Classic Disney Project Update June 2022 - Robin Hood

Question

This month, The Classic Disney Project adds to its roster the classic animated feature, Robin Hood (1973). I first saw this film at the drive-in with my Dad when I was an eight-year-old third-grader. I've been hooked on the legend of Robin Hood ever since. I especially remember the character "Skippy", the young rabbit who showed me that even a little kid like me could be a one of Robin's Merry Men. How amazing! 

To give an idea of how magnificent the Robin Hood cast was, ten of the fourteen deceased cast members are already profiled and connected on WikiTree. The four remaining cast members include Candy Candido, John Fiedler, Carole Shelley, and Terry-Thomas. All very notable actors, but not yet connected. Skippy, by the way, was voiced by Billy Whitaker, whose brother was the more famous child actor, Johnny Whitaker. Billy and Johnny's sister Dori played Skippy's baby sister "Tagalong".  

The mission of The Classic Disney Project is to identify each of the voice actors for Disney's earliest animated feature films, develop their profiles (with sources), and connect them to the Big Tree. If you would like to participate in The Classic Disney Project, feel free to jump in. No formal process. Just visit our project page, pick a film, choose your favorite character, and begin working your magic - every little bit helps! Just be sure to share with us your progress by commenting below so we can all share in the joy of your finds.

  

Answer 1

Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Hood_(1973_film)

• Brian Bedford as Robin Hood, a gifted archer and the leader of a band of rogues. He is portrayed as a red fox.
• Monica Evans as Maid Marian, the niece of King Richard and love interest of Robin Hood. She is portrayed as a vixen.
• Phil Harris as Little John, Robin Hood's best friend. He is portrayed as a brown bear.
• Roger Miller as Alan-a-Dale, a minstrel who serves as the narrator of the film. He is portrayed as a rooster.
• Andy Devine as Friar Tuck, the priest of Nottingham. He is portrayed as a badger.
• Peter Ustinov as Prince John, the Prince Regent of England. Ustinov also voiced Prince John in the German version of the film.^[3] He is portrayed as an adolescent lion.
  • Ustinov also voices King Richard, John's older brother, Maid Marian's uncle and the rightful King of England. Unlike John, Richard is depicted with a mane.
• Terry-Thomas as Sir Hiss, Prince John's advisor. Portrayed as a snake.
• Carole Shelley as Lady Kluck, the lady-in-waiting of Maid Marian. She is portrayed as a hen.
• Pat Buttram as the Sheriff of Nottingham. He is portrayed as a wolf.
• George Lindsey and Ken Curtis as Trigger and Nutsy, respectively, the Sheriff's guardsmen. They are portrayed as vultures.
• Billy Whitaker, Dana Laurita, Dori Whitaker, and Richie Sanders as Skippy, Sis, Tagalong, and Toby, respectively, local children of Nottingham who idolize Robin Hood. Skippy, Sis, and

Comments

• Tagalong are white rabbits while Toby is a tortoise.
• John Fiedler and Barbara Luddy as the Church of Nottingham's Sexton and his wife. They are portrayed as church mice.
  • Luddy also voices Skippy, Sis, and Tagalong's mother Mrs. Rabbit.
• Candy Candido as the Captain of the Royal Guard. He is portrayed as a crocodile.
• J. Pat O'Malley as Otto the blacksmith. He is portrayed as a bloodhound.

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Amazing Cast!

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Phil Harris grandfather was Allen Wright, who was a brother to my gt grandfather, Lyman C. Wright....Phil's mother and my grandfather, George W. Wright, were first cousins and knew each other as children.  Her name was Dolly, she had three sisters and one brother.    I have a photo of my grandfather meeting Frank Wright at a Wright Family Reunion in the 1960sj , first meeting since they were young boys.

Answer 2

Who doesn't love Disney?! This would be a great time to check for interest or recruit for a Disney team for next month's Connect-a-Thon!! 

Answer 3

I've taken down my comment. Sorry.

Comments

As this is a member-driven "project", nobody is asking you to like it, or not.
You are more than welcome to kick off your own INFORMAL "challenge" any time you choose, but please don't just jump in with such negativity on something a bunch of people have spent time on doing, and enjoyed it as they did.

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I am all for world-wide inclusion on WikiTree. As the creator and manager of the Classic Disney Project, I do have to say, however, that it always puzzles me when I (an American living in the United States with access to primarily American records, participating on an American-based website) am asked why I place more emphasis on my own country than I do those of others. The answer seems obvious to me...but I'll leave that conversation for another thread. 

In the meantime, let me provide you with some statistics. The Classic Disney Project currently has 189 names on its primary roster of voice actors. Of those, 48 were born outside of the United States. Of the remaining American-born actors, 32 were the children of non-American parents. That's more than 40% of our performers. Countries currently represented cover all five populated continents and include:

Australia

Austria

Belgium

Brazil

British Guyana

Canada

England

France

Germany

Hungary

Ireland

Italy

Mexico

The Netherlands

Norway

Palestine

Panama

Poland

Rhodesia

Russia

Scotland

Sweden

Turkey

Wales  

One of the things I've enjoyed most about this project is the very fact that it has allowed me to travel the world developing research skills my own family tree hasn't.

Of course, Disney certainly may not be everyone's cup of tea - I get that. But Wikitree has countless other projects to choose from, including 35 non-USA geographic projects (Just click on FIND at the top of your screen and scroll down to PROJECTS for a full list.

Finally, I agree with Melanie's sentiments, rather than knocking the hard work of others and putting a damper on our fun, how about you spend your energies creating your own project on the topic or nation of your choice. Whatever you choose to focus on, you'll have my full support!

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Thank you for your feedback. I've taken down my comment. Sorry.

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Appology accepted. Your overall point was well taken. No hard feelings.

Answer 4

Actress Margaret Lee has been connected to the Big Tree. Born Margaret Lightfoot, she had a rather obscure film career, consisting of a few silent films and a handful of Depression-era film shorts. Her one memorable film role was that of Tumper's mother in Walt Disney's clasic animated feature Bambi. With such a common name as Margaret Lee, we were fortunate enough to have a close relative of Margaret's make the necessary connections for us. 

Anybody interested in reading a fun bio should check out that of Margaret's father, John Henry Lightfoot, who after raising fourteen children on a ranch in frontier Idaho, said goodbye to his wife and moved to an isolated mining cabin in the hills where he lived out his days a virtual hermit. When he died, his dog actually traveled alone to seek help from the local forestry station.

Answer 5

Actor Peter Reneday has been connected to the Big Tree!

Peter had roles in dozens of live-action Disney films through the 1960s and 1970s, including such classics as The Love Bug and the Shaggy D.A. He provided the voices of multiple charcters in Disney's The Aristocats, as well as background voices in The Black Cauldron, Mulan, and The Princess and the Frog. He also provided voices for several of Disney's theme park rides, including those of Abraham Lincoln and Harry the MC of the County Bear Jamboree.

Peter went on to provide voices for dozens of animated television and video game characters. Perhaps his best known role was that of the supervillain Master Shredder on the animated television series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987-1996).

Because he is still living his profile is private, however, his family tree can be accessed through his father, Joseph Renoudet. (Renoudet was Peter's actual last name; Renaday was his professional name).