Based on the 1898 novel "When Knighthood Was in Flower" by Charles Major, it was originally made into a motion picture in 1908 and again in 1922 as "When Knighthood Was in Flower". The 1953 Disney version was adapted for the screen by Lawrence Edward Watkin. The film was shot at Denham Film Studios and was the third of Disney's British productions after "Treasure Island" (1950) and "The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men" (1952). In 1956, it was broadcast on American television in two parts under the original book title.