Coming up next we venture to Sherwood Forest in 1973's "Robin Hood", the ultimate tale of good guy Robin Hood as he robs the rich to feed the poor. The film's outstanding voice cast includes Brian Bedford, Phil Harris, Andy Devine, Monica Evans, Carole Shelley, Peter Ustinov, Terry-Thomas, Pat Buttram, George Lindsey, Ken Curtis, Barbara Luddy, J. Pat O'Malley, and John Fiedler.
King Richard of England is gone on a Crusade, and his brother Prince John is left in charge in his absence. Prince John loves collecting taxes and getting richer.
His arch-nemesis Robin Hood, along with his sidekick Little John, delight in robbing the rich to feed the poor, redistributing the wealth Prince John has so meanly taken from the people.
One day, Prince John sets off on a procession through the countryside collecting taxes. "To coin a phrase, rob the poor to feed the rich!" he exclaims.
The prince is a very short-tempered guy. He hates it when anyone mentions his older brother, the rightful king.
As his carriage passes, Robin Hood and Little John see an opportunity to redistribute some wealth. They pose as fortune tellers and Prince John stops his carriage to have his fortune told.
The guys get right to work relieving Prince John of some of his assets. Prince John's sidekick, Sir Hiss, is appalled when he sees what's going on, but Prince John refuses to believe that these "ladies" could be bandits.
Prince John gets the message when he's robbed of everything he's got, including his "solid gold hubcaps". He vows revenge on Robin Hood.
To help him do this and to collect the taxes from the population, Prince John relies on the Sheriff of Nottingham, a mean, scheming guy.
Also involved in our story is the lovely Maid Marian, who fell in love with Robin Hood but lost touch with him. She wonders if they'll ever meet again.
At an archery tournament, Robin Hood sees his opportunity to reconnect with Maid Marian. Little John offers a distraction so that Robin can join the archers. He really lays the flattery on thick. Prince John loves it, but Sir Hiss is very dubious.
When Hiss asks who this strange character is, the reply comes back, "I am Sir Reginald, Duke of Chutney. And don't stick your tongue out at me, kid."
Eventually, Robin Hood makes his presence known to Maid Marian, and she wishes him luck "with all my heart".
The tournament begins. Robin Hood eventually wins and is crowned the champion. Of course, he's eventually found out and arrested.
When he gets away, Prince John has a right royal conniption fit. Maid Marian and her lady-in-waiting look shocked as they watch the scene unfold.
Havoc breaks loose, and Robin Hood and his friends battle the forces of Prince John. Of course, they are victorious. All the while, Prince John shouts for revenge.
After a long day, Robin Hood and Maid Marian finally get time to reconnect and fall in love again.
Of course, while Robin Hood and Maid Marian are reconnecting, the rest of Robin's friends are proclaiming "down with that scurvy Prince John!". They proclaim "a pox on the phony King of England".
Prince John doesn't take this well. He first doubles, then triples, the taxes. Eventually, every one of Robin Hood's supporters are thrown in prison. As our rooster sings, "Every town has its ups and downs. Sometimes ups outnumber the downs, but not in Nottingham."
Not to worry. Little John is there to slip the keys away from the Sheriff and set everyone free.
While Little John is helping the prisoners, Robin Hood sets about reclaiming Prince John's tax money. He and Little John give a sack of gold to each of those who have been jailed.
Naturally, Prince John is upset. He's even more upset when he finds out his castle is on fire (started by the Sheriff). He blames everything on Sir Hiss. "You cowardly cobra! Procrastinating python! Aggravating asp! Ooh, you eel in snake's clothing!" he says as he hurls insults at his slithery friend.
King Richard returns from his Crusade just in time to right all of Prince John's wrongs. Robin Hood is pardoned, and Prince John and his cronies are banished to the Royal Rock Pile.
Robin Hood and Maid Marian are married in the presence of King Richard, who declares that he now has "an outlaw for an in-law". Cast rundown:
Brian Bedford...............................Robin Hood
Phil Harris....................................Little John
Andy Devine.................................Friar Tuck
Monica Evans................................Maid Marian
Peter Ustinov................................Prince John/King Richard
Terry-Thomas................................Sir Hiss
Pat Buttram..................................Sheriff of Nottingham
George Lindsey..............................Trigger
Ken Curtis.....................................Nutsy
Barbara Luddy..............................Mother Church Mouse/Mother Rabbit
J. Pat O'Malley...............................Otto
John Fiedler...................................Sexton And that's it for Robin Hood. The character of Friar Tuck was originally supposed to be a pig, but it was changed to a badger to avoid religious sensitivities. And the Sheriff of Nottingham was supposed to be a goat, but he was changed to a wolf to better represent a villain. During the song "Phony King of England", Maid Marian does a dance that is a replica of a dance that Snow White does with the Seven Dwarfs.
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