The idea to make the film was
Walt Disney's. He wanted to use colour, use a more historically accurate script than in most previous
Robin Hood films, and to shoot on location in
Sherwood Forest.
Ken Annakin was loaned out from
J. Arthur Rank Films, to whom he was under contract, to make the film. Annakin says the entire film was storyboarded in advance by
Carmen Dillon and
Guy Green, so as to ensure Walt Disney to keep creative control, adding "quite often I had to bite my tongue or be prepared to quit", but Annakin soon earned Disney's respect and the two men went on to make several films together. Production began in April 1951 at
Denham Film Studios in
London. These and several other Disney films were made using British funds frozen during
World War II. Originally
Bobby Driscoll was going to be featured in the film as a boy in Robin (
Richard Todd)'s camp, but he was unable to appear in the film because he had violated
British labour laws with his appearance in
Treasure Island. In Driscoll's absence, the story was rewritten to focus on the romantic relationship between Robin Hood and
Maid Marian (
Joan Rice).
Robert Newton, who was originally cast as
Friar Tuck, had to be recast with
James Hayter after he was cast in
Androcles and the Lion.
The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men was filmed in 3-strip
Technicolor. Annakin said he was unhappy with the casting of Joan Rice as Maid Marian, feeling she could not act, but says Disney insisted she play the role. Richard Todd was short and often had to walk on a plank or stand on an apple box next to Rice. Annakin said
Peter Finch "brought a freshness and a snide threat to the villainous character, without the histrionics of his predecessors in the role. We became great friends and over the years I was sad to see how the strain of show business made Peter hit the bottle." ==Release==