Today marks the 49th anniversary of the Walt DIsney Animation Studios classic, Robin Hood. When compared to the films of the modern day, or even some of those that came before it, Robin Hood might not be one of the first to jump out at fans as synonymous with the studio.
However, at the time, it was the biggest box office success to date. The story, presented more as a buddy picture between Robin Hood and Little John (who were walking through the forest, oo-de-lally) follows Robin as he steals from the rich Prince John (who is collecting enormous amounts of taxes) to give back to the poor in Sherwood Forest. While this is going on, he also reconnects with his lost love, Maid Marian. All of this, of course, told through an eclectic group of characters all played by animals. In fact, Robin Hood is one of only a handful of animated features from the studio to feature an all-animal cast without any mention of humans.
The cast of characters is actually so rich that Film Critic and author Leonard Maltin wrote in his book, The Disney Films, of Robin Hood, “There’s something wrong when Robin Hood is the dullest character in the film.”
The standout, in my opinion, is Prince John and his sidekick Sir Hiss, who is animated beautifully and voiced by Peter Ustinov, who helped make the character leap off the screen. Going back to Maltin’s quote, just from what I’ve seen alone in the latter day, I feel that Robin Hood is more known for Prince John than the titular hero.
Now, from the technical side of things, Robin Hood is tragically known more for recycled animation than probably any other Disney feature. Fans and critics were quick to notice that dancing scenes were pulled from Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs, The Aristocats, and The Jungle Book, to be re-traced and reused with the new characters, who already share a striking similarity to characters previously seen before (IE Baloo and Little John).
That said, because of the success of the film, the animation department of the studio had a little bit of life breathed into it. At the time, the staff of the animation department at the Walt Disney Studio was a bit stagnant. The Nine Old Men were either moving on to other things (parks, etc) or retiring. It was after the success of Robin Hood that inspired some powers that be at the studio at the time to launch a full-scale program to find and develop fresh talent.
Long before Robin Hood, Walt Disney conceived of a new school for nurturing future generations of creative talent: a multidisciplinary “community of the arts” built around the real-life experience of working artists instead of the conventions of the academy. The school would remove the walls separating the creative disciplines and encourage artists from different branches to mix and collaborate as a way of sparking new ideas and methods.
Walt and his brother Roy started making this vision a reality in 1961 when they formed California Institute of the Arts through the merger of Chouinard Art Institute and the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music. A decade later, in 1970, the new college, commonly known as CalArts, opened its doors to offer programs in art, design, film, music, theater and dance. It turned out to be a fiercely countercultural version of Walt’s utopian concept, and yet the Institute immediately became a hotbed of artistic originality.
After Robin Hood, the school opened a department dedicated solely to the art of character animation, where legendary animators like Milt Kahl and Eric Larson would mentor and teach the students.
Those students would then get selected to come work at the studio, and included names you might recognize like Glen Keane, Brad Bird, John Lasseter, Tim Burton, John Musker, Ron Clements, and so, so many more. Many of the younger team got to work with the legendary Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, along with Milt Kahl on the upcoming The Rescuers, but also had their sights set on an epic animated fantasy film based on a 1968 book by Lloyd Alexander, called The Black Cauldron. But that’s another story for another time.
The legacy of Robin Hood is a long-lasting one and despite others proclaiming its mediocrity, is typically met with fondness and appreciation. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I didn’t hide my wallet whenever Prince John merchandise was released. Plus, he’s actually my favorite character to play when I play the board game, Villainous (despite its numerous expansion packs) because if you mind your own business, you just sit there collecting power for the entire game to win, similar to his role in the movie just collecting taxes.
Take some time today to watch Robin Hood, celebrating 49 years today, and can be streamed on Disney+.