The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men

King Richard the Lionheart leaves for the Crusade and hands the country to his brother Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham. The taxes get heavier. Robin Hood withdraws to the forest and gathers his men. Ken Annakin directs. Richard Todd plays Robin, Joan Rice plays Marian, Peter Finch plays the Sheriff. It is a Walt Disney production. Its place in Disney's history is particular. The studio had money accumulating in Britain that it could not take out; postwar currency controls meant it could only be spent there. The solution was to make live action films in England, and this is one of them. The consequence was the shape of Disney's first non animated period. Treasure Island and The Sword and the Rose were made in the same years for the same reason. Although live action, it is constructed on animation logic: bright colour, characters with one trait each, harmless violence, and every scene plainly aimed at children. Disney remade the same story in 1973 as animation with animal characters, and that version overshadowed this one completely. Who it is for: viewers curious about classic adventure films and Disney's early live action period. Who it is not for: the action is light, there is almost no conflict, and none of the characters has any depth.