg
    • Prince Johnas Prince John
    Bill Owen
    Bill Owen
    • Stutelyas Stutely
    Reginald Tate
    Reginald Tate
    • Hugh Fitzoothas Hugh Fitzooth
    Elton Hayes
    Elton Hayes
    • Allan-a-Daleas Allan-a-Dale
    Anthony Eustrel
    Anthony Eustrel
    • Archbishop of Canterburyas Archbishop of Canterbury
    Patrick Barr
    Patrick Barr
    • King Richardas King Richard
    Anthony Forwood
    Anthony Forwood
    • Will Scarletas Will Scarlet
    Hal Osmond
    Hal Osmond
    • Midge the Milleras Midge the Miller
    Michael Hordern
    Michael Hordern
    • Scathelockas Scathelock
    Clement McCallin
    • Earl of Huntingdonas Earl of Huntingdon
    Louise Hampton
    • Tybas Tyb
    Archie Duncan
    Archie Duncan
    • Red Gillas Red Gill
    • Director
      • Ken Annakin
    • Writer
      • Lawrence Edward Watkin(screenplay)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Young Robin Hood (Richard Todd), in love with Maid Marian (Joan Rice), enters an archery contest with his father at the King's palace. On the way home, his father is murdered by henchmen of Prince John (Hubert Gregg). Robin takes up the life of an outlaw, gathering together his band of merry men with him in Sherwood Forest, to avenge his father's death and to help the people of the land that Prince John are over taxing. —McGinty <McGinty@aol.com>
    • robin hood
    • robin hood character
    • based on legend
    • sherwood forest
    • archery
    • 20 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • An all-live-action picture.
    • Genres
      • Action
      • Adventure
      • Family
    • Certificate
      • Approved
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Unusual for many of the Robin Hood movies, some scenes were actually filmed in the real Sherwood Forest.
    • Goofs
      In one scene Maid Marian is wearing a dress with a zipper in the back. Zippers would not be invented for another seven centuries.
    • Quotes

      Maid Marian: [dressed as a page boy being held back by Little John] Let me go, you monster! Let me go!

      Robin Hood: Hey, John. Give me that lad.

      Maid Marian: [Marian is tossed to Robin] Let me down, you... you white faced...

      Robin Hood: Well, you're a pretty lad and sweetly tempered. Like a lady I used to know.

      Maid Marian: And I used to know a gentleman called Robin Fitzooth who would scorn to be a common thief.

    • Connections
      Edited into The Magical World of Disney: The Story of Robin Hood: Part 1 (1955)
    • Soundtracks
      Riddle De Diddle De Day
      (uncredited)

      Music by George Wyle

      Lyrics by Eddie Pola

      Sung by Elton Hayes

    User reviews21

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Recaptures the spirit of Robin Hood
    Now, this is actually worth going to some trouble to see. Probably not to everyone's taste -- the opening sequence, with a nimble-footed and saturnine Alan-a-Dale strumming the theme-song ballad, will sort out the sheep from the goats of those who simply can't stand this sort of thing -- but despite the live-action Disney label, it stands up well amongst all its predecessors and successors.

    It steers a skillful and essential line between tendentious over-seriousness and pie-in-the-face humour, and contrives a fresh view on the familiar set-pieces -- the shivered arrow on the bull's-eye, Friar Tuck and the river crossing, the recruitment of Little John -- with, unusually, a sizable part for the formidable Eleanor of Aquitaine as the mother of the King and Prince John. In the title role, Richard Todd makes a charming curly-headed rogue, whose merry eyes betray his identity beneath the most enveloping of disguises, and he brings the necessary charisma and impudence to the character: this is the recognisable Robin Hood of legend, whom men follow for freedom and for the fun of it. A little easy-going, perhaps, with little of the passion against injustice that flashes beneath the laughter of Errol Flynn, but this is Disney after all.

    Joan Rice is a spitfire wilful Marian, whose involvement is plausibly scripted without any anachronism; she also provides a couple of the best moments in the film, whether belabouring Robin on her fellow-travellers' behalf or silencing him with an athletic embrace at the end. James Hayter as Friar Tuck and Peter Finch as the black-avised Sheriff of Nottingham also give memorable performances -- and could that really have been avuncular Hubert Gregg, of all people, convincing us as Prince John?

    My main source of irritation about this film lay in some of the archery embellishments. Every arrow-shot we see zips past with the whine of a ricocheted bullet, presumably in order to make the fights sound more exciting in the absence of gunfire, and the system of signalling by firing colour-coded arrows in relays at one another seemed not only out of place but highly risky (credibility not helped by what I surely didn't imagine as people turning round to look as they hear the arrow coming!) The distinctly unpleasant fate of the forsworn Sheriff, on the other hand, was glossed over in suspicious silence, without so much as a cry.

    But caveats aside, the film scores well on sheer energy, with a healthy dash of humour. The 1967 "A Challenge for Robin Hood" (despite featuring Hayter as Friar Tuck again!) is an over-bright and sanitised Ladybird rendition; the 1990 "Robin Hood" (the non-Costner version) went the other way and overdid the historical grime. The latter is the better film, but neither of them has the enjoyability and spirit of the 1952 offering. This isn't on the same scale as the Curtiz/Keighley classic of 1938, and Todd remains an engaging boy rather than a rollicking leader of men, but it perhaps comes closest to matching the verve of its illustrious predecessor.
    helpful•13
    0
    • Igenlode Wordsmith
    • Oct 8, 2005

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 26, 1952 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Official sites
      • Disney+
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Story of Robin Hood
    • Filming locations
      • Burnham Beeches, Buckinghamshire, England, UK
    • Production company
      • Walt Disney Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $4,578,000
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 24 minutes
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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