Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Director:

Mel Brooks

Writers (WGA):

J.D. Shapiro (story) &
Evan Chandler (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

28 July 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

The legend had it coming... Find out where Robin Hood put his Little John, what made Will Scarlet, and what did Friar Tuck into his tights that Maid Marion all of a quiver?

Plot:

A spoof of Robin Hood in general, and 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves' in particular.

Plot Keywords:

Robin Hood | King Richard I | Archery | Spoof | Reference To Mark Twain

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Cary Elwes	...	Robin Hood
Richard Lewis	...	Prince John
Roger Rees	...	Sheriff of Rottingham
Amy Yasbeck	...	Marian
Mark Blankfield	...	Blinkin
Dave Chappelle	...	Ahchoo (as David Chappelle)
Isaac Hayes	...	Asneeze
Megan Cavanagh	...	Broomhilde
Eric Allan Kramer	...	Little John
Matthew Porretta	...	Will Scarlet O'Hara
Tracey Ullman	...	Latrine
Patrick Stewart	...	King Richard
Dom DeLuise	...	Don Giovanni
Dick Van Patten	...	The Abbot
Robert Ridgely	...	The Hangman
Mel Brooks	...	Rabbi Tuckman
Steve Tancora	...	Filthy Luca
Joe Dimmick	...	Dirty Ezio
Avery Schreiber	...	Tax Assessor
Chuck McCann	...	Villager
Brian George	...	Dungeon Maitre D'
Zitto Kazann	...	Head Saracen Guard
Richard Assad	...	Assistant Saracen Guard
Herman Poppe	...	Sheriff's Guard
Clive Revill	...	Fire Marshall
Joe Baker	...	Angry Villager
Carol Arthur	...	Complaining Villager
Kelly Jones Gabriele	...	Buxom Lass (as Kelly Jones)
Clement von Franckenstein	...	Royal Announcer (as Clement Von Franckenstein)
Corbin Allred	...	Young Lad
Chase Masterson	...	Giggling Court Lady
Don Lewis	...	Mime
Roger Owens	...	Peanut Vendor
Patrick Valenzuela	...	Lead Camel Jockey
Steffon	...	Sherwood Forest Rapper-Dancer
Dante Henderson	...	Sherwood Forest Rapper-Dancer
Bryant Baldwin	...	Sherwood Forest Rapper-Dancer
Diesko Boyland Jr.	...	Sherwood Forest Rapper-Dancer
Edgar Godineaux Jr.	...	Sherwood Forest Rapper-Dancer
Johnny Dean Harvey	...	Merry Men Dancer
Tyce Diorio	...	Merry Men Dancer (as Keith Diorio)
Joseph R. McKee	...	Merry Men Dancer
Nathan Prevost	...	Merry Men Dancer
Don Hesser	...	Merry Men Dancer
Bill Bohl	...	Merry Men Dancer
Christopher D. Childers	...	Merry Men Dancer (as Chris Childers)
Raymond Del Barrio	...	Merry Men Dancer
Malcolm Danare	...	Inept Archer
Edwin Hale	...	Inept Archer
Nick Jameson	...	Inept Archer
Peter Pitofsky	...	Inept Archer
Nicholas Rempel	...	Inept Archer
Rudy De Luca	...	Party Guest
Matthew Saks	...	Party Guest
Robin Shepard	...	Party Guest
Dee Gubin	...	Party Guest
Brad Grunberg	...	Wedding Guest (as Johnny Cocktails)
Lisa Cordray	...	Wedding Guest
Laurie Main	...	Wedding Guest
Elaine Ballace	...	Wedding Guest
Stuart Schreiber	...	Wedding Guest
James Van Patten	...	Villager
Ira Miller	...	Villager
David DeLuise	...	Villager
Lillian D'Arc	...	Villager
Patrick Brymer	...	Villager
Robert Noble	...	Villager
Henry Kaiser	...	Villager
Tony Tanner	...	Villager
Diana Chesney	...	Villager
James Glaser	...	Villager
Ronny Graham	...	Villager
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Debbie James	...	Marian (singing voice) (uncredited)
Danny McBride	...	Merry Man (uncredited)
Arthur Rubin	...	Robin Hood (singing voice) (uncredited)
Marc Ian Sklar	...	Merry Man (uncredited)
Tim Storms	...	Merry Man (uncredited)

Directed by
Mel Brooks

Writing credits (WGA)
J.D. Shapiro		(story) (as J. David Shapiro) &
Evan Chandler		(story)
Mel Brooks		(screenplay) &
Evan Chandler		(screenplay) &
J.D. Shapiro		(screenplay) (as J. David Shapiro)

Produced by
Mel Brooks	....	producer
Evan Chandler	....	associate producer
Peter Schindler	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Hummie Mann

Cinematography by
Michael D. O'Shea		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Stephen E. Rivkin

Casting by
Lindsay Chag		(as Lindsay D. Chag)
Bill Shepard

Production Design by
Roy Forge Smith

Art Direction by
Stephen Myles Berger

Set Decoration by
Ronald R. Reiss

Costume Design by
Dodie Shepard

Makeup Department
Thomas R. Burman	....	special makeup effects
Bari Dreiband-Burman	....	makeup department head
Todd McIntosh	....	makeup artist (as Todd A. McIntosh)
Carol Schwartz	....	makeup artist: Cary Elwes
Blake Shepard	....	makeup artist
Judith Tiedemann	....	hair stylist
Linle White	....	key hair stylist
Susan Zietlow-Maust	....	hair stylist
Everett Burrell	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Robert Latham Brown	....	executive in charge of production
Robert Latham Brown	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Suzanne Geiger	....	dga trainee (as Suzanne C. Geiger)
Gregg Goldstone	....	first assistant director
David McWhirter	....	dga trainee
Judith Moore	....	second second assistant director
Peter Schindler	....	second unit director
Kenneth J. Silverstein	....	second assistant director
Mark Tobey	....	additional second second assistant director

Art Department
Cate Bangs	....	senior set designer
Mark Boucher	....	set dresser
Nigel A. Boucher	....	set dresser
Dennis M. Brown	....	art department production assistant
Philip Calhoun	....	set dresser
Jennifer Dawson	....	assistant property master
Jacqueline English	....	art department coordinator (as Jacqueline C. English)
Christopher Gilman	....	props
David Goldstein	....	paint foreman
David M. Haber	....	senior set designer
Bruce Robert Hill	....	set designer
Terry Kempf	....	construction foreman
Al Kenders	....	stand-by painter
Glen Kennedy	....	assistant property master
Jonas Kirk	....	propmaker foreman (as C. Jonas Kirk)
Allen Lafferty	....	designer
Tim R. Lafferty	....	general construction foreman (as Tim Lafferty)
Carol Lavoie	....	set designer
Gary A. Lee	....	set designer
Charles R. Lipscomb	....	leadman (as Chuck Lipscomb)
Jack M. Marino	....	property master
Paul A. Minitello	....	paint foreman
Dave Newhouse	....	greens foreman (as David R. Newhouse)
Michael Sarley	....	storyboard artist
Terry Sheffield	....	drapery (as Terry A. Sheffield)
Karl Walser	....	construction foreman
W. Wayne Walser	....	construction coordinator
Larry Wise	....	supervising labor foreman

Sound Department
James Ashwill	....	foley mixer
Petra Bach	....	supervising adr editor
Joseph A. Brennan	....	stage engineer (as Joe Brennan)
Don Coufal	....	production sound
Robert Deschaine	....	adr mixer
Bryan Fowler	....	sound loader (as Brian Fowler)
Gary S. Gerlich	....	supervising sound editor
Gregory M. Gerlich	....	supervising sound editor
Nerses Gezalyan	....	foley recordist
Gary A. Hecker	....	foley artist (as Gary 'Wrecker' Hecker)
Gary Holland	....	production sound
David L. Horton Jr.	....	foley editor
William Jacobs	....	sound editor
David Jobe	....	adr recordist
Andy Kopetzky	....	sound editor
Bruce Lacey	....	sound editor
Gregg Landaker	....	sound re-recording mixer
Richard LeGrand Jr.	....	sound editor (as Richard M. LeGrand Jr.)
Mark 'Frito' Long	....	sound recordist
Steve Maslow	....	sound re-recording mixer
Christian P. Minkler	....	sound loader (as Chris Minkler)
Dan O'Connell	....	foley artist
Michelle Pleis	....	assistant sound editor (as Michelle Pleis-Stirber)
Kelly J. Quinn	....	assistant adr editor
Charleen Richards	....	adr mixer
Harry E. Snodgrass	....	sound designer
Greg Steele	....	adr recordist
Scott A. Tinsley	....	foley editor
Robert Ulrich	....	adr editor
Samuel Webb	....	assistant sound editor (as Samuel L. Webb)
Jeff Wexler	....	production sound
Donald C. Rogers	....	technical director of sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
R. Michael Bisetti	....	special effects
Terry Chapman	....	special effects (as Terry P. Chapman)
Joe Colwell	....	lab technician
Joe Colwell	....	sculptor
Roger Lifsey	....	special effects (as Roger W. Lifsey)
Mark Lilienthal	....	special effects (as Mark R. Lilienthal)
Larry Odien	....	special effects assistant
Richard Ratliff	....	special effects coordinator
Wayne Rose	....	special effects
Fred Tessaro	....	special effects
Gary Zink	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Mat Beck	....	visual effects supervisor
Syd Dutton	....	matte painter
Bill Taylor	....	matte painter

Stunts
Daniel W. Barringer	....	stunts (as Dan Barringer)
Blair Burrows	....	stunts
Brian Burrows	....	stunt coordinator
Robert Chapin	....	stunts
Erik Cord	....	stunts
Danny Costa	....	stunts
Kiante Elam	....	stunts
George Fisher	....	stunts
Lance Gilbert	....	stunts
Troy Gilbert	....	stunts
Larry Holt	....	stunts
Loren Janes	....	stunts
Robert Jauregui	....	stunts (as Robert J. Jauregui)
Clint Lilley	....	stunts
Bill Madden	....	stunts (as William James Madden)
John Phillip	....	stunts
Chuck Picerni Jr.	....	stunts (as Charles Picerni Jr.)
Steve Picerni	....	stunts
James Pratt	....	stunts (as Jim Pratt)
Philip Romano	....	stunts (as Philip J. Romano)
George Marshall Ruge	....	stunts
Ben Scott	....	stunts (as Ben R. Scott)
Paul G. Stalone	....	stunts
R.L. Tolbert	....	stunts (as R. L. Tolbert)
Dick Warlock	....	stunts (as Richard Warlock)
Ted White	....	stunts
Bob Yerkes	....	stunts
Robert G. Goodwin	....	archery stunts (uncredited)
Paul M. Lane	....	stunts (uncredited)
David LeBell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Scott Leva	....	stunts (uncredited)
Louis Roth	....	stunt fighter (uncredited)
Rob Sanchez	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tobe Sexton	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tim Weske	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Lloyd Ahern II	....	additional photographer
John Armstrong	....	generator operator
Michael J. Bailey	....	set lighting
Norm Berens	....	set lighting
David Canestro	....	second dolly grip (as Dave Canestro)
Michael A. Chavez	....	first assistant camera (as Michael Chavez)
James F. Cornick	....	rigging electrician
James M. Cox	....	best boy electric
James D. Doherty	....	grip
Jim Duggan	....	best boy rigging grip
Robert W. Duggan	....	rigging key grip (as Robert Duggan)
Jerry Enright	....	rigging gaffer
Michael Genne	....	camera operator
Adam Glick	....	set lighting technician
Martin Glover	....	film loader
Lindsay P. Hill	....	video tape operator
Albert Hood	....	electrician
Laszlo Horvath	....	grip
Robert Isenberg	....	still photographer
James E. Krattiger	....	set lighting (as James Krattiger)
Vincent Mata	....	second assistant camera
William T. McKane	....	set lighting
Ken Nishino	....	first assistant second camera (as Kenneth Kenny Nishino)
Sean J. O'Shea	....	second assistant camera
Thomas P. Powell	....	set lighting
Tom Prophet Jr.	....	key grip: second unit
Alberto S. Ramos	....	dolly grip (as Albert Ramos)
Richard Redlin	....	best boy grip
Scott M. Robinson	....	key grip
David Roth	....	first assistant camera
Steven H. Smith	....	second camera operator
Peter Sorel	....	still photographer
Gary Tandrow	....	gaffer

Casting Department
Arlane J. Crawford	....	casting assistant
Charlie Messenger	....	extras casting
Caryn Richmond	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles DeMuth	....	costume supervisor
Danielle Feller	....	set costumer
Christine Heinz	....	costume supervisor
Robert Q. Mathews	....	key costumer
Bob Moore Jr.	....	set costumer
Marcie Olivi	....	costumer
Andrea E. Weaver	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Dale Caldwell	....	color timer
Darren T. Holmes	....	associate editor
Gina Lombardo	....	assistant editor (as Gina Lombardo-Silano)
Ralph Tarr	....	color timer
Cynthia E. Thornton	....	assistant editor
Ewa Zbroniec	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Frank Bennett	....	additional orchestrations
Brad Dechter	....	orchestrator
Sandy DeCrescent	....	music contractor (as Sandy De Crescent)
Chris Ledesma	....	music editor
Steve Lively	....	vocal contractor
Brian L. McCarty	....	music supervisor
Don Nemitz	....	additional orchestrations
Rick Riccio	....	music mixer
Steven L. Smith	....	music preparation
Armin Steiner	....	scoring mixer
Gary Wasserman	....	assistant music editor

Transportation Department
John Armstrong	....	transportation captain
Jim Chesney	....	transportation coordinator
Charles Renfroe	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Julie Adams	....	dialogue coach
Chris Armstrong	....	production assistant
Ken Bellanca	....	assistant: Cary Elwes
William Bowling	....	location manager (as Bill Bowling)
Jeff Bye	....	assistant: Mel Brooks
Ron Chesney	....	production assistant
Christine Coates	....	assistant to producers
David Cohen	....	mold shop supervisor
Alyson Evans	....	production coordinator
Tessa Francis	....	assistant to producers
Lisann Gould	....	assistant to producers (as Lisann M. Karmiol)
Kristine Greco	....	script supervisor
Linden Johnson	....	post-production accountant (as Linden Wineland Johnson)
Saul Kahan	....	publicist
Steve Kornacki	....	assistant production coordinator
Peter Kuran	....	main title designer: VCE
Antoine Mascaro	....	chef
Jonas C. Matz	....	first aid
Tricia Miles	....	production assistant
Cindy Montoya-Picker	....	choreographer
John Moy	....	craft service (as John S. Moy)
Valerie O'Brien	....	clearance research
Kevin O'Neill	....	main title supervisor
Joshua Ornstein	....	assistant accountant (as Josh Ornstein)
Victor Paul	....	sword and fight coordinator
Cynthia Quan	....	production accountant
Corky Randall	....	wrangler ramrod
Marshall Schlom	....	script supervisor (as Marshall I. Schlom)
Kurt Valles	....	production assistant
Jack Verbois	....	archery master
Leah Zappy	....	production executive: Brooksfilms
Michael Mendelsohn	....	financial consultant (uncredited)
Lynnanne Zager	....	adr voice (uncredited)

Thanks
Frank Vacek	....	acknowledgment: ranch location (as Frank)
Vera Vacek	....	acknowledgment: ranch location

Production Companies

• Brooksfilms
• Gaumont (in association with)

Distributors

• Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International (1993) (USA) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1993) (USA) (theatrical) (released by) (as Twentieth Century Fox)
• Gaumont Buena Vista International (GBVI) (1993) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Film (1993) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films (1993) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2000) (Germany) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2000) (UK) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Falcon (Czech Republic)
• Fox Network (1996) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Fox Video (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Fox Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Gaumont Video (2007) (France) (DVD)
• Gaumont/Columbia TriStar Home Video (GCTHV) (1997) (France) (VHS)
• Manuel Salvador (Spain)
• Universal Pictures (2003) (UK) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Illusion Arts (matte paintings and patriot arrow effects)
• Dream Quest Images (visual effects by)
• Optic Nerve Studios (animatronics) (as Optic Nerve)

Other Companies

• Chapman Equipment  cranes and dollies (as Chapman)
• Cinema Research  titles and opticals (as Cinema Research Corporation)
• Deluxe  color by (as Deluxe®)
• Hollywood Rental Company  location lighting equipment (as Hollywood Rental Co., Inc.)
• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  this picture made under the jurisdiction of (as I.A.T.S.E.)
• Jo Anne Kane Music Services  music preparation (as Joann Kane Music Services)
• L.A. Mad Dogs  adr group (as L.A. MadDogs)
• Matthews Group  location lighting equipment
• Michelson Food Services  caterer
• Panavision  cameras and lenses (as Panavision®)
• Skywalker Sound  post-production services provided by (as Skywalker Sound a division of Lucas Digital Ltd.)
• VCE  main title design by
• Visiontrax Inc.  sound effects

Also Known As:

Sacré Robin des bois (France)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for off-color humor.

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

France | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Finland:K-7 (cinema release) (1994) | Iceland:L | Portugal:M/12 | Canada:G (Quebec) | South Korea:15 | Canada:PG (Ontario) (Canadian Home Video rating) | USA:PG-13 (Approval No. 32547) | South Africa:PG | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Germany:6 | Ireland:PG | Netherlands:AL | Norway:10 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

Brooksfilms

Trivia:

Dave Chappelle's screen debut.

Goofs:

Continuity: The "old man" disguise Robin wears to the archery contest vanishes after he takes it off.

Quotes:

Man in church: Hey Abbot!
Abbot: I hate that guy!

Movie Connections:

References The Court Jester (1955)

Soundtrack:

The Night Is Young And You're So Beautiful

Takes a real man to wear tights!

I remember when I first saw this movie. I was babysitting for a friend of my mums, and one of the kids suggested we watch it. Thinking it was the frankly laughable 'Prince of Thieves' they were slipping into the video recorder, I was prepared for a few hours of boredom, What I got came as a shock, a pleasant one I'll admit, but still a shock.

Now, you all know the Robin Hood legend don't you? I shall explain a little. Robin Hood was a Saxon criminal, nicking money here and there and giving it to people who needed it, all the while seducing the beautiful Maid Marion, and vexing the Sheriff of Nottingham and prince john. That's the basics! Now, on with the review.

This movie was released in 1993, and is a take off of the whole Robin Hood legend and a p--- take of Prince of Thieves in particular.

Loosely following the legend, Robin of Loxley is first encountered in an Arabic prison during the third century crusades, and together with a 'Moor' as they were called in those days, he executes a cunning escape with a cellmate, Asneeze.

After escaping, Asneeze beseeches Robin to find his son Atchoo, a foreign exchange student in England and look out for him. This Robin vows to do! Robin swims back to England.

He returns to his home, Loxley castle to find it being wheeled away on the back of the cart by Bailiffs, and goes through he sorrowful revelation that his father, dog, cat, and even the goldfish are all dead. Desperate for a familiar face, he finds the family's loyal blind servant Blinkin sitting on the toilet with a Jazz mag in Braille. The hilarity continues throughout the movie.

As with all Robin Hood stories, Robin must thwart the evil plans of Prince John and the sheriff of Rottingham, who are wreaking havoc and charging exorbitant taxes on King Richards's kingdom while he's away.

Those familiar with the movies Mel Brooks has previously directed will have some small idea of what to expect. After all, this is the man responsible for Dracula-dead and loving it and young Frankenstein. All the jokes, which range from visual gags to wonderful witty comments are in exactly the right places throughout the movie, with never more than a minute between laughs.

Cary Elwes (incidentally the only English man to play Robin Hood in a movie), who many of you will know from Princess Bride brings his cheeky grinning twinkle eyed presence to this movie, and does a wonderful job. From outlandish heroic posturing, to a wickedly sexy glance, he really is amazingly funny. And the man looks better in tights than I do!

Richard Lewis is hilarious as the whiny, arrogant Prince John with the ever-changing mole. He gets the sissy-boy behaviour down to a tee, and his whinging American vocalisations are great. All the way through the movie, a mole on his face constantly changes position: it starts on his left cheek, then over to his right cheek, then his chin, then his forehead, before going back to it's original place. This is a subtle joke based on the mole on Alan Rickman when he played the sheriff in Prince Of Thieves

Roger Rees as the sleazy sheriff of Rottingham is marvellously slimy and nasty, and has some great lines throughout the film.

There are some faces here you'll be familiar with from other Brooks films. For instance Robert Ridgely, playing the hangman in this film also played the hangman in Blazing Saddles, another film directed by Brooks. He likes to add subtle references to his earlier films too; with several in this film that die-hard Brooks fans will easily spot. Those who watched History of the World part 1 will recognise the music to the song 'Men in Tights'. Also, when Patrick Stewart arrives and snogs Marion, Mel himself (playing Rabbi Tuckman) utters the line 'it's good to be a king', one of his lines in History of the world.

The whole cast is wonderfully comedic, even those with only a few lines bring a great depth of warmth and humour to them

What makes this film so wonderfully warm and funny in my own opinion are all the improvised scenes. Although there was a script of sorts, some scenes were completely improvised by the actors themselves, such as the scene where Latrine (Tracey Ullman) prays for Rottingham in her bed, and he falls through the ceiling, landing right where she wanted him, which was totally devised and thought out by the two actors.

There are few special effects, and those that are there are small but fun moments of computerised camera trickery.

The soundtrack is memorable, with some very funny songs, and a couple of cheesy love songs. You'll be singing 'Men in tights' or at least humming it to yourself, for weeks.

The rating is Pg, to which I say BAH HUMBUG. There is no bad language in the film, except in the use of double entendre, and one utterance of sh!t, and violence is minimal. In fact I'd go as far as to say non-existent, apart from a few comedy fight scenes.

A great fun film that adults and children alike will enjoy!