Posted on 05/13/2008 6:29:13 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, from a screen play by Norman Reilly Raine and Seton I. Miller fashioned after the Robin Hood legends; musical score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold; directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley; a Warner Brothers production. At the Radio City Music Hall.
Robin Hood - - - Errol Flynn
Maid Marion - - - Olivia de Haviland
Sir Guy Gisbourne - - - Basil Rathbone
Prince John - - - Claude Rains
Richard the Lion-Hearted - - - Ian Hunter
Friar Tuck - - - Eugene Pallette
Little John - - - Alan Hale
High Sheriff of Nottingham - - - Melville Cooper
Will Scarlett - - - Patric Knowles
Much, the Miller’s Son - - - Herbert Mundin
Bess - - - Una O’Connor
Bishop of Black Canon - - - Montagu Love
Sir Ralf - - - Robert Noble
Sir Geoffrey - - - Robert Warwick
Sir Ivor - - - Lester Matthews
Captain of Archers - - - Howard Hill
Sir Essex - - - Leonard Willey
Sir Mortimer - - - Kenneth Hunter
Sir Baldwin - - - Colin Kenny
Dickon Malbete - - - Harry Cording
Tavern Propietor - - - Ivan Simpson
Life and the movies have their compensations and such a film as “The Adventures of Robin Hood,” which the Warners brought into the Music Hall Yesterday, is payment in full for many dull hours of picture-going. A richly produced, bravely bedecked, romantic and colorful show, it leaps boldly to the forefront of this year’s best and can be calculated to rejoice the eights, rejuvenate the eighties and delight those in between
Few storybooks have been more brilliantly brought to life, page for page, chapter for chapter, derring-do for derring-do than this full-colored recounting of the fabulous deeds of legend’s arch-archer, Sir Robin of Locksley. In Errol Flynn, Sir Robin of Sherwood Forest has found his man, a swashbuckler from peaked cap to pointed toe, defiant of his enemies and England’s, graciously impudent with his lady love, quick for a fight or a frolic. Mr. Flynn is not the acrobatic Robin Douglas Fairbanks was some years ago. He doesn’t slide down tapestries or vault his balustrades with the Fairbanks pere’s abandon. But he moves swiftly when there’s need and Guy of Gisbourne rues it.
Ay, and so do the Sheriff of Nottingham, that caitiff rogue, and Prince John whose Norman dogs are growling over Saxon bones while Lionhearted Richard is captive of Leopold of Austria. Fortunate for England it was that Sir Robin became Robin Hood, the outlaw, and banded his merry men in Sherwood and robbed the rich to give to the poor. And fortunate for the Maid Marian was it to find such a wooer to free her from black-browed Sir Guy. And still more fortunate it was that Richard came home again, as John was seizing the throne, to acknowledge the men in Lincoln green, drive out the traitors and celebrate the triumph of the grey goose shaft.
For here, romantics, is a tale of high adventure, wherein blood is spilled and arrows fly, villains scowl and heroes smile, swords are flashed and traitors die - a tale of action, pageantry, brave words and comic byplay. Norman Reilly Raine and Seton I. Miller have studied their legend well and written of it knowingly. Michael Curtiz and William Keighley have kept that flavor in their direction, giving the action its head, turning their eye-pleasing Technicolor cameras upon the brightest episodes in Robin’s bold career.
Nor can we find a fault with the cast. Friar Tuck, that gallant trencherman, has Eugene Pallette’s gusty presence. Little John, who thwacked Robin’s pate with the quarter-staff, is Alan Hale, and happily, Maid Marian has the grace to suit Olivia de Haviland. Much-the-Miller’s Son has fallen to Herbert Mundin. And, on the side of villainy, we have such foilsports as Basil Rathbone as Guy of Gisbourne, Claude Rains as the treacherous Prince John, Melville Cooper as the blustering High Sheriff, Montague Love as the evil Bishop of Black Canon, Deep-dyed they are, and how the children’s matinee’s will hiss them! We couldn’t. We enjoyed them all too much.
Do you like gladiator movies?............
Great movie, although the scene where Lady Marian visits Sherwood and Robin’s men are dancing in the background looks like they’re all queer.
Could they even make a movie like that today - where a kind, noble, good and brave king returns from fighting the Crusades...
Later known as the Skipper on Gilligan’s Island.
'Robin Hood' was nominated for Best Picture. Did not win. It did win three academy awards: art direction, film editing and original musical score.
In like Flynn? yikes.
Yes, but it would have to be a crusade against Lord Sauron.
Nice review.
These days 50% of reviewers would make some half-assed argument about ‘insurgents wearing Lincoln green’, or try some broke-back shite about Little John being gay, or otherwise force their lefty agenda on their readers.
So this was a treat, thanks Homer.
Alan Hale JUNJIOR was the Skipper.
I think you meant "father of the man (Alan Hale, Jr) who played the skipper on Gilligan's Island".
Errol Flynn was gorgeous. Period.
He epitomizes the moniker Movie Star.
His personal life was ten times more interesting than any of his films.
I used to watch this movie for Olivia de Havillands costumes.
the music is great! Korngold!
Thanks for posting.
>>Little John – Alan Hale
Later known as the Skipper on Gilligan’s Island.<<
I thought Alan Hale Jr. was the skipper.
I did love this movie. “Welcome to Sherwood m’lady!”
(I liked when Bugs Bunny did it too!)
Thanks for posting.
Chico, California was the setting for much of Sherwood Forest in that movie. When I was going to school up there, we celebrated Robin Hood Days just before classes began in the summer. There was triva, movie showings, and the frat houses recreated scenes from the show for bragging rights.
Ahhhh, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Robin Hood...
Good Times....
Actually, he was the Skipper’s dad.
I guess the skipper wasn’t as well-preserved as I thought. Alan Senior was Little John. Alan Junior was the skipper.
Flynn wrote a book about his exploits, “My Wicked, Wicked Ways.”
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