Main Cast: Brian Bedford, Andy Devine, Peter Ustinov, Roger Miller, George Lindsey, Phil Harris, Terry-Thomas
Release Year: 1973
Country: US
Run Time: 83 minutes
MPAA Rating: G
Plot
Robin Hood is one of the first animated films produced by the Walt Disney Company after Walt Disney's death in 1967. For the film, the studio's animators took the Disney tradition of adding human-like animal sidekicks to established tales (Cinderella, Pinnochio) a step further by making Robin Hood's legendary characters creatures themselves. Robin Hood (Brian Bedford) is a wily fox; Maid Marian (Monica Evans) is a beautiful vixen; Little John (Phil Harris) is a burly bear; Friar Tuck (Andy Devine) is a soft-spoken badger; the Sheriff of Nottingham (Pat Buttram) is a greedy wolf; and the scheming Prince John (Peter Ustinov) is a sniveling, groveling, thumb-sucking undersized lion with a serpent sidekick named Sir Hiss (Terry Thomas). The film begins after Prince John and Sir Hiss have tricked the true King into leaving the country on a phony crusade. With the help of the Sheriff of Nottingham, they tax the life out of Nottingham's peasants, leaving them all penniless but with the courageous Robin Hood as their only hope. ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, All Movie Guide
Review
From the swashbuckling idols of Douglass Fairbanks and Errol Flynn to the gritty antiheroes of Sean Connery and Kevin Costner, Robin Hood has undergone several transformations throughout the history of live-action film. Yet, none of them are as enjoyable, or as handsome, as Disney's crimson fox in this much-loved cartoon feature. Director Wolfgang Reitherman and Disney animators create a fantastical animal world where each species' traits appear to coincide seamlessly with the well-known characteristics of Nottingham's inhabitants. The voice work is performed with bravado, especially Peter Ustinov, Terry Thomas, and Pat Buttram's contributions as the film's villains, Prince John, Sir Hiss, and the Sheriff of Nottingham. The musical numbers are an eclectic mix of folk, country, and children's rhyme that is not without a period flair: According to Disney historians, songwriter George Bruns went to great lengths to incorporate medieval instruments like the harpsichord and mandolin into the tunes. Furthermore, the film's quick and lively pace, combined with a short screening time, make Robin Hood a fun and painless watch, even for those with an aversion to cartoons. ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, All Movie Guide
Pat Buttram - Sheriff; Candy Candido - Crocodile; Ken Curtis - Nutsy; Monica Evans - Maid Marian; Dana Laurita - Sis; Barbara Luddy - Mother Rabbit; Carole Shelley - Lady Kluck; John Fiedler - Church Mouse
Credit
Don Griffith - Art Director, Eric Larson - Animator, Dale Baer - Animator, Don Bluth - Animator, Fred Hellmich - Animator, Milt Kahl - Animator, Hal King - Animator, John Lounsbery - Animator, Burny Mattinson - Animator, Art Stevens - Animator, Cliff Borberg - Animator, Frank Thomas - Animator, Ollie Johnston - Animation Director, Frank Thomas - Animation Director, Ed Hansen - First Assistant Director, Wolfgang Reitherman - Director, Tom Acosta - Editor, Jim Meltor - Editor, George Bruns - Composer (Music Score), George Bruns - Songwriter, Floyd Huddleston - Songwriter, Roger Miller - Songwriter, Wolfgang Reitherman - Producer, Herb Taylor - Sound/Sound Designer, Ken Anderson - Screen Story, Larry Clemmons - Screenwriter
