{"id":220,"date":"2026-01-05T09:15:04","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T09:15:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/?p=220"},"modified":"2026-01-05T09:15:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T09:15:16","slug":"11-facts-about-robin-hood-men-in-tights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/?p=220","title":{"rendered":"11 Facts About Robin Hood: Men In Tights"},"content":{"rendered":"<p id=\"inline-text-0\" class=\"mt-[18px] md:mt-0 mb-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">A charming spoof, Mel Brooks&#8217;s\u00a0<em>Robin Hood: Men in Tights<\/em>\u00a0introduced the world to Dave Chappelle and extolled the virtues of form-fitting legwear. Here\u2019s everything you need to know about the arrow-slinging comedy.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-1\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">1. MEL BROOKS HAD PREVIOUSLY WORKED ON A COMEDIC\u00a0<em>ROBIN HOOD<\/em>\u00a0TV SERIES.<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Robin hood When things were rotten theme tv 1975\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YO2Viv8dQJ4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>In 1974, Mel Brooks\u2019 smash-hit genre parodies\u00a0<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/54636\/11-things-you-might-not-know-about-blazing-saddles\" target=\"_self\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/54636\/11-things-you-might-not-know-about-blazing-saddles\">Blazing Saddles<\/a><\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/60650\/15-things-you-might-not-know-about-young-frankenstein\" target=\"_self\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/60650\/15-things-you-might-not-know-about-young-frankenstein\">Young Frankenstein<\/a><\/em>\u00a0became two of the highest grossing movies of the year\u2014with\u00a0<em>Blazing Saddles<\/em>\u00a0beating out\u00a0<em>The Towering Inferno<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<em>The Godfather: Part II<\/em>\u00a0for the top spot. Having secured a lasting career for himself in Hollywood, Brooks took a break from cinema so he could pursue a new TV project. The comic joined forces with Norman Stiles and John Boni to co-create ABC\u2019s\u00a0<em>When Things Were Rotten<\/em>, a fast-paced, gag-driven sitcom that put a satirical spin on\u00a0<em>Robin Hood<\/em>. Starring\u00a0<em>Get Smart\u00a0<\/em>alum Dick\u00a0Gautier in the lead role, the show relied heavily on anachronistic pop culture references; in one episode, for example, a character named Lord McDonald of the Golden Archers dons a T-shirt reading \u201cOver 1,000,000 Dispatched.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-4\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\"><em>When Things Were Rotten<\/em>\u00a0premiered on September 10, 1975. After three months of lackluster ratings and mixed reviews, the show was canceled just 13 episodes into its run. Brooks would, of course, take another stab at the legendary hero of Sherwood Forest when\u00a0<em>Robin Hood: Men in Tights<\/em>\u00a0was released 18 years later. Incidentally, that 1993 comedy starred a familiar face: Dick Van Patten, who plays an abbot in the film, had\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2013\/07\/21\/arts\/television\/borscht-belt-sherwood-forest.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2013\/07\/21\/arts\/television\/borscht-belt-sherwood-forest.html\" aria-label=\"portrayed - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">portrayed<\/a>\u00a0Friar Tuck in\u00a0<em>When Things Were Rotten<\/em><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-5\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">2. A DENTIST\u2019S KID INSPIRED THE MOVIE.<\/h2>\n<p id=\"inline-text-6\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">Despite its impressive showing at the box office, Kevin Costner\u2019s\u00a0<em>Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves<\/em>\u00a0(1991) didn\u2019t win universal praise. Many took issue with the movie\u2019s inconsistent tone and Costner\u2019s half-baked attempt at an English accent. When 11-year-old\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.afi.com\/members\/catalog\/DetailView.aspx?s=&amp;Movie=67294\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"http:\/\/www.afi.com\/members\/catalog\/DetailView.aspx?s=&amp;Movie=67294\" aria-label=\"Jordi Chandler - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">Jordi Chandler<\/a>\u00a0saw it, he told his father, Evan, that the flick deserved to be parodied. As it happened, Evan Chandler was a Beverly Hills dentist whose clientele included Hollywood screenwriter J. David Shapiro. During an appointment, the DDS pitched the idea of a\u00a0<em>Robin Hood<\/em>\u00a0spoof movie to Shapiro, who loved the concept. Together, they put together a screenplay that was later sold to\u2014and heavily revised by\u2014Brooks.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-7\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">3. MADELINE KAHN MIGHT\u2019VE PLAYED LATRINE.<\/h2>\n<p id=\"inline-text-8\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">Madeline Kahn made a name for herself by starring in several of Brooks&#8217;s comedies, including<em>\u00a0<\/em><em>Blazing Saddles<\/em>,\u00a0<em>Young Frankenstein<\/em>,\u00a0<em>High Anxiety,<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/81464\/11-facts-about-history-world-part-1\" target=\"_self\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/81464\/11-facts-about-history-world-part-1\" aria-label=\"H\" data-uw-rm-empty-ctrl=\"\"><em>H<\/em><em>istory of the World, Part 1<\/em><\/a>. Kahn\u2019s family has stated that she was offered the part of Latrine\u2014Prince John\u2019s manic soothsayer\u2014in\u00a0<em>Robin Hood: Men in Tights<\/em>, but\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=CvAaBwAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PT366&amp;dq=madeline+kahn&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjoz7_IscrQAhVBSyYKHbrbBTYQ6AEIHTAA#v=onepage&amp;q=robin%20hood&amp;f=false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=CvAaBwAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PT366&amp;dq=madeline+kahn&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjoz7_IscrQAhVBSyYKHbrbBTYQ6AEIHTAA#v=onepage&amp;q=robin%20hood&amp;f=false\" aria-label=\"turned - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">turned<\/a>\u00a0the role down over salary concerns. On the other hand, Brooks himself says he didn\u2019t cast Kahn because the character wouldn\u2019t receive much screen time. Regardless, Tracey Ullman ended up landing the part.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-9\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">4. SEAN CONNERY WANTED TO PORTRAY KING RICHARD\u2014IN WOMEN\u2019S CLOTHING.<\/h2>\n<p id=\"inline-text-11\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\"><em>Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves<\/em>\u00a0had an all-star cast that boasted Costner, Morgan Freeman, and Alan Rickman. Sean Connery also made a brief appearance as King Richard, a part he reportedly wanted to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=WM8ZEm2KRZoC&amp;pg=PA262&amp;dq=sean+connery+robin+hood:+men+in+tights&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiI_aT4gMvQAhVJNSYKHSyBBP4Q6AEIJzAC#v=onepage&amp;q=sean%20connery%20robin%20hood%3A%20men%20in%20tights&amp;f=false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=WM8ZEm2KRZoC&amp;pg=PA262&amp;dq=sean+connery+robin+hood:+men+in+tights&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiI_aT4gMvQAhVJNSYKHSyBBP4Q6AEIJzAC#v=onepage&amp;q=sean%20connery%20robin%20hood%3A%20men%20in%20tights&amp;f=false\" aria-label=\"reprise - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">reprise<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0<em>Men in Tights.<\/em>\u00a0According to James Robert Parish&#8217;s\u00a0<em>It&#8217;s Good to Be the King: The Seriously Funny Life of Mel Brooks<\/em>, Connery told the director \u201cthat he would repeat his role of the monarch\u2014but this time in drag. However, intriguing as this comic prospect was, he wanted a $1 million salary, which he planned to donate to Scottish charities.\u201d Unable to afford this king\u2019s ransom, Brooks cast Patrick Stewart instead. For better or for worse, the cross-dressing angle was scrapped entirely.<\/p>\n<div id=\"inarticle_d_19_6\" class=\"mm-slot-content\">\n<div id=\"inarticle_d_19_6_slot0\" data-gpid=\"23162276296\/mentalfloss\/all\/mentalfloss.com\/inarticle_d_3\" data-google-query-id=\"CNPF7byH9JEDFU686QUde40mwg\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_23162276296\/mentalfloss\/all\/mentalfloss.com\/inarticle_d_2__container__\">\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-12\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">5. BROOKS WROTE THE LYRICS TO ALL OF THE ORIGINAL SONGS.<\/h2>\n<p id=\"inline-text-13\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">From\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/80238\/12-outrageous-facts-about-producers\" target=\"_self\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/80238\/12-outrageous-facts-about-producers\" aria-label=\"The Producers\" data-uw-rm-empty-ctrl=\"\"><em>The Producers<\/em><\/a>&#8216;s \u201cSpringtime for Hitler\u201d to a Sinatra-esque lounge number in\u00a0<em>High Anxiety<\/em>, Brooks\u2019s comedies are loaded with\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2001\/04\/15\/theater\/springtime-for-the-music-man-in-me.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2001\/04\/15\/theater\/springtime-for-the-music-man-in-me.html\" aria-label=\"songs - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">songs<\/a>\u00a0that the filmmaker either wrote or co-wrote himself.\u00a0<em>Robin Hood: Men in Tights<\/em>\u00a0continued this musical tradition. The legendary director penned the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.afi.com\/members\/catalog\/DetailView.aspx?s=&amp;Movie=67294\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"http:\/\/www.afi.com\/members\/catalog\/DetailView.aspx?s=&amp;Movie=67294\" aria-label=\"lyrics - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">lyrics<\/a>\u00a0for Maid Marian\u2019s song, the titular \u201cMen in Tights\u201d number, and both versions of the &#8220;Sherwood Forest Rap.&#8221; Meanwhile, their melodies were provided by composer Hummie Mann. However, neither man can take any credit for \u201cThe Night is Young and You\u2019re So Beautiful,\u201d which Robin (Cary Elwes) belts out during a romantic scene with Marian (Amy Yasbeck). Famously covered by Dean Martin, that amorous ballad was written way back in 1937 by Dana Suesse, Billy Rose, and Irving Kahal.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-14\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">6. WHEN BROOKS FIRST REACHED OUT TO CARY ELWES ABOUT PLAYING ROBIN HOOD, THE ACTOR ASSUMED HE WAS BEING PRANKED.<\/h2>\n<p id=\"inline-text-15\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">Early on in the\u00a0<em>Men in Tights<\/em>\u00a0casting process, Brooks called Elwes at his home to discuss the project. &#8220;He actually called me at home and I thought someone was pulling my leg so I hung up on him,&#8221; Elwes\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/books-comics\/cary-elwes\/32780\/cary-elwes-interview-the-princess-bride-as-you-wish\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"http:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/books-comics\/cary-elwes\/32780\/cary-elwes-interview-the-princess-bride-as-you-wish\" aria-label=\"told - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">told<\/a>\u00a0Den of Geek in 2014. &#8220;He called back and he said &#8216;don\u2019t hang up, it\u2019s really me!&#8217; I apologized, but I couldn\u2019t believe he was calling me.&#8221; In short order, Elwes was cast as the film\u2019s hero. Once he came aboard, Elwes helped Brooks choose an actor to play Ahchoo, Robin\u2019s sidekick. In the end, the part went to an unknown 19-year-old comedian named Dave Chappelle. \u201cWe actually cast [him] together,\u201d Elwes\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6_hfA3MMVrs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" aria-label=\"recalled - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">recalled<\/a>. \u201cWe saw a lot of actors and when Dave came in, he was just so amazing and we knew right then and there [that] this guy was a star.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-16\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">7. IT SHARED A FILMING LOCATION WITH TWO OTHER WELL-KNOWN ROBIN HOOD MOVIES.<\/h2>\n<p id=\"inline-text-17\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">A body of water in Southern California\u2019s Santa Monica mountains that was formerly known as Lake Canterbury was renamed\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/articles.latimes.com\/2007\/oct\/21\/realestate\/re-guide21\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"http:\/\/articles.latimes.com\/2007\/oct\/21\/realestate\/re-guide21\" aria-label=\"Lake Sherwood - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">Lake Sherwood<\/a>\u00a0in 1921, when a\u00a0<em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.silentera.com\/PSFL\/data\/R\/RobinHood1922.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"http:\/\/www.silentera.com\/PSFL\/data\/R\/RobinHood1922.html\" aria-label=\"Robin Hood - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">Robin Hood<\/a><\/em>\u00a0movie starring Douglas Fairbanks shot a few scenes on its shores. Subsequently, this same lake was utilized as a backdrop for certain outdoor sequences in 1938\u2019s\u00a0<em>The Adventures of Robin Hood,<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<em>Robin Hood: Men in Tights<\/em>\u00a0did some filming there\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/articles.chicagotribune.com\/1992-10-01\/features\/9203290474_1_tights-kevin-costner-robin-hood-sherwood-forest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"http:\/\/articles.chicagotribune.com\/1992-10-01\/features\/9203290474_1_tights-kevin-costner-robin-hood-sherwood-forest\" aria-label=\"as well - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">as well<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-18\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">8. THE ACTORS ATTENDED A SWORDPLAY BOOT CAMP.<\/h2>\n<p id=\"inline-text-19\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">\u201cIf you put the name Robin Hood on a marquee, then it\u2019s incumbent upon you\u2014nay, it behooves you\u2014to have horses and sword fighting,\u201d Brooks declared in the HBO making-of documentary\u00a0<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=u1HjAqC1ByI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" aria-label=\"Robin Hood: Men in Tights: The Legend Had it Coming - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">Robin Hood: Men in Tights: The Legend Had it Coming<\/a><\/em><em>.\u00a0<\/em>\u201cThe actors came in every weekend and they worked Saturdays and Sundays just on their sword fights,\u201d Brooks said. These sessions were overseen by fencing coordinator\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=10dXAwAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PA216&amp;lpg=PA216&amp;dq=victor+paul+fencing&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=Zcds4PyGY4&amp;sig=fCE_l3Yk1ylV6k1Gc7spIXaIWiE&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwidnK6cj8vQAhUE4CYKHXEjAy8Q6AEINjAF#v=onepage&amp;q=victor%20paul%20fencing&amp;f=false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=10dXAwAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PA216&amp;lpg=PA216&amp;dq=victor+paul+fencing&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=Zcds4PyGY4&amp;sig=fCE_l3Yk1ylV6k1Gc7spIXaIWiE&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwidnK6cj8vQAhUE4CYKHXEjAy8Q6AEINjAF#v=onepage&amp;q=victor%20paul%20fencing&amp;f=false\" aria-label=\"Victor Paul - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">Victor Paul<\/a>, who also did stunt work on big-budget action films like\u00a0<em>Die Hard<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<em>Armageddon<\/em>. The bladed weapon specialist found that Elwes was particularly easy to train because\u00a0<em>The Princess Bride<\/em>\u00a0star already had plenty of fencing experience under his belt. \u201cAll I had to do was teach him the routines, he knew how to fence,\u201d Paul said in the documentary.<\/p>\n<p>However, Elwes wasn\u2019t quite as adept at archery. Right before the training montage, we see Robin hit a bull&#8217;s-eye from a few yards away while his merry men look on. At the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QZItkg1Npbo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" aria-label=\"2013 Motor City Comic Con - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">2013 Motor City Comic Con<\/a>, Elwes shed some light on the scene\u2014which turned out to be a rather triumphant moment for him. \u201cI was quite proud of the fact that I got a bull&#8217;s-eye shooting the bow and arrow because there was a lot of pressure from Mel to get that in a few takes. He said \u2018Okay, you\u2019ve got three takes. Get a bull&#8217;s-eye, let\u2019s go!,'&#8221; Elwes shared during a Q&amp;A session. \u201cAnd I\u2019m like \u2018Really, Mel? I\u2019ve only got three? Really?\u2019 And I got it on the third one, thank god.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-21\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">9. LATE IN THE SHOOT, RICHARD LEWIS CAME DOWN WITH A 106-DEGREE FEVER.<\/h2>\n<p id=\"inline-text-22\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">Richard Lewis, who played the neurotic Prince John, opened up about his experiences on the set in a 2013 PBS documentary titled\u00a0<em>Mel Brooks: Make a Noise<\/em>. Apparently, as production came to a close, Lewis\u2019s health took a sharp turn for the worse. \u201cI was almost done with the film, I had one scene left, [and then] I got Hepatitis A,\u201d the actor recalled. Stricken with a\u00a0106-degree\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.wsj.com\/speakeasy\/2013\/05\/17\/mel-brookss-career-goal-was-to-please-himself\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"http:\/\/blogs.wsj.com\/speakeasy\/2013\/05\/17\/mel-brookss-career-goal-was-to-please-himself\/\" aria-label=\"fever - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">fever<\/a>, Lewis was hospitalized. Amazingly though, this development didn\u2019t stop Brooks from trying to complete his villain\u2019s final scene on schedule.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-23\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">Completely undeterred, the director called Lewis\u2019s hospital room and announced an elaborate plan to lay Lewis in a stretcher, drive him to the set, and prop the immobilized performer up against some wood so that he could deliver a pair of lines. \u201cYou\u2019ll do your two lines, we\u2019ll carry you right back into the stretch, you\u2019ll be back [at the hospital] in 20 minutes,\u201d Brooks told him. \u201cMel,\u201d a weary Lewis responded, \u201cI\u2019m dying. I think I\u2019m dying. I have a 106 fever. I\u2019m jaundiced.\u201d He then hung up on Brooks, who proceeded to call him back \u201cabout 15 times with the same riff\u201d in Lewis\u2019s estimation.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-24\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">10. THE MOVIE MADE GENE SISKEL\u2019S \u201cWORST OF &#8217;93\u201d LIST.<\/h2>\n<p id=\"inline-text-25\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">When it came to the film critics, &#8220;most of them reamed it,\u201d according to Lewis. \u201cIt was disappointing.\u201d Leading the chorus of derision was Gene Siskel, who counted\u00a0<em>Robin Hood: Men in Tights<\/em>\u00a0among his\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/siskelandebert.org\/video\/NN1N7RNMA55G\/The-Worst-of-1993\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"http:\/\/siskelandebert.org\/video\/NN1N7RNMA55G\/The-Worst-of-1993\" aria-label=\"worst films - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">worst films<\/a>\u00a0of 1993. \u201cMovie comedy, I think, is threatening to pass Mel Brooks by,\u201d the late critic opined. \u201cWhen comedies don\u2019t work and everybody in the audience knows it, that is about as low as it gets &#8230; [Brooks] has clearly lost his way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-26\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">Still, like many of Brooks\u2019s later pictures,\u00a0<em>Robin Hood: Men in Tights<\/em>\u00a0has slowly developed a cult following over the years. It has even received some faint praise from a more contemporary Robin Hood: In 2016, Russell Crowe\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/people.com\/movies\/russell-crowe-picks-on-robin-hoods-of-the-past\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"http:\/\/people.com\/movies\/russell-crowe-picks-on-robin-hoods-of-the-past\/\" aria-label=\"called - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">called<\/a>\u00a0<em>Men in Tights<\/em>\u00a0\u201cthe most entertaining version\u201d of the heroic character\u2019s timeless story.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-27\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">11. JACK BLACK ONCE SERENADED BROOKS WITH A RENDITION OF THE FILM&#8217;S THEME SONG.<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"MEL BROOKS - A MUSICAL TRIBUTE (ALL IN ONE VIDEO)\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/R7BLrVTouG8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Along with Bruce Springsteen, Dave Brubeck, Robert De Niro, and opera singer Grace Bumby, Brooks was named one of the 2009 Kennedy Center honorees. When asked to comment on this development, Brooks told\u00a0<em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/wp-dyn\/content\/article\/2009\/12\/04\/AR2009120400074.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/wp-dyn\/content\/article\/2009\/12\/04\/AR2009120400074.html\" aria-label=\"The Washington Post - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">The Washington Post<\/a><\/em>, \u201cI hope you never find my award on eBay, because you never know &#8230; You run out of cash and wherewithal.\u201d Seated near President Barack Obama and the First Lady, Brooks was presented with a medley of his unforgettable songs. Among other acts, this star-studded revue featured Martin Short\u2019s take on the\u00a0<em>Blazing Saddles<\/em>\u00a0theme while Richard Kind led a jazzy rendition of the Spanish Inquisition number from\u00a0<em>History of The World, Part 1<\/em>. Jack Black also took the stage in full Robin Hood regalia to lead a chorus in singing \u201cMen in Tights.\u201d All the while, a gleeful Brooks could be seen mouthing the lyrics to every song from the audience.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A charming spoof, Mel Brooks&#8217;s\u00a0Robin Hood: Men in Tights\u00a0introduced the world to Dave Chappelle and extolled the virtues of form-fitting legwear. Here\u2019s everything you need to know about the arrow-slinging comedy. 1. MEL BROOKS HAD PREVIOUSLY WORKED ON A COMEDIC\u00a0ROBIN HOOD\u00a0TV SERIES. In 1974, Mel Brooks\u2019 smash-hit genre parodies\u00a0Blazing Saddles\u00a0and\u00a0Young Frankenstein\u00a0became two of the highest [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":221,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/220","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=220"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/220\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":222,"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/220\/revisions\/222"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/221"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=220"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}