Goode Knight

Name: Goode Knight
Director: Vernon Stallings
Genre: Animation
Released: 1934
Duration: 7 min

1934 Animation 7 minutes Directed by Vernon Stallings

About Goode Knight

Cubby the Bear plays Robin Hood in a cartoon that is sung rather than spoken. The opening song, “In the Days of Robin Hood,” warns that anyone who misbehaves will answer to him. He and his men set out to fool the sheriff and free the princess, and the action stops for an archery bit: ready, aim, fire.

Cast & crew

Vernon Stallings Director

More about Goode Knight

Vernon Stallings directed this Aesop’s Fables short for Amadee J. Van Beuren. RKO released it on February 16, 1934. The title card carries a 1933 copyright notice, “Passed by the National Board of Review,” and the Van Beuren name.

Themes

Robin Hood sung instead of spoken
a sheriff to be fooled
archery as the trick
Robin Hood
Cubby the Bear
sheriff
princess
archery
Aesop's Fables
musical cartoon

Making

Jayvee Enaguas, as The Harvett Vault, checked the copyright on July 10, 2022: a notice is on both parts of the opening card, Van Beuren registered the short, and RKO General filed no renewal in 1961 or 1962.

Music

Winston Sharples wrote the score. The short opens with “In the Days of Robin Hood,” and the rescue is sung: “We’re gonna fool the sheriff to save the princess.”

Preservation

Because the renewal was missed, the film has been public domain since January 1, 1963. Wikimedia Commons holds a restored raw HD WebM, and Thunderbean issued a Blu-ray restoration.

Notes

An IMDb review by Gblakelii says the opening frame reads “A Brownie Bear cartoon,” a later name for Cubby, and times one print at 7 minutes 10 seconds.
The same review says Maid Marian is in the short. The sung lines call her the princess.
A 2025 upload that uses Kyle Ashby’s original titles says the cast scroll and several gags sit close to Mickey’s Ye Olden Days (1933).
Steve Stanchfield’s Thunderbean restoration took the sound from a 16mm print.
RKO did not renew the copyright. The short entered the public domain on January 1, 1963.

Scenes

The cast sings the warning that Robin Hood will make the wicked sorry.
Cubby’s men call ready, aim, fire.
Someone yells impostor as the rescue turns into a chase.

Influenced by

Ye Olden Days (1933)

Also available

Wikimedia Commons (Vernon Stallings - Aesop's Fables - Goode Knight (1934) (restored raw HD version).webm)
Internet Archive (van-beurens-cubby-bear-the-complete-collection)
Thunderbean Blu-ray (Steve Stanchfield restoration)

Quotes

In the days of Robin Hood, everybody understood.

We're gonna fool the sheriff to save the princess!