Who was Robin Hood? There are many stories and songs about the character that originated the legend we all know about. Many modern versions of the story particularly movies make Robin a contemporary of Richard the Lionheart during the time of The Third Crusade (1189–1192). Many of the stories are interwoven with the stories of King Richard and his brother King John. There is little evidence of there been any truth to this, There are suggestions that if there was a Robin Hood he may have been around many years after this time possibly the mid 13th century. There are also huge discrepancies as to where he lived. All this suggest that there were probably several characters over many years whose activities where merged together for artistic licence. Whatever the truth Robin Hood has been the subject of many movies and with a new one staring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett and directed by Ridley Scott due out next year I thought I would look back at some previous films.
Robin Hood (1922) aka Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood: This silent movie is sometimes referred to as the original Robin Hood movie. It wasn’t actually the first, but it was the first on a large scale. Based on a screenplay by Douglas Fairbanks (under a pseudonym) who also producer and star. The production was huge costing a around a million dollars (average ticket prices at the time where around one fiftieth what they are today). The story follows what are now the norm with Robin joining King Richard the Lion-Heart on the Crusades leaving Prince John in to run the country. By modern standards the film (as with most silent films) looks very dated but is an interesting starting point.
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938): Making full use of its three-strip Technicolor photography the film is a riot of colour. For this reason the brightly coloured sets and costumes have been ridiculed imitated and spoofed ever since. Putting this aside it is a great film with a fantastic cast including: Errol Flynn as Robin Hood, Olivia de Havilland as Maid Marian, Basil Rathbone as Sir Guy of Gisbourne and Claude Rains as Prince John.
Robin Hood (1973) (Disney version) I wasn’t going to mention this one as I haven’t seen it since I was a kid and it didn’t originally spring to mind as a seminal Robin Hood movie but then I remembered that it is #10 on Ross McG’s Top 100 movies (form Ross v Ross ) so I thought I would throw it in. The film follows the traditional narrative that we associate with the myth and as Ross points out in his appraisal of the film “Maid Marian was a fox” nothing unusual there you may think but in this case she literally was Vulpine! According to Ross it is “the best damn cartoon ever made”. the costumes and are clearly inspired by The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), see above. Like so many Robin Hood films, not a classic but its good fun and far less offensive than most of Disney’s output.
Robin and Marian (1976): Long after the end of the crusades and following the death of Richard the Lion-Heart (Richard Harris), Robin Hood (Sean Connery) and Little John (Nicol Williamson) return home to England to find Maid Marian (Audrey Hepburn) has become a nun. Its not long before Robin is at odds with his old nemesis The Sheriff of Nottingham (Robert Shaw). Dealing with a much older Robin than we are used to creates a very different vibe to other movies and is worth seeing for that reason alone. The real reason to watch it is for the all star cast, especially Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn in the title roles.
Robin Hood (1991): Lost in the shadow of Kevin Costner, John Irvin’s 1991 movie has a real authentic feel to it. Concentrating on the relationship between the Normans and the Saxons this film tries to go back to the older legends that created the Robin Hood story. Robin is actually a Saxon noble Sir Robert Hode (Patrick Bergin) a real person of the era who may be the origin of Robin Hood. There is no Sheriff of Nottingham or Guy of Gisbourne, they are replaced by Sir Miles Folcanet (Jürgen Prochnow) and Baron Jeroen Krabbe (Roger Daguerre) respectively. Most of the other usual suspects are present including Maid Marian played by an excellent Uma Thurman. Edward Fox makes a small but memorable appearance as Prince John.
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991): Robin of Locksley (Kevin Costner) is an English nobleman returning home from the crusades along with a Moor, Azeem (Morgan Freeman) whose life, Robin saved In Jerusalem. The film then follows the usual predictable story of Robin fighting the injustice of the evil Sheriff of Nottingham. The film was hugely successful grossing more than eight times its budget. It has however been roundly criticised for Kevin Costner’s portrail of Robin with blond highlights and American accent. He actually does a decent job as a charismatic Robin but lets be honest the real reason to watch the film is for Alan Rickman and Michael Wincott as Sheriff of Nottingham and Guy of Gisborne. If you want to find a reason to criticize the film try its geography; Robin and Azeem appear to arrive in Dover, walk to Hadrian’s Wall before ending up in Locksley, all in a day.
Robin Hood on TV
Robin of Sherwood (1985-1986): Probably the best TV version of Robin Hood, Robin of Sherwood ran for 26 episodes over three series. Michael Praed played Robin of Loxley, for the third season he was replaced by Jason (son of Sean) Connery Robert of Huntingdon. This mirrors the suggestion that Robin Hood was more than one person. Combining realistic period setting s with a sense of realism and a hint of mysticism the program worker really well. Another notable member of the cast was Ray Winstone as Will Scarlet. The series came to a premature end for fanatical reasons.
So what can we expect from Ridley Scott? This may give you an idea:
Fandango Groovers Movie Blog 
Disney’s ‘not a classic’…hmmm, McG won’t be happy about that, Fandango.
I can’t believe that was Uma Thurman opposite Patrick Bergin! I haven’t seen that version in ages, alls I remember thinkin to myself was ‘this Maid Marian isn’t very attractive.’
Sorry Uma!
“I haven’t seen that version in ages”
I’m impressed you have seen it, I think that makes you me and about thirty other people!
Costner was my favorite, even though he didn’t speak with an English accent.
Come on, let’s not forget Men In Tights. 🙂
I don’t think it’s relevant to make another Robin Hood movie, but admittedly Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe?
They have my attention.
I think Robin Hood is always relevant. Look at some of the previous versions:
When he becomes Robin Hood, Fairbanks character removes the chain mail armour he wore as Huntingdon demonstrating hope and freedom, it is often suggested this is a subtext for the period of hope and prosperity that followed the first world war and preceded the great depression.
The adventures of Robin Hood was made in the build up to the Second World war and has a heavy subtext on the evil and tyranny of government. The robbing from the rich and giving to the poor isn’t an act of socialism, it is a by-product of Robins intention to restore a rightful and just King/Government.
The 1950’s TV show, not mentioned in my original article commented on McCarthyism
Ridley Scott has commented on the crusades before in Kingdom of Heaven and it wasn’t very favourable! I suspect the new film may have a subtext involving British and American foreign policy and the wars we are fighting at home and overseas. The trailer looks dark and dirty, reminiscent of the early scenes in Gladiator set in Germany, that could be interesting.
if Kev Costner wants to walk the length of Britain in a few hours then thats perfectly fine by me – Prince of Thieves is so fun he gets away with it
great post Fands, Disney version still the best: no way Crowe can grow a bushy tail.
will probably see the new version but it concerns me – Hood is supposed to be kind of dashing (even Costner had a certain charm) but it looks like this will be the Casino Royale of Robin movies, with Crowe grunting and punching lots of people
Even without the benefit of a bushy tale I think the Errol Flynn one was the best film!
the Errol Flynn one is just a different class, isnt it? i caught a bit of it on Five about a month ago, and it really remains spellbinding, arguably the greatest adventure film of all time
Great post! I cannot wait for Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood to come out as I think its going to take Robin Hood to a different place, compared to films we have been used to in the past.
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is still one of my favorite films.
Methinks you have left off one very important and seminal Robin Hood film: Mel Brooks’ “Robin Hood: Men in Tights.”
No? Oh, come on — it had that solo with Little John and Will “Scarlett” O’Hara singing:
“We’re men (manly men)
Men in tights — tights! — tights (switch to high falsetto)
We roam around the forest looking for fights”
You are probably right; however I must confess I have never seen it.
Andy, go watch Men In Tights. Certainly I would have assumed you got my reference earlier, but the briliant M. Carter addressed it as well.
It’s not that I don’t think the theme has relevance, it’s just been addressed so many times and so well, I’m just not sure threw this film is the way to extenuate the things that are happening relatively with wars and poverty. Can we take a new route.
Still, Ridely Scott and Russell Crowe? I’m sold.
P.S. I fucking LOVED Kingdom of Heaven
I got the English accent reference; I must have seen it in a clip or the trailer. I always felt Mel Brooks lost his way after Spaceballs. I will let you know once I have seen it.
Glad you liked Kingdom of Heaven, I really enjoyed it but most people I speak to either didn’t see it or didn’t like it.
WOW, I’m impressed with your thorough knowledge on RH. First James Bond, now THIS! 🙂 I’ve never heard of the 1976 version with ze Bond himself Mr. Connery AND Audrey Hepburn??! Boy I have to check that one out. I also didn’t know Mr Deranged Husband Patrick Bergin (Sleeping with the Enemy) played Robin once, too. On the TV section, you missed the BBC version of Robin Hood which I heard is quite good. I’ve only seen bits and pieces of it myself, mostly on account of the delightfully evil villain Guy of Gisbourne played by Richard Armitage. There’s reportedly a futuristic Robin Hood in the works also: http://wp.me/pxXPC-9X
In any case, with Crowe as Robin, I’m sure we will be entertained!
Unfortunately I missed the BBC series of intentionally as I didn’t like it, sorry!
Ah, I see. I haven’t seen the entire thing but from what I saw, I didn’t like the Robin guy at all. If anything they should just call it Guy of Gisbourne and focus on him, but that’s probably ’cause I like Richard playing him 🙂 Great post, fandango!
Sincerelly, I do like very much Russel Crowe. I consider himself one of the best actors of his generation. But I really do think that he wasn´t supposed to be choosed for this role. It looks like a continuation of GLADIATOR. It looks like that maximus had learn how to use archery. I dont´t know if any of you knows that Gibson had refused the role of Maximus cause he think that it was very similar to Wallace, and he was right on it. On the other hand, in despite Costner´s Robin has nineteen years old, it looks very actuall and well done (let´s forget the us english perfomed by kevin). I do like very much when the directors make new versions of old sucess, but I really think that they should wait a while fot the old movie became REALLY old, not only in years but in script, fotograph, actors, etc. I think Ridley Scott loosed a chance to had make a new version of BEN HUR (with Russel for sure) or, to use one example. Or it could have been made a movie to tell the storie of Julius Cesar (Kevin Spacey or Mel Gibson), Marc Anthony (Russel Crowe) and Cleopatra (Angelina Jolie or Kate Beckinsale).