Rocket Robin Hood [Archive]

stephane dumas

07-18-2009, 10:30 PM

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/1104/rocket20robin20hood.jpg (http://img31.imageshack.us/i/rocket20robin20hood.jpg/)

A cartoon done in 1967 by the same Canadian studios who gived the 1967 Spider-man and 1966 Marvel Super-heroes cartoons. Rocket Robin Hood tells the story of a descendant of Robin Hood set in the 30th century. The first adventures looked like a classic Robin Hood tale however in the middle of the series, Ralph Bakshi was in charge of the series and did some transition to a more "Flashgordonesque" series and later more psychedelism in action, 2 of the psychedelic episodes plotlines was recycled into Spider-man episodes. So bad it was good to watch for some, RRH was in constant re-runs in some Canadian tv stations until the mid-1980s and recently aired on Teletoon Retro.

I guess the main favorite part was the character segments who shows us some of the characters, mainly Friar Tuck where we see him eating and eating until the Sheriff of N.O.T.T send 2 of his men who get bounced by the Friar's belly.
http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/5058/friartuckrocketrobinhoo.jpg (http://img31.imageshack.us/i/friartuckrocketrobinhoo.jpg/)

I wonder if some of you had heard a bit of this cartoon?

dth1971

07-19-2009, 01:06 AM

I remember seeing this air on WDCA 20 Washington, D.C. around 1976-1977.

Mandouga

07-19-2009, 04:55 AM

A cartoon done in 1967 by the same Canadian studios who gived the 1967 Spider-man and 1966 Marvel Super-heroes cartoons.

Grantray-Laurence?

stephane dumas

07-19-2009, 07:58 AM

Grantray-Laurence?
Some staff from Grantway-Lawrence worked on Trillium studios, who did RRH. Mainly the voice actors like Carl Banas, Len Carlson, Chris Wiggins, Bernard Cowan, Paul Kligman. Both was distributed by Krantz Films Inc

Fibber Fox

07-21-2009, 12:32 AM

Grantray-Laurence?

Grantray-Lawrence wasn't a Canadian studio. Grant Simmons and Ray Patterson of MGM set it up in the '50s; the two of them had co-directed a couple of Avery-esque shorts at Universal, including Dig That Dog.

They did use good Canadian voice talent for Rocket Robin Hood, possibly the most inexcuseably bad cartoon in history, and Spider-Man. Paul Kligman's a personal favourite and Carl Banas was extremely talented (I imagine he's retired from radio now).

F. Fox
http://yowpyowp.blogspot.com

Mister Donut

07-21-2009, 03:31 AM

Grantray-Lawrence wasn't a Canadian studio. Grant Simmons and Ray Patterson of MGM set it up in the '50s; the two of them had co-directed a couple of Avery-esque shorts at Universal, including Dig That Dog.

They did use good Canadian voice talent for Rocket Robin Hood, possibly the most inexcuseably bad cartoon in history, and Spider-Man. Paul Kligman's a personal favourite and Carl Banas was extremely talented (I imagine he's retired from radio now).

F. Fox
http://yowpyowp.blogspot.com
Also a cartoon that often got airplay up there for having some form of "Canadian Content" they could exploit. A lot of equipment used in making that show ended up at Sheridan College in later years. :p

BartWinkle

07-21-2009, 01:15 PM

I remember when WPGH-53 ran RRH from 1969 to '70 or '71. I still have some of the show's background music in my head.

Jayd

07-21-2009, 07:19 PM

I used to watch this show a lot. It didn't have much in the way of animation but I enjoyed it. They always showed Friar Tuck taking a bite of food and throwing it behind him, grabbing another piece of food, taking a bite then throwing it behind him, and so on. I found the musical interludes to be very repetitive. Some of the villians were also used in Spiderman.

Fibber Fox

07-21-2009, 11:53 PM

Also a cartoon that often got airplay up there for having some form of "Canadian Content" they could exploit.

Certainly in later years. I'm not sure of the TV Cancon laws when it was produced. Radio didn't have them until the early '70s.

All I know is the show was on the CBC at one time. Fortunately, I grew up in an area which could get seven American stations (and an eighth on a good day) so I wasn't forced to watch junk like it.

The irony is Canada has produced, under the National Film Board, some of the best cartoon shorts in the world. On the other end of the scale is Rocket Robin Hood.

F. Fox
http://yowpyowp.blogspot.com

Zam

07-22-2009, 12:37 AM

Opening theme was nice

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkYaauQkSFc

Mister Donut

07-22-2009, 12:06 PM

Certainly in later years. I'm not sure of the TV Cancon laws when it was produced. Radio didn't have them until the early '70s.
I think by the 1980's was when it happened, but the CRTC was mandating a lot before then with some situations such as foreign ownership of Canadian stations, as there was a CBC station in Windsor that ended up being sold to a joint operation by the CBC and Baton in 1970 before being fully owned by the CBC in '75. A popular radio station that was once owned by the same American company in the area also got hit pretty bad due to the demands for Canadian ownership and programming.

All I know is the show was on the CBC at one time. Fortunately, I grew up in an area which could get seven American stations (and an eighth on a good day) so I wasn't forced to watch junk like it.
Other stations ranging from CTV or indie stations also picked up on the program too. Noticed Wiki has run-down of US stations that aired the program otherwise, but I assume it would take tracking down TV Guides from Canada to know for sure the years and channels that aired the show, but I think CHCH in Hamilton aired it at one point. Other cartoons that fell into this category include Professor Kitzel and Max, the 2,000 Year Old Mouse (both of course produced through Krantz Films as well).

The irony is Canada has produced, under the National Film Board, some of the best cartoon shorts in the world. On the other end of the scale is Rocket Robin Hood.

F. Fox
Well at least it's gotten better in later decades.

Fibber Fox

07-23-2009, 01:27 AM

Other stations ranging from CTV or indie stations also picked up on the program too.

In the 1960s, there *were* no independent stations west of Ontario (I say this presuming CHCH in Hamilton was independent). Canada was barely able to support two networks, and my tax dollars helped pay the bills for one.

It was about 1977 that Vancouver got a station got a semi-independent station. It had a working agreement with Global. Global didn't run cartoons if I recall, but had a low-budget, extremely funny parody-filled show I watched every weekend. It was called Second City Television.

Of course, this was before cable TV channels which desperately needed material and my guess is that's how such dreck as Rocket Robin Hood or made its way into people's consciousness. About all I remember about it as a kid was I saw it in the TV listings and ignored it.

F. Fox
http://yowpyowp.blogspot.com

Mister Donut

07-23-2009, 03:59 AM

In the 1960s, there *were* no independent stations west of Ontario (I say this presuming CHCH in Hamilton was independent).
They were a CBC affiliate from 1953 to '61 when they became an independent station until 2001. Ontario probably had it better than other provinces with the stations that came up, course many were CBC affiliates at one point or another.

Canada was barely able to support two networks, and my tax dollars helped pay the bills for one.Obvious.

It was about 1977 that Vancouver got a station got a semi-independent station. It had a working agreement with Global. Global didn't run cartoons if I recall, but had a low-budget, extremely funny parody-filled show I watched every weekend. It was called Second City Television.
A program that also got seen in the US too.

Of course, this was before cable TV channels which desperately needed material and my guess is that's how such dreck as Rocket Robin Hood or made its way into people's consciousness. About all I remember about it as a kid was I saw it in the TV listings and ignored it.Canada was also the first to get cable TV as early as the 50's I've read someplace, though the 'satellite' type channels didn't show up until much later as cable was more an excuse to get local/distant channels in over regular antenna reception. The local cable company in my town began in '66.

CelesteK

07-26-2009, 04:56 PM

Teletoon Retro, a Canadian digital tv channel, had it on recently but I don't know if they're going to have it back on again.

ecprod

08-24-2009, 10:28 AM

I personally like the narration by the wonderful voice of Bernard Cowan. Cowan was also the Prod/Dialogue Director on this and many many other productions. Paul Kligman passed away many years ago. Carl Banas is still with us.

Grantray-Lawrence wasn't a Canadian studio. Grant Simmons and Ray Patterson of MGM set it up in the '50s; the two of them had co-directed a couple of Avery-esque shorts at Universal, including Dig That Dog.

They did use good Canadian voice talent for Rocket Robin Hood, possibly the most inexcuseably bad cartoon in history, and Spider-Man. Paul Kligman's a personal favourite and Carl Banas was extremely talented (I imagine he's retired from radio now).

F. Fox
http://yowpyowp.blogspot.com

Fibber Fox

08-25-2009, 01:53 AM

I personally like the narration by the wonderful voice of Bernard Cowan. Cowan was also the Prod/Dialogue Director on this and many many other productions. Paul Kligman passed away many years ago. Carl Banas is still with us.

Thanks for the update, EC. I've always enjoyed Carl's character work; I'm not from Toronto so I never heard him on the radio.

Kligman worked as an actor on radio and elsewhere in Vancouver before heading to Toronto about 1947.

Bernard Cowan seemed to everywhere at one time, considering Front Page Challenge and the Wayne and Shuster specials. He always had such a pleasant, earnest read. Sounded like a nice guy.

As for Grantray-Lawrence, I note that Robert Lawrence Productions was founded in 1955 and in 1967 (according to Business Screen Magazine of that year) had an office at 38 Yorkville Ave. in Toronto. Under "recent productions", it mentions a couple of industrials, a few TV spots and a couple of films at Expo '67.

F. Fox
http://yowpyowp.blogspot.com

ecprod

08-25-2009, 10:04 AM

Kligman, Banas, Paul Soles, Billie Mae Richards, Alfie Scoop, Larry D. Man, Bernard Cowan (Dialogue Director, Voice Talent etc) worked on numerous production ie. Spiderman, Thor, Hulk, RRH, Kitzel, Return to Oz, of course Rudolph The Rednosed Reindeer etc.

Bernard Cowan was indeed everywhere in many capacities spanning 40+ years in the biz. Not only did he sound like a nice guy...He was.

Thanks for the update, EC. I've always enjoyed Carl's character work; I'm not from Toronto so I never heard him on the radio.

Kligman worked as an actor on radio and elsewhere in Vancouver before heading to Toronto about 1947.

Bernard Cowan seemed to everywhere at one time, considering Front Page Challenge and the Wayne and Shuster specials. He always had such a pleasant, earnest read. Sounded like a nice guy.

As for Grantray-Lawrence, I note that Robert Lawrence Productions was founded in 1955 and in 1967 (according to Business Screen Magazine of that year) had an office at 38 Yorkville Ave. in Toronto. Under "recent productions", it mentions a couple of industrials, a few TV spots and a couple of films at Expo '67.

F. Fox
http://yowpyowp.blogspot.com

stephane dumas

10-10-2009, 11:54 AM

I hope this thread isn't too old to be revived :sweat:

I spotted this info from a RRH mailing list, the planned RRH DVD should be available for November 17 according to TVshowsondvd
http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Rocket-Robin-Hood-New-Release-Date/12783
http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Rocket-Robin-Hood-Volume-1/12794

ecprod

10-13-2009, 10:39 AM

Yes, I have heard of this Cartoon. I enjoy very much listening to the narration. That voice of Bernard Cowan is one I can hear all day. He is terribly missed.

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/1104/rocket20robin20hood.jpg (http://img31.imageshack.us/i/rocket20robin20hood.jpg/)

A cartoon done in 1967 by the same Canadian studios who gived the 1967 Spider-man and 1966 Marvel Super-heroes cartoons. Rocket Robin Hood tells the story of a descendant of Robin Hood set in the 30th century. The first adventures looked like a classic Robin Hood tale however in the middle of the series, Ralph Bakshi was in charge of the series and did some transition to a more "Flashgordonesque" series and later more psychedelism in action, 2 of the psychedelic episodes plotlines was recycled into Spider-man episodes. So bad it was good to watch for some, RRH was in constant re-runs in some Canadian tv stations until the mid-1980s and recently aired on Teletoon Retro.

I guess the main favorite part was the character segments who shows us some of the characters, mainly Friar Tuck where we see him eating and eating until the Sheriff of N.O.T.T send 2 of his men who get bounced by the Friar's belly.
http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/5058/friartuckrocketrobinhoo.jpg (http://img31.imageshack.us/i/friartuckrocketrobinhoo.jpg/)

I wonder if some of you had heard a bit of this cartoon?

hobbyfan

10-14-2009, 09:05 AM

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/1104/rocket20robin20hood.jpg (http://img31.imageshack.us/i/rocket20robin20hood.jpg/)

A cartoon done in 1967 by the same Canadian studios who gived the 1967 Spider-man and 1966 Marvel Super-heroes cartoons. Rocket Robin Hood tells the story of a descendant of Robin Hood set in the 30th century. The first adventures looked like a classic Robin Hood tale however in the middle of the series, Ralph Bakshi was in charge of the series and did some transition to a more "Flashgordonesque" series and later more psychedelism in action, 2 of the psychedelic episodes plotlines was recycled into Spider-man episodes. So bad it was good to watch for some, RRH was in constant re-runs in some Canadian tv stations until the mid-1980s and recently aired on Teletoon Retro.

I wonder if some of you had heard a bit of this cartoon?

I have read of it, and have only seen the opening on YouTube. According to what I had previously read, Winston Sharples, musical director for Famous Studios (Popeye, Casper, et al) and King Features, also was the musical director for this series. I have never seen Rocket Robin Hood air in my area. We just weren't fortunate enough, I suppose.

Hmmm. Bakshi took RRH over as well as Spider-Man? If there's a DVD release, I may need to take a look.

Fibber Fox

10-15-2009, 10:21 AM

I have never seen Rocket Robin Hood air in my area. We just weren't fortunate enough, I suppose.

You haven't missed an awful lot. Other than I like some of the voice actors' work elsewhere, the series has no redeeming features at all. It is positively the nadir of '60s animation.

I doubt the actors working on it took it too seriously. The one that I almost managed to sit through had Robin's voice change halfway through the cartoon. I guess someone had to leave during a session so Bernard Cowan tossed in whoever else was convenient. Or maybe the dialogue was re-looped and someone was unavailable.

I like some things that are so bad, they're good. This isn't one of them.

F. Fox
http://yowpyowp.blogspot.com

ecprod

10-16-2009, 09:51 AM

The actors on that as well as the other Cartoons Bernard Cowan dialogue directed/produced always took the work seriously. Cowan would never toss someone in, in fact if needed, he would do the voice himself as he did on numerous occasions. Robins voice didn't change. Although it wasn't the "best" cartoon, Bernard Cowan's narration was a thing of beauty.

You haven't missed an awful lot. Other than I like some of the voice actors' work elsewhere, the series has no redeeming features at all. It is positively the nadir of '60s animation.

I doubt the actors working on it took it too seriously. The one that I almost managed to sit through had Robin's voice change halfway through the cartoon. I guess someone had to leave during a session so Bernard Cowan tossed in whoever else was convenient. Or maybe the dialogue was re-looped and someone was unavailable.

I like some things that are so bad, they're good. This isn't one of them.

F. Fox
http://yowpyowp.blogspot.com