What the hell is going on, I hear you cry, why are half the cast paid-up veterans of the Western circuit? Well, I’ll tell you: because, in Disney’s original concept, the setting for Robin Hood was the Old West. George Lindsey (better known as Goober Pyle) was also in Gunsmoke and The Rifleman, and plays the other vulture, Nutsey. Ken Curtis, one of the Sheriff’s vulture henchmen, played Festus in Gunsmoke and, incidentally, was the son-in-law of John Ford. Friar Tuck, the kindly badger, is played by cowboy sidekick legend Andy Devine ( Stagecoach, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance) and the voice of the Sheriff of Nottingham? That’s Pat Buttram ( Green Acres) who made hundreds of cowboy movies with Gene Autry. ![]() So what’s a country folk singer doing in a supposedly medieval English setting? Good question, and he’s not the last of them: if you know your Westerns, you’ll recognise more than a few familiar names. ![]() 1 Miller, as well as voicing the rooster, was responsible for writing some of Robin Hood’s most memorable songs, including the infuriatingly catchy “Whistle-Stop” ( you know the one) and my favourite “Oo-de-lally”. Remember how the film opens, with a Southern-drawling rooster by the name of Alan-a-Dale? Well, he’s played by Oklahoma-born, Country singer-songwriter Roger Miller. And I swear, it’s not just because I’m Western-ed up to the eyes and reading too much into things. Now, I might not have noticed it as a child, but when I watched Robin Hood again, my crotchety old adult self detected a definite Western flavour. It’s Disney’s Robin Hood and for this month’s review I’m going to forgo my usual Good-Bad-and-Ugly rating and bust a gut trying to convince you all that this film is actually a Western. Sounds like a Western, doesn’t it? What if I told you there was also a corrupt Sheriff, a ruthless Land Boss, a shooting contest, a root-tootin’ barn dance, a pair of outlaws and a stagecoach heist? No, it ain’t The Quick and the Dead. Both the best and worst films have great variation among them – from the straight forward Errol Flynn-starring “The Adventures of Robin Hood” from 1938 to Mel Brooks’ exceedingly goofy “Robin Hood: Men in Tights.” Multiple animated films are also present.Ĭlick here to see the best Robin Hood adaptations of all time.Ĭlick here to see the worst Robin Hood adaptations of all time.Stark says: “Listen Friar, you’re mighty preachy, and you gonna preach your neck right into a hangman’s noose.” has identified the best and worst Robin Hood adaptations of all time based on user ratings from the Internet Movie Database. While Robin Hood remains a beloved folk hero, not all film and television adaptations have been successful.Ģ4/7 Wall St. Whether the film – described in publicity material as being “gritty” and which stars Taron Egerton as Robin and Jamie Foxx as Little John – wins over audiences is yet to be seen. The 2018 film titled simply “Robin Hood” – set to be released the day before Thanksgiving – proves that studios still believe there are some sharp arrows in the quiver of Robin Hood film adaptations. Numerous movies on the topic have been released across the world, going as far back as the silent film era. Robin Hood and his adventures are perfect subjects for feature films. Tales of the daring outlaw who steals from the rich to give to the poor have resonated with generations of children and parents alike, resulting in countless adaptations of the rather barebones story. The legend of Robin Hood goes back centuries, with the earliest known mention of the name in literature dating back to 1377.
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