![]() ![]() Wheezy Andy Devine voices Friar Tuck, who visits Sherwood but seems to live at the village church. Phil Harris lends his deep, growly voice to Little John (a bear), who, in this telling, is not only Robin Hood’s sidekick, but his only real “merry man” in Sherwood. ![]() Other cast members are American - very American. (In an alternate ending available on the “ Most Wanted Edition” DVD, however, after deposing his brother and restoring peace to England, Richard departs again for the next crusade!) Intriguingly, an early line attributes Richard’s departure for the Crusades as the result of John scheming to get rid of his brother utilizing Sir Hiss’s hypnotic powers. Other English cast members include Monica Evans as Marian (also a fox), Peter Ustinov as Prince John (and, briefly, King Richard, both lions), and Terry-Thomas as Sir Hiss. Bedford gives a fine swashbuckling vocal performance as an archetypal, properly English Robin Hood, albeit one who happens to be a fox. The cartoon is an odd beast, and not just because the characters are all literal animals. It’s also one of the most Christian-inflected tales among Disney’s animated features, thanks to the portrayal of Friar Tuck, who (unlike most live-action Friar Tucks) seems to spend most of his time ministering to the poor of Nottingham, in particular acting as Robin Hood’s confederate in returning stolen tax money to the people. It may not be a masterpiece either, but compared to the Costner film, it might as well be Shakespeare. Who on earth thought any of this was a good idea for a Robin Hood story?ĭisney’s “Robin Hood” I know much better. What I do remember, of course, is Morgan Freeman’s Azeem the Moor, on hand to add racial and religious diversity to an English Christian story, and the occultism of the Sheriff of Nottingham’s witchy mother. I don’t recall how Mike McShane’s Friar Tuck is portrayed, or how the Church or Christian faith are (or aren’t) depicted. ![]()
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