Robin Hood (1973 film) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robin Hood
Original theatrical release poster
Directed by	Wolfgang Reitherman
Produced by	Wolfgang Reitherman
Story by	Larry Clemmons Ken Anderson Vance Gerry Frank Thomas Eric Cleworth Julius Svendsen David Michener
Starring	Peter Ustinov Phil Harris Brian Bedford Terry-Thomas Roger Miller Pat Buttram George Lindsey Andy Devine
Music by	George Bruns
Editing by	Tom Acosta Jim Melton
Studio	Walt Disney Productions
Distributed by	Buena Vista Distribution
Release date(s)	November 8, 1973 (1973-11-08)
Running time	83 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$5 million
Money made	$32 million

Robin Hood is a fun animated adventure musical comedy film made by Walt Disney Productions in 1973. It was directed by Wolfgang Reitherman and is the 21st full-length animated movie from Disney.

The film tells the famous story of Robin Hood, Little John, and the people of Nottingham. They are trying to stop Prince John from taking too much money from them. Robin Hood also hopes to win the heart of Maid Marian. The movie features the voices of famous actors like Brian Bedford, Phil Harris, and Peter Ustinov.

The idea for an animated Robin Hood movie started way back when Walt Disney was making Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937. He was interested in a story called Reynard the Fox. Later, a writer named Ken Anderson suggested telling the Robin Hood story using animal characters instead of people. This idea came to life during the making of The Aristocats (1970).

Robin Hood was released on November 8, 1973. At first, many film critics liked it, praising the voice acting, animation, and humor. Over time, opinions became a bit more mixed, but the movie was still very successful at the box office.

The Story of Robin Hood

The story is told by a rooster named Alan-a-Dale. He introduces us to Robin Hood and his best friend, Little John. They live in Sherwood Forest and are known for helping the poor people of Nottingham. They do this by taking money from the rich and giving it to those in need.

Meanwhile, Prince John is acting as the King of England. He keeps sending his main helper, the Sheriff of Nottingham, to catch Robin Hood and Little John. But the Sheriff always fails! Prince John and his sneaky advisor, Sir Hiss, arrive in Nottingham. Sir Hiss had used hypnosis to send Prince John's brother, King Richard, away on a long journey called the Crusades. This allowed Prince John to take over the throne.

Prince John's Greed

Prince John is very greedy and acts like a spoiled child. He even sucks his thumb when his mother is mentioned. Robin Hood and Little John trick Prince John by dressing up as fortune tellers and stealing his gold. This makes the prince very angry. He puts a reward on their heads and makes the Sheriff collect even more taxes from everyone.

The Sheriff collects taxes that are much too high. But Robin Hood helps a family of rabbits by giving them some money back. He also gives a bow, an arrow, and his hat to a young rabbit named Skippy for his birthday. Skippy and his friends try out the new bow. Skippy shoots an arrow into the castle grounds where Maid Marian lives.

Meeting Maid Marian

Skippy sneaks into the castle and meets Maid Marian and her friend, Lady Kluck. Maid Marian shares that she and Robin were childhood sweethearts. They haven't seen each other in many years. Later, Friar Tuck, the local priest, visits Robin and Little John. He tells them that Prince John is holding an archery tournament. The winner will get a kiss from Maid Marian.

Robin decides to join the tournament in disguise. Little John pretends to be a fancy duke to get close to Prince John. Sir Hiss figures out who Robin really is. But Friar Tuck and Alan-a-Dale trap Sir Hiss in a barrel of ale. Robin wins the tournament! However, Prince John reveals Robin's true identity and orders him to be put to death. Maid Marian begs him to stop.

Escape and Celebration

Little John threatens Prince John with a dagger. This leads to a big fight between Robin, Little John, Maid Marian, Lady Kluck, and Prince John's soldiers. Robin and his friends manage to escape. In the forest, Robin and Maid Marian have a romantic evening. Then, Robin's "merry men" surprise them with a party. They sing a funny song making fun of Prince John, calling him the "Phony King of England."

This song makes Prince John furious! He triples the taxes, meaning people have to pay three times as much. Most of the townspeople who can't pay are thrown into prison. The Sheriff goes to Friar Tuck's church to steal from the poor box. This makes Friar Tuck very angry, and he attacks the Sheriff. Friar Tuck is then arrested. Prince John plans to hang Friar Tuck to trick Robin into coming to rescue him.

Castle Rescue and Return of the King

Robin and Little John sneak into the castle. Little John frees all the prisoners. Robin tries to steal Prince John's gold. But Sir Hiss wakes up and sees Robin escaping. Everything turns into a big chase as Robin and the others try to get back to Sherwood Forest.

However, the Sheriff traps Robin after he goes back to save Skippy's younger sister, Tagalong. Robin and the Sheriff fight, accidentally setting Prince John's castle on fire. Robin jumps from a tower into the moat below. Little John and Skippy watch as arrows fly into the water. They think Robin is shot and drowned, but he pops out of the water unharmed! Prince John is very upset and gets even angrier when Sir Hiss points out his mother's castle is burning.

Finally, King Richard returns to England. He arrests his brother, Sir Hiss, and the Sheriff. King Richard forgives Robin Hood, allowing him and Maid Marian to get married. They leave Nottingham with Little John and Skippy.

Meet the Voice Cast

Here are some of the amazing actors who gave voices to the characters in Robin Hood:

• Brian Bedford as Robin Hood: A very skilled archer who loves helping the poor. He is shown as a clever fox.
• Monica Evans as Maid Marian: A lovely vixen who is King Richard's niece. She is Robin Hood's main love interest.
• Phil Harris as Little John: Robin Hood's best friend. Even though he's not small, he's still called "Little John." He is a big, friendly bear, much like Baloo from The Jungle Book, who was also voiced by Phil Harris.
• Roger Miller as Alan-a-Dale: A singing rooster who tells the story of the film.
• Andy Devine as Friar Tuck: The kind local priest who protects the people of Nottingham. He is a badger.
• Peter Ustinov as Prince John: An arrogant, greedy, and cowardly lion. He is the temporary ruler of England. He often sucks his thumb when his mother is mentioned.
  • Ustinov also voices King Richard: John's older brother and the true King of England. He comes back from the Third Crusade at the end of the movie. Unlike John, King Richard has a full mane.
• Terry-Thomas as Sir Hiss: Prince John's sneaky and proud advisor. He is a snake.
• Carole Shelley as Lady Kluck: A Scottish hen who is Maid Marian's loyal friend.
• Pat Buttram as the Sheriff of Nottingham: A mean and tricky wolf with a Southern accent. He enjoys collecting taxes for Prince John.
• George Lindsey and Ken Curtis as Trigger and Nutsy: Two vulture guardsmen.
• John Fiedler and Barbara Luddy as Sexton and his wife: Two church mice. Barbara Luddy also voiced Mother Rabbit, the mom of Skippy, Sis, and Tagalong.
• Billy Whitaker, Dana Laurita, Dori Whitaker, and Richie Sanders as Skippy, Sis, Tagalong, and Toby: Local children from Nottingham who look up to Robin Hood. Skippy, Sis, and Tagalong are rabbits, while Toby is a turtle.
• Candy Candido as the Captain of the Guard: A crocodile who runs the archery tournament.
• J. Pat O'Malley as Otto: A dog blacksmith with a hurt leg.

Movie Music and Songs

The movie Robin Hood has some memorable songs. Here's a list of them:

You might notice some familiar tunes in the movie! For example, when Lady Kluck fights Prince John's soldiers like a football player, the background music uses parts of "Fight On" and "On, Wisconsin". These are fight songs for the University of Southern California and the University of Wisconsin.

A record of the film's songs, music, and dialogue was released in 1973. The songs "Oo-De-Lally" and "Love" are also part of the Classic Disney: 60 Years of Musical Magic CD collection. The song "Love" was even featured in the soundtrack for the 2009 movie Fantastic Mr. Fox. The full soundtrack for Robin Hood was released on August 4, 2017, as part of the Walt Disney Records: The Legacy Collection series.