Robin Hood (1973)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Wolfgang Reitherman

Writers:

Larry Clemmons (story)
Ken Anderson (character and story conceptions)

Release Date:

8 November 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Family | Romance

Tagline:

Meet Robin Hood and his MERRY MENagerie!

Plot:

The story of the legendary outlaw is portrayed with the characters as humanoid animals.

Plot Keywords:

Robin Hood | Forest | Sherwood Forest | Animal | Outlaw

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

Brian Bedford	...	Robin Hood (voice)
Phil Harris	...	Little John (voice)
Andy Devine	...	Friar Tuck (voice)
Monica Evans	...	Maid Marian (voice)
Carole Shelley	...	Lady Cluck (voice)
Peter Ustinov	...	Prince John / King Richard (voice)
Terry-Thomas	...	Sir Hiss (voice)
Pat Buttram	...	The Sheriff of Nottingham (voice)
Roger Miller	...	Alan-a-Dale (voice)
George Lindsey	...	Trigger (voice)
Ken Curtis	...	Nutsy (voice)

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone Sound Recording)

Certification:

Peru:PT | West Germany:o.Al. (w) | Iceland:L | Netherlands:AL | Portugal:M/6 | South Korea:All | South Africa:A | New Zealand:G | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:G | Canada:G

Company:

Walt Disney Productions

Trivia:

The famous gap on Terry-Thomas' teeth was incorporated into the design of the character he voices, Sir Hiss (it makes a handy opening for his forked tongue to dart out).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Robin Hood and Little John are trying to steal Prince John's taxes, Prince John's paws change from having four fingers to three. This happens again during the archery tournament.

Quotes:

Hiss: How nobly King Richard's crown sit on your royal brow.
Prince John: Doesn't it?... King Richard?
[wrings Hiss' neck]
Prince John: I told you never to mention my brother's name again!
Hiss: A mere slip of the forked tongue, Sire.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Once Upon a Mouse (1981)

Soundtrack:

Not In Nottingham

Dah da dee dah dah de doe doe, dah da dee dah diddy, doe

The opening credits present us with all of the animals who will later appear in the film (the very same footage, in fact), parading themselves in front of a white background and a rather catchy tune. We see a fox dressed as Robin Hood. ROBIN HOOD, reads the credits. And in smaller letters underneath, in brackets: (a fox). We see a badger in a monk's outfit. FRIAR TUCK, says the credits. (a bear). I find this highly amusing. I love it. Don't ask me why. I think, though, that it demonstrates two things: that "Robin Hood" was made under the same cost cutting Disney regime that made "The Aristocats" three years earlier and "The Rescuers" three years later; and that it has far more life than both of these films put together.

It IS the cost-cutting that would damn this film, and it's liveliness that redeems it. (That, and Peter Ustinov's vocal performance as Prince John.) I can't even find it in my heart to condemn the Southern voices scattered throughout Sherwood Forest and Nottingham - replacing a human sheriff with a lupine one is such a violent change that the use of expressions like, "Aw, geez, Nutsy," seems trivial by comparison. At any rate I found the voices far less irritating than Kevin Costner's drawl in HIS version of Robin Hood.

The animation is mostly good but without the stand-out brilliance of, say, "The Jungle Book". There are a few scenes that look as if they belong on television (which is a problem shared with the next five animated features that Disney made). The children are more cloying than usual with Disney and we see too much of them. That's about it with the carping. All in all it's cheerful, it's shameless, it's hard to resist.