Kidnapped

While Robert Stevenson was directing Darby O'Gill and the Little People, Walt Disney visited the set and suggested that the next project they tackle should be Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped. Disney had already adapted another Robert Louis Stevenson book, Treasure Island, in 1950 and the film had done very well for the company. Disney was hoping the same would be true for the novel about a young boy who has been sold into indentured servitude by his miserly uncle, but escapes into the Scotland with the help of a unlikely ally. Stevenson re-read the novel and was enthused about the project. He ended up writing the a treatment for the film while visiting the Scottish highlands after Darby wrapped. Stevenson would turn the treatment into a full screenplay within a few months. Incidentally he is of no relation to the famous author. 

For casting, James MacArthur was the obvious choice to play the young David Balfour. MacArthur was Disney's current young star, as he had leading roles in The Light in the Forest, and Third Man on the Mountain. Top billing, however, went to British/Australian actor Peter Finch who portrayed the Jacobite Allan Breck Stewart. Finch already had history with Disney because he played the Sheriff of Nottingham in The Story of Robin Hood and his Merry Men (1952). After that Finch starred in movies  like The Elephant Walk (1954) where he played opposite to Elizabeth Taylor and The Dark Avenger (1955) opposite Errol Flynn but it wasn't until he starred opposite of Audrey Hepburn in The Nun's Story (1959) that he reached international acclaim. Unfortunately, Finch is probably more well known today to general audiences for being a piece of trivia. He was posthumously awarded the Oscar for Best Actor for Network (1976) after dying from a heart attack at the age of 60 before the Oscars took place in 1977. He was the only actor to win an Oscar posthumously until Heath Ledger in 2009. The most well-known actor of the film, however, is Peter O'Toole. This would be his first released film role and the most notable thing he does is have a bagpipe duel with Finch's Stewart. Though O'Toole only had a bit part in the film, Stevenson and the cast realized that O'Toole was destined for greater things. Stevenson himself said that O'Toole "will make a very important mark within five years." Stevenson didn't realize how right he was. O'Toole would shoot to super stardom two years later when he landed the starring role as T.E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia (1962). Rounding out the cast was Bernard Lee as Captain Hoseason, who is most well known for portraying M for the first eleven James Bond films, and John Laurie as Ebenezer Balfour, whom he had already played in Ebenezer in a TV version a few years earlier. Laurie had also starred in Disney's version of Treasure Island (1950).

The story takes place in 18th century Scotland, where young David Balfour is taking a letter of introduction from his recently deceased father to the House of Shaw, which is his uncle's house. While trying to find the house, he meets some of his uncle's neighbors who all seem to loathe the man. His uncle on his father's side, Ebenezer does not give him a warm welcome. David is curious about a few things and starts to asks questions about his family. Ebenezer attempts to have David killed by sending him up to the upper part of the house that has fallen into disrepair, hoping that he will fall to his death. Ebenezer claims he didn't know about the decrepit situation and David lets it go. Though David is suspicious of his uncle, he trusts him enough to meet with a Captain Hoseason, an individual who does business with Ebenezer, who wants to show him his ship. Hoeseason gains David's trust by telling him that Ebenezer means him harm but he can't tell him any more until they are alone on his ship. David goes with Hoseason and it's not until he's on the ship that the crew capture him. David realizes too late that this has all been a ploy by his uncle and he is going to be sold into indentured servitude. 

Hoseason's boat runs into a smaller boat while stuck in fog and they rescue the only survivor, Alan Breck Stewart. Alan pays for his passage. Little does Alan know that Hoseason means to kill him for the rest of his money. David hears of the plot and warns Alan, who both fight and overcome the crew. Alan is able to negotiate with Hoseason to drop them off at the next port but the boat runs into some rocks and sinks. David washes up on shore and finds himself on a smaller island off the mainland. He finds from speaking to locals that Alan has already been this way and has instructed him to meet him further inland. David runs into soldiers who happen to be part of the Campbell clan, who are the rivals of Alan and the Stewart Clan. Out of nowhere, the King's Regent, Colin Roy Campbell, who was questioning David is shot and killed and the soldiers accuse David of setting them up. David is saved by Alan who had been fishing nearby. David is suspicious of Alan and thinks he was the one who murdered the King's Regent. Alan convinces David to trust him and that they have to go to someplace safe to avoid more soldiers. David learns that Alan is a Catholic Jacobite, someone who supports the exiled royal Stuart family. This puts David and Alan at odds since David is a Protestant Whig. They are able to get over those differences, however, and begin to trust each other. Alan takes them to James of the Glen, who gives them supplies, but tells them that he must pin the murder on them or else he will be blamed. Alan understands this as James is an important part of the Stewart clan. The two battle their way back to the lowlands, where Alan can confront his uncle. They are able to make it back and they meet with David's family lawyer, who luckily believes the tale of his uncle's deception. It turns out that David's father and his uncle had a disagreement over a woman. They finally came to an agreement that David's father would be able to marry the woman, while Ebenezer would claim the House of Shaws and all its money, though Ebenezer is not the eldest. This finally explains to David why Ebenezer wanted him gone so badly. Since the agreement between his father and uncle is not legally binding, the House of Shaw rightfully belongs to David. The trouble is, they have to have proof that Ebenezer tried to sell his nephew, so the group come up with a plan. Alan goes to the House of Shaws and pretends to be a Highlander who found David and wants to sell him back to Ebenezer. Ebenezer at first says he doesn't want the boy, but Alan tells him that they will kill the boy if Ebenezer does not pay them. Now not wanting the boy to be killed, Ebenezer haggles with Alan over the price, but in the process reveals what he had done to the boy before with Captain Hoseason. David and his lawyer reveal themselves and David is able to regain his inheritance. 

Disney decided to film in Scotland with some interior shots done at a studio in England. Since this film was not relying on any fancy camera tricks like Darby, they didn't feel the need to keep the production local and rely on matte paintings. Since parts of the story were based on historical fact, mostly having to do with Alan Breck Stewart and the murder of Colin Roy Campbell, the King's Regent, Stevenson attempted to film in the same exact locations where the events took place. While he was able to in most cases, he couldn't use the spot where Campbell was murdered, as that spot was now home to a forest of Norwegian pines. The film premiered on February 24th, 1960 and unfortunately was met with tepid reviews. One notable review, from New York Times reviewer Eugene Archer, claimed that "Either Mr. Disney, who made a vigorous Treasure Island ten years ago, has lost his touch in the intervening decade, or the kids have been spoiled by Gunsmoke and Peter Gunn." Critics couldn't argue with the beauty of the locale or the faithfulness to the novel, but they could complain that the movie just wasn't that exciting for a Robert Louis Stevenson novel. I personally don't really like either the book or the movie. They're both fine, but I find Treasure Island to be superior in almost every way. The whole Jacobite and Whig thing is honestly hard to follow for those not versed in European history. That's just me, so I'm sure there are plenty of people who enjoy this story a lot. This is yet another film that if you want to watch it, you'll have to rent it since it's not on Disney Plus.

Old Yeller

Everyone has at least one movie that has pulled on their heart strings and made tears well up in their eyes. Old Yeller was this movie for me, the first of many. I know the death of Old Yeller wasn't Mr. Disney's fault. Yes, the dog dies! Shot by its owner, a teenage boy forced to be a man while his father is away on a cattle drive. I put the blame on Fred Gipson. There is a great difference between reading a tragic moment and hearing the gun shot and seeing the heart breaking emotions played on screen.

Teachers always instruct students to "write what you know." Fred Gipson did exactly this. Growing up in Texas Hill Country exploring the rugged terrain, hunting it's dangerous wildlife, and listening to hand-me-down tales on the front porch of his family tree ,inspiration came to him. " My grandfather owned a big yellow stray dog ("Rattlers"- named from killing rattlesnakes) who could throw wild range cattle and who once rescued him from a meat-eating hog. Out of these and other true incidents I wrote the story of Old Yeller," said Gipson.

It was 1955 and Gipson thought children books at the time were too sweet and needed a dose of realism. He wrote feverishly, completing the story in just three months with Big Yeller Dog as the original title. You may be wondering where the name Old Yeller came from. Gipson explains that its a dialect pronunciation of yellow and the fact his bark sounds more like a human yell. The tale was serialized in Collier Magazine and appeared also in Saturday Evening Post where the right eyes were looking at it. Even before the novel hit the bookshelves Walt Disney bought the movie rights. Gipson's book became an instant hit, winning the 1957 Newbery Honor. With the popularity of Old Yeller, Fred Gipson went on to write two more novels based on the Coates Family, Savage Sam( 1962) and Little Arliss ( 1978- published after his death) .

Disney worked fast hiring Fred Gipson to write the screenplay alongside William Tunberg. Most of the story stayed the same. Fred Gipson added a runaway mule scene to replace the books bullfighting scene, which would be too difficult to film. Some thought the ending was too harsh and should be change to be the typical Disney happy ending. Walt demanded the tale stay the same, guaranteeing our emotions be played with. He used director Robert Stevenson, who had just done Johnny Tremain for Disney. Stevenson would go on to be one of Disney's most prolific and successful directors, with hits such as Mary Poppins, The Absent-Minded Professor, The Love Bug, and Bedknobs and Broomsticks.

Securing the father role of Jim Coates was Disney's go-to lead actor at the time, Fess Parker. This role was perfect for Fess since his family grew up around the same area of Texas as Fred Gipson's family. Their fathers actually knew each other. Cementing the role of Jim's wife Katie was Dorothy McGuire, a newcomer to the Disney Family. She would stay on with the family playing many more mother roles, including the one in Swiss Family Robinsons. For the Coates two sons, Walt turned to the Mickey Mouse Club where Tommy Kirk (Travis) and Kevin Corcoran (Arliss) were becoming more standout stars. The two would star in many films together, so much so that one might think they were actual brothers. Even Tommy Kirk said so in an interview, "We were like brothers. He ( Kevin) was a natural. Hard-working professional, very bright, missed nothing, and only 10 years old."

The only character left to cast was the star of the film, Old Yeller. Four years earlier a shabby golden lab named Spike sat in a dog shelter in Van Nuys, California not aware soon he would be made a star. Frank Weatherwax, famous dog trainer of Lassie, received a phone call from a friend who thought Spike could have potential in films. "He was all head and feet, but he looked smart," recalled Weatherwax. Spike's freedom from the shelter came at the cost of just three dollars. That may seem like a deal but then he went onto spend four years and twenty-thousand dollars worth of training before his big break in Old Yeller. Frank's wife came across a serialized story of Old Yeller in the Saturday Evening Post. She loved the story and the description of Old Yeller made her think of Spike. Soon Spike was auditioning for Disney and landed the part.

Production began in mid-winter and Texas was under six feet of snow at the time, so the 1860's Texas Hills were created in California. Disney spent a huge chunk of change to make the whole homestead look authentic. Forty men spent three weeks hauling oak logs from a forest 200 miles away, splitting the shakes by hand to create the Coates Family cabin. This task alone cost $30,000. Corn was out of season so they used a hothouse and planted 5,000 corn stalks in flower pots and then transplanted them outdoors to make a corn field (this cost production another $5,000). I guess fake corn stalks weren't good enough. No homestead farm would be complete without farm animals and other wildlife, but of course the task of collecting them would require shipping animals from other states. Buzzards were brought in from Florida, reptiles from Texas and Arizona, squirrels from Kentucky even arrived, though they were supposed to be hibernating. Jackrabbits and wild hogs were wrangled up, and expecting mother cows had the Disney crew working around their schedule to make sure they catch the birthing. Craziness. But wait, we are not done! With all these animals come the need for handlers, trainers, veterinarians, and the American Humane Association, all observing to make sure the animals are treated right ($40,000 for the bunch).

Watching Old Yeller, one may think otherwise

that the animals are safe. Old Yeller fights wild hogs, a wolf and a bear and they all look pretty realistic. But that's the beauty of movie magic. There were months of advance training for these scenes. The wolf was actually a German Shepard and was taught to play fight and was muzzled so no real damage could be done. For the bear scene, a nine year old movie bear named Doug was brought in. Both Spike and Doug were kept on leashes and had lots of training time to become acquainted with each other, learning each other's advantages and playing off those. Spike was very agile and Doug had his strength. "Both Spike and Doug knew exactly what to do," said Buster Matlock, an American Humane Association representative. "Also they were protected. They kicked up a lot of commotion and made it look good for the cameras, but when the dust cleared neither one had even a scratch."

Post-war production came in handy adding the different sound effects like a growling bear using a lamp chimney. Recycled sound of dogs from Lady and the Tramp were used to save time and money. Movies always use little tricks here and there to catch a shot. Beverly Washburn who plays Lisbeth Searcy ( the young girl who comes to help out the Coates family) revealed Gerber Chicken baby food was blended on her face to get the small puppy to lick her face. So if you really want doggy kisses go grab yourself some baby food.

Old Yeller had several premieres starting in late November 1957 and a few around Christmas time before being released to more theaters in January. The box office totaled $21.9 million ($6,250,000 US/Canadian rentals). The early premieres were something special. Walt Disney was a smart guy and created special events to spread interest in the film and even help out charities like the March of Dimes. Fess Parker paid admission for seventy- five underprivileged boys to watch the film at the Fox Wilshire Theatre premiere in Beverly Hills.

The most unique premieres were at the New York Coliseum and Metropolitan Theatre in Houston, Texas where dog owners could bring their dogs to watch the film together. What a sight to see! Theater-goers and critics loved the film. Grown men were left blubbering in their seats. The critics consensus claimed that, " Old Yeller is an exemplary coming of age tale, packing an emotional wallop through smart pacing and a keen understanding of the elemental bonding between humanity and their first best friends." Disney discovered the gold of "a boy and his dog" stories and would go onto make several more doggy films including Fred Gipson's follow up Savage Sam. Old Yeller has become such a Disney classic that I hope future generations can treasure it too.

"Here, Yeller! Come back, Yeller! Best doggone dog in the West!"

The Great Locomotive Chase

Fess Parker started acting in earnest in the early 50's and caught a break when he became a contract actor for Warner Bros. He played bit parts for a few years and then graduated to being a weekly contract actor until he received a call from destiny. By destiny I mean the Walt Disney company. Parker had taken the advice of his agent to star in the sci-fi movie, Them!, a role that only demanded that he be on the set one day. His character had a very small role, that of a pilot put in an insane asylum because he claimed his plane had been taken down by giant flying bugs. Disney was looking for someone to play Davy Crockett in a new mini-series for TV he had been planning. James Arness, who had a much bigger role in Them!, was the frontrunner for the part. Disney went to Them! in theaters and he looked right passed Arness's character and zeroed in on Parker's pilot. Disney was impressed by Parker's ability to portray a man that was unswerving in his belief in what he saw despite the forces of authority against him. As mentioned before, Parker was called to come meet with Disney himself. Parker brought a guitar to the interview and sang Disney a song. It must have been a good song because Parker was chosen over Arness and Buddy Ebsen, who would go on to play Crockett's sidekick, Georgie Russell. The Davy Crockett mini-series was presented in five episodes that were released periodically between 1954 and 1955. The first three episodes, which were released within three months of each other, proved to be extremely popular (this is an understatement). Disney had the episodes packaged together and released it as Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier for theaters later in 1955. The last two episodes would be made into a second package film, Davy Crockett and the River Pirates that released the following year in 1956. Parker's star rose very quickly, becoming a household name thanks to the mini-series. He was quickly signed on to be a contract actor for Disney, and would star in four movies for the company, the first being The Great Locomotive Chase. Disney was going to milk the sudden popularity that Fess Parker enjoyed for all it was worth, so you'll notice that Parker will be a part of most of next few Disney movies.

Story Background

Disney decided to follow up the massively successful 20,000 Leagues with a movie that would cost much less to produce and therefore wouldn't hurt them too bad if it flopped: The Great Locomotive Chase. Based on an actual event that took place during the American Civil War, it details the story of union soldiers  and two civilians that attempted to sabotage the Confederate railroad by stealing one of their trains. The main goal was to keep Confederate forces in Atlanta, Georgia from being able to send resources to Chattanooga, the city the Union was trying to seize. Led by civilian scout James J. Andrews, the group commandeered Confederate train, the General near Marietta, Georgia. The Union men went northward and cut telegraph lines and destroyed train tracks when they could. William Fuller, the General's conductor, and two other men chased after the Union raiders, using everything from a handcar, to several other locomotives, even running on foot, to catch their stolen train. Andrews and his men experienced some bad luck, including the raid getting delayed by a day thanks to rain, which in turn made the wood they were going to use to burn bridges too wet to keep a flame. They also were held up at a train station for over an hour before they could continue on. The track they were traversing was between Atlanta and Chattanooga, infamous for it's hills, thus making the ride that much slower. Fuller took command of the Texas, though having to run it backward, and was finally able to put a message ahead by telegraph before Andrews and his men could cut the line to that station. The General eventually ran out of fuel and the Union men scattered. All raiders were caught within two weeks and a were put on trial for being unlawful combatants and spies. Eight men total were executed by hanging soon after the trial, with Andrews and the only other civilian, William Hunter Campbell, being among them. Eight more escaped, fearing they would also be executed. The rest were eventually exchanged for Confederate prisoners. Most of the men received the Medal of Honor for their work in disrupting the Confederate lines, some posthumously. Both Andrews and Campbell were not eligible since they were not in the military. I'm giving the briefest of run-throughs of the event, so if you would like to know more, I would highly recommend looking up some articles on it!

Production Background

It's not hard to see why Walt Disney was attracted to a story that centered completely on steam trains. The story had been on the slate for production since Disney started making live action movies. Like with Robin Hood and His Merrie Men, Disney wanted to film where the action took place, but in this case it wasn't feasible. The original track that the chase took place on had been modernized and was, unfortunately for Disney, very much in use. Disney had to settle for the shortline Tallulah Falls Railroad which located fifty miles east. The line had been bustling at one time, used to transport vacationers to Tallulah Falls, but when the resorts went bust in the area, the train line eventually was used only to haul freight. Since the train only ran once a day, it was perfect for shooting Disney's new movie. Not only was the line mostly unused, it was also winding and had not been updated, so it fit the look of the story perfectly. Disney reached out to B&O Railroad to cast the most important players in the movie: the trains. The William Mason would play the General, while the Lafayette would portray the Yonah, one of the trains that Fuller commandeers to chase the General. Disney also borrowed two Civil War era couches, a baggage car, and two ammunition cars. To get the train to portray the Texas, Disney reached out to Paramount Pictures, who sent them the Inyo. Filming started in late September of 1955 and went on for about six weeks. The production provided a much needed economical boom to the towns surrounding the Tallulah Falls line. All of the workers on the line were part of the production, though most had to run the train lying down while the actors were doing their scenes. Walt himself was there for the production for a few weeks, delighting all those he met. Many of the surviving businesses in the area have photos hanging on the wall with Walt and their overjoyed proprietors. Walt had considered buying the Tallulah Falls Railroad and turning into a scenic tour, though was dissuaded when he learned that the Railroad owed millions in accumulated debt and back taxes. The film would unfortunately not save the sleepy railroad, as it would close six years later.

Cast

Fess Parker, in his first Disney leading role that didn't involve Davy Crockett, portrayed the doomed civilian leader of the raiders, James J. Andrews. Disney apparently wanted to use as many actors from the Davy Crockett show as possible and used Kenneth Toby, Don Megowan, and most notably Mike Fink's actor Jeff York, who in this film portrays William Campbell. Campbell in this version of the story is a Union soldier as opposed to a civilian. The other big name attached to the film, and one that wasn't in Davy Crockett, was Jeffrey Hunter, who played the determined Confederate conductor William H. Fuller. Hunter is probably best known for his role as Martin Pawley in The Searchers.

Critical Reception

Walt Disney grew up in Marceline, Missouri, and when the town contacted him in the mid-50's asking permission to name their new park and swimming pool after him, it lead to one of the most notable events in the town's history. Not only would Walt, along with his brother Roy and their wives, come to dedicate the new park and pool, they would also give Marceline the gift of a movie premiere. The Great Locomotive Chase would make its Midwest premiere in a small town in Missouri. On July 4th, 1956, a crowd of mostly children crowded the Uptown Theatre, but Walt and Roy made sure to shake hands and greet each one that entered to see their new movie. Before the movie started, Walt gave a speech about how much Marceline meant to him, and also spoke about how much he enjoyed reading about the Union raider's exploits as a boy. The film was shown continuously until 1:30 the next morning, with all the citizens of Marceline getting in for free.The Uptown Theatre still stands today, though it closed in 2014, being purchased by the local historical society to renovate the aging theater.

Released in June of 1956, The Great Locomotive Chase received mixed reviews from critics. Audiences apparently weren't in the mood for a historical train thriller because the movie only made $1.7 million against a $2.5 million budget. The lack of gross can most likely be chalked up to the anti-climactic ending of the film. Many critics pointed out that the movie basically ends once the men abandon the train. After that it's just people trying to escape and a good portion, including the main character, getting hanged. Audiences apparently didn't like movies that had a sad ending in the 50's. Walt was disappointed in the performance of the film, but since it wasn't 20,000 leagues level of money put into the film, it wouldn't sink the company.

Perhaps the most famous version of the Great Locomotive Chase is Buster Keaton's silent film, The General. Made in 1926, the film was a comedy, with Keaton basically a Confederate that chases after the General, though more because the love of his life is onboard and is an unwitting captor of the Union soldiers. Like The Great Locomotive Chase, The General wasn't a hit when it came out, critically or financially. Unlike The Great Locomotive Chase, The General was re-evaluated later and is now considered one of the best movies ever made.I guess Disney should have slipped some slapstick into their movie!



Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Locomotive_Chase
https://www.waltdisney.org/blog/making-great-locomotive-chase
https://www.waltdisney.org/blog/hollywood-premiere-marceline-great-locomotive-chase

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea

Disney was tired of filming in the U.K. While Treasure Island and Robin Hood proved to be financial successes and for the most part were met with critical praise, his latter two films in the U.K., The Sword and the Rose and Rob Roy, were not. Wanting to film primarily in Burbank on a soundstage, Disney realized that a property that he had on the backburner for some time, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, would be perfect. Disney had first considered making the Jules Verne story into an animated film in the early 40's, but changed it to a live action in the early 50's since he had been finding some success in that medium. 20,000 Leagues would prove to be a turning point for the Disney company, as it was completely different in scope from his previous four films in the U.K. Those were made relatively cheap thanks to the funds left over from WWII in U.K. and thus there wasn't a huge risk in them failing. 20,000 Leagues ended up being the most expensive movie ever made at that point in history, topping out at a production cost of $9 million thanks to the elaborate sets, star power, and delays. If it performed poorly, Disney had a very good chance of facing financial ruin.

Story Background

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea was written by the French author Jules Verne and was published in 1870. Originally serialized from 1869 to 1870, the story proved to be a humongous hit and is considered one of the greatest sci-fi novels of all time and a precursor to the steampunk genre. The movie stays pretty true to the book, only straying in a few ways. The story follows Professor Pierre Aronnax, a French marine biologist and the narrator of the story. He is tasked with joining an expedition to kill a mysterious sea beast that has been compared to a giant narwhal. Joining him are his loyal assistant Conseil and master harpoonist Ned Land. Once on the expedition the crew is attacked by the mysterious beast and the three main characters fall into the ocean, holding onto the beast's "hide". To their surprise it is not a monster at all but a futuristic submarine. They are quickly captured and taken aboard to meet the enigmatic Captain Nemo. Nemo is a man of no nation, a man at war with "civilization". He travels around the world in his electric-powered submarine called the Nautilus and seeks knowledge, along with a bit of revenge to the nameless nation that destroyed his family. Nemo is bound and determined to keep his work a secret so he tells the men that they can never leave the Nautilus. 

Aronnax and Conseil marvel at all the wonders that Nemo shows them, but Ned wants nothing but to escape his underwater prison. They visit many fantastic places, even the lost city of Atlantis, but the fun comes to an end when the ship is set upon by a pack of "pouples", which literally translates to octopus in French, but is usually named giant squids. They are able to fight off the pack though they lose a crew member. Nemo begins to change in demeanor, ignoring Aronnax, though he enjoyed having scientific discussions with him before. The Nautilus is attacked by a warship from the hated nation and Nemo destroys it though Aronnax begs him to have mercy. Aronnax is horrified by Nemo's actions and knows now that they must escape the Nautilus at all costs. Nemo falls into a depression; the appearance of the hated nation reminds him of his family and with him distracted the Nautilus appears to be moving around randomly. Ned and the others see this as an opportunity to escape and they steal a dinghy. Aronnax sees Nemo one last time, who is still despondent and seemingly ready to die. The Nautilus unfortunately wandered into a maelstrom while the three escape, but they make it out alive and get to an island off the coast of Norway. Disney's version follows the same beats, but instead has them visit Vulcania, Nemo's secret island base. It is inferred that Nemo holds the secret to nuclear power and once his enemies find the island to find his secrets, he blows the island to kingdom come. Nemo is mortally injured by a bullet while planting the bomb and declares that he will take the sub down one last time. Luckily for Ned, Aronnax and Conseil, the sub hits a reef on its way down and they are able to escape, leaving Nemo to his fate. Other than that it seems the biggest change was having the one giant squid attack the sub. 

Production 

Disney had enough of doing costume dramas and sought to make something that would be an epic turn for Disney movies. For 20,000 Leagues he wanted a bigger production, bigger stars (sorry, Richard Todd), and a local production. Disney had two soundstages, but they weren't able to be used for this kind of production, so soundstage 3 was built, complete with a water tank. Along with sinking a ton of money into the new soundstage and production, Disney was also starting a little park known as Disneyland. Much of the credit to the film's success has been attributed to the unfortunately uncredited production designer for the movie, Harper Goff (Goff was not a union member, so he had to go uncredited). Goff had been part of the production since it was still be considered an animated film. He was responsible for the look of Captain Nemo's famous vessel, the Nautilus. Goff always thought that the shark and alligator looked very dangerous when swimming so he took those characteristics and used them in the Nautilus's design. Walt actually didn't like Goff's design at first because he was expecting something simpler, something closer to how Jules Verne described in his book. Goff was able to convince Walt of his design by explaining that Nemo built it using iron salvaged at his island hideout. 

Disney went searching for a director for his risky endeavor. He had enjoyed the family comedy, The Happy Time (1952), written by Earl Felton and directed by Richard Fleischer and approached the latter to be a part of the production. Fleischer was a little surprised by this, but Disney claimed that he liked him so much because Disney's contract actor Bobby Driscoll was in The Happy Time and "if anybody can make an actor out of that kid, he's got to be a good director." It seemed that Disney had soured on the child actor and would drop him as an employee soon after Peter Pan premiered in 1953. The ironic thing about Disney hiring Fleischer was that Richard was the son of Max Fleischer, who ran Fleischer Studios in the 30's and 40's. Fleischer Studios and Disney were bitter rivals during this time, but Fleischer had long been absorbed into Paramount Studios and Max was enjoying his retirement. Max even gave the hiring his blessing and buried the hatchet with Walt, eventually becoming good friends. Richard Fleischer and Earl Felton were a fundamentally a duo, so Walt hired them both for 20,000 Leagues. Felton's script attempted to give Nemo more of a motivation for his actions. Nemo wasn't just sinking a warship out of revenge, but to destroy a vessel carrying munitions to war, so in his mind he was saving countless lives. He also added a story addition of Nemo and most of the crew being slaves at one point, which helped make Nemo a more sympathetic character. Disney, for one reason or another, decided to hedge his bets and have another writer, John Tucker Battle, known for his sci-fi scripts do his own treatment. Ultimately none of Battle's script would make it into the movie, which is a testament to Felton's script. 20,000 Leagues would become the first live action production to be storyboarded from start to finish, adding up to 1300 drawings. 

Stage 3 would prove not be enough room for Disney and they would have to borrow space at Universal and 20th Century Fox's backlots. Filming also took place in tropical locations for the underwater shots, namely in the Bahamas and Jamaica. The underwater funeral scene was very tricky to shoot, but it was nothing compared to the scene dedicated to the giant squid attack on the Nautilus. Filmed in Stage 3, the scene utilized a full size mechanical squid with rubber and steel springs used for its tentacles. The tentacles would be moved by wires that hung from above. The scene originally called for the attack to happen at sunset against a calm sea. They finished the whole shoot with this set up and then Walt saw a screening of the scene. Though Fleischer had done everything he could, he could not make the squid look realistic in any sense. Walt demanded changes because all he could see was a bunch of wires holding up some limp tentacles. The idea then came about that they should instead film it to be a night scene and during a terrible storm. Hydraulics were used to improve the movement of the tentacles and the night and storm helped cover up the wires, thus making everything look much better. The re-shoot cost the company six additional weeks of production and $200,000. Considering that this scene is the one people remember the most from the movie, I would say it was worth it. 

Cast

Though most of the cast is not recognizable to people under 30, it was full of some of the biggest stars of that era. James Mason was cast as Captain Nemo, who had made a name for himself in Britain in the 40's, quickly became one of the biggest stars in the U.S. by the early 50's, starring in such pictures as The Desert Fox (1951) and A Star Is Born (1954) with Judy Garland. Mason brought the gravitas needed for portraying Nemo, as that role was the most important in making the film work. Perhaps the most recognizable star in the film is Kirk Douglas, who at the time of this writing is still alive and kicking at 102. Douglas played the master harpooner Ned Land, who is about the polar opposite of the stoic and moody Captain Nemo. Douglas was used to playing very serious roles, so him playing a light-hearted character was a welcome change of pace for him. Douglas gets the only song of the movie, singing the incredibly infectious "Whale of a Tale". Truth be told, this was about the only exposure to this movie that I got as a kid, because the song was on a Disney music compilation CD and on the Disney Singalongs: Under The Sea. Playing Professor Aronnax was Paul Lukas, best known before this movie for Watch on the Rhine (1943) for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor. Unfortunately Lukas, at age 60, was suffering from memory problems and would lash out at cast and crew members, making the production tense at time. Famous character actor Peter Lorre rounds out the cast, playing Aronnax's assistant Conseil. Lorre's major films included The Maltese Falcon (1941), Casablanca (1942), and Arsenic and Old Lace (1944). His career fell off after 20,000 Leagues, mainly because he was routinely typecast as a sinister foreigner. 

Reception

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea would be the first film distributed in-house for Disney, as their contract with RKO had run out and Disney was in no hurry to renew. In his mind RKO had taken far too much money for each film, so he created Buena Vista Distribution, named for the street that Disney Studios is located. 20,000 Leagues opened just before Christmas in 1954 to excellent reviews. Critics singled out the production value and star performances, something that hasn't changed when the film has been re-assessed in the modern era. The film ended up being the second highest grossing film of the year domestically with $8 million. In total the film grossed $28.2 million, making the $9 million budget worth it in the long run, though initially it didn't make any profit for Disney, though the film showed the world that Disney could make big budget live action movies. The film would be recognized at the Academy Awards for Best Art Direction and Best Special Effects, and deservedly so. Again, since Production Designer Harper Goff was not a union member, he did not receive an award for his contributions. The film was, along with Mary Poppins, the biggest of Walt's career and is still considered not only one of the best live action Disney movies, but also sci-fi adventure movies.

In The Parks

The set of 20,000 Leagues was put to good use after the movie wrapped, being shipped over to Disneyland when it opened in 1955 as a walkthrough attraction in the Tomorrowland section that detailed the production of the popular movie. This stayed in the park until 1966 when Tomorrowland was revamped and the walkthrough was replaced by Adventures Thru Inner Space. A similar walkthrough would open decades later at Disneyland Paris called Les Mysteres Du Nautilus. The Magic Kingdom at Disney World would be the first to get a 20,000 Leagues ride, opening with the park in 1971. This ride had people go into a submarine that appeared to submerge, but was just barely underwater. It would take you through a narration of the story and you would see different creatures and such through the portholes until the fateful giant squid attacked. The ride was popular but very expensive to run and maintain, so it eventually closed in 1994. The next park to get a 20,000 Leagues ride was Tokyo DisneySea. This version, though being a spiritual successor to the Disney World version, is much more technologically advanced, with the bright idea to not have you submerged underwater at all, but just create visuals to make it look like you are. The ride has been open since 2001 at the park and is moderately popular, so hopefully it will stick around a bit longer than the Disney World version. 

Primary Research:

http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/152601%7C0/20-000-Leagues-Under-the-Sea.htm

Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue

 Grab your tartan and head to the Scottish Highlands for Walt Disney's 1953 film, Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue. It is based off of tales from history and legend passed down from authors like Daniel Defoe ( also wrote Robinson Crusoe) and maybe hints from Sir Walter Scott novel, Rob Roy. What I learned from Disney's Rob Roy is don't take away a man's name, as that is his whole identity and his pride. Robert Roy came from the clan of MacGregor. You could say he was the Scottish Robin Hood.

So before I go into the Disney version let me try to explain the history of the real Rob Roy. I say try because there are different legends that make up the man. Depending on who you ask, many of the stories are made up, or did actually happen. Rob Roy, like Robin Hood, could be called a hero or an outlaw. Rob Roy MacGregor grew up living in the Highlands where life was simple. The only problem was the Lowlands clans that were changing with the times and were the "upperclass" who did not care for the Highlanders' simple ways. This led to a feud between the Highland and Lowland clans over time. Plus a switch to the Great Britains throne didn't help matters for the Highlanders. Due to the 1701 Act of Settlement and later the 1707 Act of Union, the throne could no longer go to a Catholic so Queen Anne's distant relative George from Hanover (Germany) became the new ruler because he was a Protestant. There was over fifty Roman-Catholics closer to the throne than he was. Without this silly rule the crown would of been Anne's half brother, James Francis Edward Stuart. The Highlanders, being strict Catholics, did not care for the new king and devoted themselves to fighting for James making themselves Jacobites.

The Lowlands had the government on their side and created laws banning the MacGregor name because of fighting as Jacobites. They also confiscated property like cattle, land, and even women and children ( Habeas Corpus Suspension Act of 1715). This heinous act was brought about by a man just like the Sheriff of Nottingham, The Duke of Montrose. He held a grudge towards Rob Roy after money he had loaned Rob Roy for the purchase of cattle was stolen ( he believed Rob had pocketed the money himself. The money was stolen by or from Rob Roy's lead cattle driver who was assigned to purchase the cattle). The Count of Montrose proclaimed Rob Roy an outlaw and went about burning his house, taking away his property (cattle), and throwing Rob Roy in jail. Rob Roy had friends within the jail and escaped. Rob Roy MacGregor was a proud Highlander and would not go down without a fight and took to arms. He stole back "his" cattle ( they could of been his or just a wealthy lowlands herd), plus got revenge for the burning of his house and foul treatment to his wife while he was gone.

Due to his fighting with the Jacobites and the mess that the Duke of Montrose caused him, Rob Roy MacGregor became famous during this time, especially after the publishing of Daniel Dafoe's book about him, The Highland Rogue. King George even read of his tale and pardoned him in 1726, allowing Rob Roy MacGregor to live in peace for the rest of his life.

" Rob Roy you are a Great Rogue"- King George " And you Sire a Great King."- Rob Roy

Ok the history lesson is done. On to the Disney side of things! " I like history", said Walt Disney. "It's universal. Subjects like Robin Hood and the Tudors appeal to everyone. And costumes don't date, you know. I can release these films over and over again and they won't get the kind of laughs you get from modern subjects made ten years back subjects." This time Disney moved filming to the Highlands of Scotland around Corrie Grennan, Aberfoyle and studio scenes shot at Elstree. Unfortunately, Walt's preferred director Annakin from his previous film The Sword and the Rose was not available due to Rank Organisation refusing to loan him out. Walt then gave the directorial job to Harold French.

The cast looked very familiar, mirroring The Sword and Rose with leading man Richard Todd as Rob Roy and love interest Helen Mary played by Glynis Johns. Along with James Robertson Justice as The Duke of Argyll and the villainous Duke of Montrose played by Michael Gough. Absolutely no offense to Richard Todd but watching these Disney films in order I'm going to be happy to see a different face in the leading role. I think the main difference between his films is the "growing" of facial hair.

I know Disney used the same actors over and over again like Kurt Russell and Hayley Mills. They probably had a so many pictures contract but I didn't have issues with seeing these familiar faces because I wasn't watching the live-action Disney films in order like I am now. Anyway, for this film they had the budget of $1.8mil. Richard Todd's fee alone was £15,000. Todd said of Rob Roy, " Roy instituted the first protection racket." So just assuming Todd was doing the same thing asking for more money. 

One thing that still seems to draw ticket buyers is a film with action and Disney made sure there was more of it for Rob Roy with lots of battle scenes. If you are looking for blood and guts though you won't find it- there is no blood on the injured, even after being stabbed or shot. Richard Todd actually injured himself on his first charge scene, stepping into a rabbit hole and hurting his ankle. An interesting fact about those soldiers extras was they were soldiers of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders who had just returned from the Korean War. According to an article written by the Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners Advocate the soldiers were only paid their normal pay of 7 shillings a day while the war office received 25 shillings a day. Questions were raised in British Parliament about this injustice.

The film premiered at the Royal Command Performance in London on October 26, 1953 with Queen Elizabeth the II in attendance. The U.S. premiere later occured on February 4, 1954. This was the last Disney film to be released through RKO Radio Pictures. New York Times critic Bosley Crowther had this to say of the film, " A fine lot of fighting among the hills, shooting of rifles, banging of claymore, smirking of pipes and buzzing of burrs, filmed and recorded in color on the actual Scottish countryside. And while Mr. Todd is not precisely the Rob Roy that history records, he is indeed a satisfactory fabrication until a better Rob Roy comes along." 1995's Rob Roy starring Liam Neeson???? Director Harold French called the film, "a western with kilts." In June of 1954 Walt Disney sadly admitted both The Sword and the Rose and Rob Roy were " not up to expectation", in the U.S. but performed better in other countries. Rob Roy was expected to at least return their cost. Due to this, Walt decided to pull back on continuing to make elaborate historic costumed pictures. Instead for his next film he would take his audience under the sea and no I'm not talking The Little Mermaid.

The Sword and the Rose

This next live-action Disney film The Sword and the Rose you may be less familiar with compared to the classic tales of Treasure Island and Robin Hood. I know I had never heard of it. The origin of this tale, though, was quite popular in it's day, but was known as When Knighthood was in Flower.
The novel was written by American author Charles Major, but under the pen name of Edwin Caskoden. Why the pen name? My guess is because he was also a lawyer and wanted to distinguish himself separately. Published in 1898, When Knighthood was in Flower told the historical fiction romance tale of Princess Mary, sister to King Henry VIII and her love for commoner Charles Brandon and the struggles they had to endure to be together. This Tudor tale became an instant hit and was on the best sellers list for three years. It spawned an entire industry of historical romantic novels and later, films. Not bad for Charles Mayor's first novel. This story would be adapted first into a Broadway play by Paul Kester in 1901, premiering at Criterion Theatre. Then several film adaptations emerged in 1908, 1922(silent films)and of course the Disney film adaptation we are talking about in 1953.

But first a quick history lesson so you become familiar with the historical figures in Charles Major's story and Disney film. 16th Century England is the place and King Henry VIII is on the thrown. This is where that catchy Herman Hermits song 'I'm Henry VIII' song starts playing. Anyway he is the guy who had lots of wives throughout his life, I believe the total was six. He first marries Catherine of Aragon but bores of her because of piqued interest for Anne Boleyn. ( The Sword and the Rose hints at this in the royal dance scene) He takes on the Pope, creating the English Reformation to get a divorce. During this time the Roman Catholic Church made the laws and divorce was a big no-no. Horny Henry made it so the church no longer had final jurisdiction. Of course, Anne Boleyn would regret ever meeting the King because he would later take her head.

King Henry VIII had a little sister named Mary. She was known for her beauty and the King benefited from this by throwing her into the 1514 peace treaty with France. She would be forced to wed King Louis XII of France, who was over 30 years her senior ( Mary only being 18 and Louis 52). Of course Mary was not happy about this because she was in love with Charles Brandon, the Duke of Suffolk. Her brother threatened Charles' life if she refused to marry the French king, " You will marry France and I will give a wedding present - Charles Brandon's head." Thankfully for Mary's sake King Louis XII kick the bucket only 3 months after they wed. Not producing an heir to the thrown, Mary was able to return to England. King Henry VIII had made a promise to his dear sister that after the French king's death she may marry whomever she liked. That is anybody but Charles Brandon. The king's council did not care for Brandon to receive more power. Defying her brother Mary went ahead and secretly married Charles. This enraged the King, but eventually he forgave them because he loved his sister and the money he was forcing her to pay him for "allowing" them to be married.

Now you have the jist of the story and it's main characters, let's talk about the actual production of The Sword and the Rose. With money still trapped in England ( read Treasure Island blog for more details) Disney figured why not keep the same production crew that he used for Robin Hood. Ken Annakin stayed as director, Perce Pearce producer and screenplay written by Lawerence Edward Watkin. Ken Annakin and Carmin Dillion worked together producing storyboards for the film- something quite new for Disney live action films, only using it before for Robin Hood and his Merry Men. Making storyboards helped speed up the process of knowing the shots you wanted the camera man to get. All storyboards had to get Disney's seal of approval, though. Mr. Disney would help oversee the production sporadically from June to Sept 1952 ( he was also on family vacation as he had done for previous films like Treasure Island). He gave the crew a lot of freedom, feeling confident in their work so they didn't feel too uptight when he came around the set.

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Because of all the pre-production work, studio sets were favored over natural settings (natural settings you worry about lighting and weather too much). These studio sets were designed by the very talented Peter Ellenshaw. He painted 62 different scenes total. Leonard Maltin in his review of for The Sword and the Rose praised the set designer, "Ellenshaw's work was such that it is sometimes impossible to tell where painting ends and reality begins." Peter Ellenshaw's work on the film gave him a "lifetime contract" with Disney Studio.

There too were a few familiar faces in front of the camera. Richard Todd, who played Robin Hood, now took on the lead heartthrob of Charles Brandon. You could say that Disney had found his favorite leading man for the next couple of films. James Robertson Justice aka Little John now put on the royal crown of King Henry VIII. Personally, I think Richard Todd was just okay in this film and shined more as Robin and James Justice, while did fine in Robin Hood, he really stood out as the King. Gracing the screen as Princess Mary was Gylnis Johns, who you will probably know as playing Mrs. Banks in Mary Poppins. It was such a delight to hear her distinguished, chipper voice. Gylnis has said that she enjoyed the making of this film over most of her other films because of it being a costumed action romance film. Another face that you may know but don't realize it is Michael Gough, Batman's Alfred during the late 80's and through the 90's. He is playing the villain of the film, the Duke of Buckingham, who pines for Mary but she puts him in the friend-zone. This doesn't work for him and devises a dastardly plan.

Everyone worked so well together staying true to the way the characters were described in the book. James and Gylnis portrayed the brother-sister bond so well with bouts of antagonizing and manipulation but showing they love each other as brothers and sisters should. Richard Todd and Gylnis Johns had some good chemistry too. In an interview with Richard Todd he said, " We got on marvously, like kids." To get Gylnis best work director Ken Annakin would make sure Richard was not too far away just in case Gylnis needed a little pick me up after long scenes or rehearsals. Before filming began, the cast went through 6 months of practicing dancing, horse back riding and fencing. Gylnis enjoyed learning the Tudor dances because she was already a dancer. 

Not everything was peachy keen during the filming of The Sword and the Rose. There was a union strike at the studio which shut down production. In an interview Glynis Johns recalls this, saying one day when Todd, Gough, and herself were in the water tank shooting the films big fencing scene all the lights were shut off. During this time everyone stayed calm. Johns said she distinctly remembers how calm Ken was. " Ken is a terrific guy, overseeing and guiding wonderful scenes of humor, it was always there, twinkle in his eye was always there." Soon enough production would get back on track and finish filming.

Great research was done for this film to make

the film as historically accurate as possible. But even with all the research there were still some liberties made. The subplot of the Duke of Buckingham for instance is completely fictional. While there was a Duke of Buckingham he did not pine for Princess Mary's affection and plot Charles' demise. He was married to Eleanor Percy. Charles Brandon was actually a childhood friend of the king and not a random commoner like in the film. Brandon did not seek to go to the New World either, as serious voyages would not take place until Elizabeth I ruling, some 50 years later.

The Sword and the Rose was released on August 8, 1953. The budget had exceeded Robin Hood but only earned $2.5mil. Audiences and critics were just not as entertained. The New York Times review called the film, " a time consuming tangle of mild satisfaction." Reading other opinions I have found most people just found the film boring, not liking the dialogue and wishing for more action scenes with sword fighting. Of course the novel shares more of Charles Brandon's background and has more sword play, so as usual the book is better than the film. But still give The Sword and the Rose a chance, there are some enjoyable, witty scenes.

The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men

Walt Disney's first live action film, Treasure Island, was a hit for the company and along with the success of Cinderella, saw the company in good standing after the war. Though due to the war, Disney and RKO still had money frozen in Great Britain, so Disney thought it best to continue filming movies there for the time being. Perce Pearce, who Walt has used as producer on Song of the South, So Dear To My Heart, and Treasure Island, was back, but this film enlisted some new blood. Guy Green, who won an Oscar for Best Cinematography in 1946 for Great Expectations, came on as cameraman. Carmen Dillon, who won an Oscar for her Art Direction in 1948's Hamlet, came on as art director and would come back for The Sword and the Rose (1953). And last but not least, Ken Annakin, who would have a long relationship with the Disney company, would direct. Besides Pearce and Disney, everyone on the cast and crew was British. Walt was determined not to have the same issues he had with work permits that he did on Treasure Island. It was decided that they would stay in the same vein of action-adventure films and tackle the legend of Robin Hood. Like Treasure Island, Robin Hood represented a popular story that would be known to most audiences.

Story Background

The legend of Robin Hood has been around since the 1300's, first as part of poems and ballads. There have been many different versions of the Robin Hood story, with some including or omitting such characters as Friar Tuck, Maid Marian, or Little John. It wasn't until Robin Hood started to be adapted as a children's story in the 19th century that you start to get a clearer picture of the Robin Hood tale we know today. Howard Pyle's 1883 novel, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, is perhaps the most influential on 20th century adaptations of the tale.This novel cemented Robin Hood as a philanthropic character; someone who stole from the rich to give to the poor. It was only a matter of time before Robin Hood came to silver screen. The very first adaption was a silent film in 1912, though the best known adaptations are the 1922 silent Douglas Fairbanks version and the 1938 Errol Flynn version. The Errol Flynn version has become the gold standard for Robin Hood films, thus causing many filmmakers to make their movies about Robin Hood's son instead.

Production Background

Annakin and Disney knew their film would be compared to Errol Flynn's version no matter what, but they set out to make it their own film. Annakin recalled:

"I remember talking about the original Errol Flynn Robin Hood,  and I looked at it, just to get an idea what had been done before, because I never like to do anything twice. Walt didn't seem very worried about seeing the original, and in fact, I doubt if he ever did. His approach is always that the the film is a Disney picture, and therefore, because of his attitudes and approach, the picture is bound to be different from anything else made on the subject before."

Perhaps the biggest difference in this version versus prior adaptations is the addition of Robin Hood's father and his murder by the Sheriff's men. This gives the film a revenge plot line in addition to the standard Robin Hood fare. Three separate shooting crews were made for the film, one doing exterior action shots and two interior crews at Denham Studios. Something that helped set this film apart from others was the fact that the exterior shots were mostly shot in the real Sherwood forest in England. Walt came out for the better part of a summer to work with Annakin on the film. Walt had started the practice of storyboarding his live action movies years before, but it was new to Annakin. Annakin may not have been accustomed to the practice, but it helped keep the production from hitting too many pitfalls. By being able to effectively block out the scenes ahead of time, it made it so they had much less wasted shots or setups. Filming in technicolor at that time was laborious and it took lots of time to reload the camera and to check components after each shot, so it was important to know what you were doing ahead of time.

Cast

Richard Todd plays the eponymous Robin Hood, and does a fine job even with the character being strongly associated with Errol Flynn. Again, as Walt had desired, Todd made the character his own. Walt liked Todd so much that he ended up using him as the main character in his next two live action films, The Sword and the Rose and Rob Roy. Playing Robin Hood's love interest Maid Marion is Joan Rice. Rice had been hand-picked by Disney, but the casting apparently didn't sit well with Richard Todd. Todd was a bit older than Rice and Rice had only been in two films before Robin Hood, so he felt that someone with more experience could have brought something better to the role. Be that as it may, they have great chemistry in the movie, shown in the beginning as playful sweethearts, and then later in the film as taking on a more mature relationship. Other notable cast members include Peter Finch as the Sheriff of Nottingham. If that name seems familiar, you may recognize him better as Howard Beale in the 1976 movie Network. Finch, unfortunately now is known mostly for that role and even more-so for dying shortly after the movie premiered but then posthumously winning Best Actor at the 1977 Academy Awards.Finch was just seeing his star rise in the early 50's and would go on to win multiple BAFTA awards for Best Actor. James Hayter, who portrayed Friar Tuck in the film, would go on to portray the character again in 1967's A Challenge For Robin Hood.

Release

Ahead of the wide release, Disney released a promotional short called The Riddle of Robin Hood. It served as the making of The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men, and included segments with Walt Disney, Perce Pearce, and Ken Annakin, among others.  Robin Hood and His Merrie Men had its premiere in London on March 13th, 1952, with a wider release in July of that year. While critical reception to the film was not uniformly great, especially in the U.K., it ended up being one of the highest grossing in Britain. It would go on to gross over 4.5 million in the U.S., making it a hit on par with Treasure Island. Robin Hood and His Merrie Men would not see another theatrical release, but would air on Disneyland in 1955. It was released on Laserdisc in 1992, with a VHS release in 1994. Nowadays you can purchase a DVD or digital copy from the Disney website. Disney would go on to release an animated version of the Robin Hood story in 1973, with that version largely overshadowing this live action undertaking.

Sources:

• https://www.waltdisney.org/blog/disney-films-robin-hood-and-his-merrie-men
• http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/1370591%7C0/The-Story-of-Robin-Hood-and-His-Merrie-Men.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_Robin_Hood_and_His_Merrie_Men