Robin Hood (1973 movie) facts for kids

Robin Hood is a fun animated movie from 1973. It's a musical adventure-comedy made by Walt Disney Productions. The movie first came out in the United States on November 8, 1973.

This film is the 21st Disney animated movie. It tells the classic story of Robin Hood. But here's a cool twist: all the characters are animals who act like people! The story follows Robin Hood and his best friend, Little John. They live in Nottingham and fight against the unfair taxes collected by Prince John. Robin Hood also tries to win the heart of Maid Marian.

What Happens in the Movie

The story is told by a singing rooster named Alan-a-Dale. He explains that Robin Hood and Little John live in Sherwood Forest. They are heroes who steal from the rich and give to the poor people of Nottingham. The Sheriff of Nottingham and his helpers often try to catch them. But Robin Hood and Little John are always too clever!

Meanwhile, Prince John arrives in Nottingham with his sneaky assistant, Sir Hiss. Sir Hiss used a special trick to send Prince John's brother, King Richard, away to a faraway war. This allowed Prince John to become the ruler. But Prince John is very greedy and acts like a big baby, especially when his mother is mentioned. Robin and Little John trick Prince John by pretending to be fortune tellers. They manage to steal his money! This makes Prince John very angry. He offers a reward for their capture and makes the Sheriff collect even more taxes.

The Sheriff takes money from Friar Tuck and a family of rabbits. But Robin Hood helps the rabbits by giving them some money back. He even gives his hat and archery set to a young rabbit named Skippy for his birthday. Skippy and his friends play with the archery set. Skippy shoots an arrow right into the castle grounds where Maid Marian lives. The children sneak inside and meet Maid Marian and her friend, Lady Kluck. Maid Marian shares that she and Robin were childhood sweethearts. But they haven't seen each other in many years.

Friar Tuck 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. He disguises himself as a stork. 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! But Prince John reveals Robin's true identity and orders him to be captured. Maid Marian begs him to stop, but Prince John doesn't listen.

Little John threatens Prince John, and a big fight breaks out! Robin, Little John, Maid Marian, Lady Kluck, and Prince John's soldiers all join in. Later, in the forest, Robin and Maid Marian fall in love all over again. The townsfolk sing songs making fun of Prince John. This makes Prince John furious! He triples the taxes, meaning people have to pay three times as much. Many townsfolk who can't pay are thrown into jail. The Sheriff even tries to steal from Friar Tuck's church donation box. Friar Tuck gets angry and is arrested too!

Prince John plans to hang Friar Tuck to trick Robin into showing up. Robin and Little John sneak into the castle. Little John frees all the prisoners. Robin tries to steal back Prince John's tax money. But Sir Hiss wakes up and sees Robin escaping. The Sheriff corners Robin after he goes back to save one last prisoner. The Sheriff sets fire to Prince John's castle! Robin has to jump from a tall tower into the moat below. Little John and Skippy watch as arrows fly into the water. It looks like Robin is shot and drowned. But he pops up unharmed! He used a reed to breathe underwater. Prince John is very upset and gets super angry when Sir Hiss points out his mother's castle is burning.

Finally, King Richard returns to England. He arrests his brother, Prince John, and his helpers. King Richard allows Robin and Maid Marian to get married. They leave Nottingham with Little John and Skippy.

Who Are the Characters?

Here are the main characters and the animals they are in the movie:

• Brian Bedford as Robin Hood (a fox)
• Monica Evans as Maid Marian (a vixen, which is a female fox)
• Phil Harris as Little John (a bear)
• Roger Miller as Alan-a-Dale (a rooster)
• Andy Devine as Friar Tuck (a badger)
• Peter Ustinov as Prince John and King Richard (lions)
• Terry-Thomas as Sir Hiss (a snake)
• Carole Shelley as Lady Kluck (a chicken)
• Pat Buttram as The Sheriff of Nottingham (a wolf)
• George Lindsey and Ken Curtis as Trigger and Nutsy (vultures)
• John Fiedler and Barbara Luddy as Friar Tuck's Sexton (church mouse) and his wife (church mouse)
• Billy Whitaker, Dana Laurita and Dori Whitaker as Skippy, Sis, and Tagalong (rabbits)
• Richie Sanders as Toby (a turtle)
• Barbara Luddy as Mother Rabbit
• Candy Candido as the Captain of the Guard (a crocodile)
• J. Pat O'Malley as Otto (a dog)

When the Movie Came Out

Robin Hood first showed in theaters on November 9, 1973, at the Radio City Music Hall. It was shown in theaters again on March 26, 1982.

The movie was released on video for home viewing on December 4, 1984. This was a big deal because it was the first Disney animated classic released on home video. Disney wasn't sure about releasing their classic movies on video. They worried it might stop people from going to see them in theaters later. But Robin Hood was chosen because it wasn't considered as "untouchable" as some other famous Disney films. Its 1982 re-release in theaters hadn't done as well as hoped.

Later, Robin Hood was released again on video in 1991, 1994, and 1998. It also came out on DVD in 2000. This DVD had the movie in its original screen size and included fun extras like a trivia game. A special "Most Wanted Edition" DVD came out in 2006. This version had a deleted scene or alternate ending, and a widescreen picture. On August 6, 2013, the movie was released on Blu-ray for its 40th Anniversary.

See Also

In Spanish: Robin Hood (película de 1973) para niños