Robin Hood at the Movies: 10 "The Son of Robin Hood", (1958).

 

Robin Hood has been dead for ten years. His son, Deering Hood, is living in Spain. Duke Del Roches is plotting to take the thrown. Baron Dorchester informs the aging men of Sherwood that Deering is coming back to England to stop Del Roches’ plan. Someone has informed Del Roches of their meeting. Their hut is surrounded, Dorchester is arrested, and Will Scarlet is killed.

The man assumed to be Deering Hood rows himself ashore in Liverpool. Once again Del Roches troops have been informed and are waiting. A swordfight ensues, during which he is suddenly assisted by a stranger who is knocked out during the fight. He carries the stranger to an inn, not realising that the body he is carrying is a girl. Little John visits, thinking the girl must be Deering Hood’s wife. However, it soon transpires that girl is actually Deering Hood, daughter of Robin Hood.

Little John takes her to Sherwood. They are attacked and she proves herself a capable fighter. But they keep her sex a secret, and let the man first thought to be Deering, use her name. That man, along with herself, then visit Del Roches to learn more of his plans. He also spends the night with another Lady, killing her husband in a subsequent dual. Deering tells him she understands about “sins of the flesh” but is obviously jealous. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any more complicated, the man ends up in a prison cell next to Dorchester, and reveals himself to be Dorchester’s brother, Jamie. Not long now until the swordfight finale kicks in.

There are some nice ideas in the movie: The tunnel under the castle (there are many in real life Nottingham), the Prioress informer, and the sight of a bald Alan A Dale on the torture ramp. June Laverick, as Deering Hood, Robin Hood’s daughter, is more deserving of the lead role than anyone else in the cast. A pity it wasn’t promoted that way.

Robin Hood Statues: 03 Edwinstowe.

 

The Robin Hood with Maid Marian statue, on Edwinstowe High Street, was sculpted by Neal Andrew in 1998, and funded by Nottinghamshire County Council. The two figures are “kneeling” to greet each other, holding hands. Has Robin just proposed? Did he hand her the flowers she is carrying?

It’s an excellent piece of work, the two characters dressed in appropriately simple clothing. Sadly, it was badly damaged when hit by a vehicle in 2020. Although it was restored, I see that today (November 2024) the hands are missing, and so the figures no longer touch. Hopefully this will be resolved soon.

Robin Hood Statues: 02 Thoresby Park.

 

The statue of Robin Hood in the courtyard at Thoresby Park, originally stood in front of Thoresby Hall’s entrance. When the Hall closed down as a tourist attraction, it became the subject of some vandalism and was moved to its current site.

It was sculpted in 1948 by Tussaud-Birt, no doubt an artist friend of Lady Manvers, owner of Thoresby Estate at the time, and a talented artist in her own right. In its prime it was one of my favourite Robin Hood statues, depicting a simply clad young Saxon man.

Sadly, over time, the elements have taken a toll. But it remains a popular attraction throughout the year, to those stopping by for coffee after their stroll around the park. This is especially so when the café staff dress Robin in accordance with significant current events, like Christmas, or even a World Cup.

Robin Hood at the Movies: 09 "The Men of Sherwood Forest", (1952).

 

King Richard is being held to ransom in Germany whilst Prince John is trying to usurp the throne. The film begins with a man in Sherwood Forest killed and robbed by outlaws. They take from him a silver model of a Saracen knight. Richard increases the reward for capturing Robin Hood, but Sir Saltire and Duke Moraine know that the silver Saracen is worth far more. Moraine wonders how he might contact Robin, just to get it.

Saltire and Moraine, in disguise, get Little John to take them to Robin Hood’s cave, where they reveal their true identity and inform him that the silver Saracen holds the secret to where King Richard is about to come ashore on his return to England. Robin agrees to help them. He soon locates the two outlaws who took the model, and who they did it for. Sir Guy of Belton is the mastermind, so Robin disguises himself as a minstrel to visit Belton Castle serenading one Lady Alys before the evening is out. Whilst they are suspicious of Robin he is kept captive. However, the message the silver Saracen holds is soon revealed. Lady Alys helps Robin escape (of course), sword fights and chases through the forest ensue, and many an arrow finds its target in the race to protect King Richard.

It’s a really good movie. Made by Hammer, it has a slightly darker feel than other Robin Hood movies of the era, in my opinion the best since Errol Flynn. A good script, with new ideas not repetitious of things gone before, and fine casting.

Robin Hood at the Movies: 07 “Tales of Robin Hood”, (1951).

 

The Earl of Chester, in his Loxley Castle, refuses to pay his taxes to the Norman overlord Sir Gui. (Correct spelling). To ensure the safety of his son, Robin, he puts him in the care of his servant Will Stutely, and sends them off to Sherwood Forest, exiting via a secret passage by the fireplace. (There’s always a secret passage). And the rest, as they say, is history.

The well know parts of the legend are here, such as Robin and Little John over the river, the Golden Arrow competition, and all the usual members of his merry gang. It is an enjoyable low-budget romp, in black and white, apparently originally intended for TV rather than a cinema audience. (A good colorized version is now in circulation).

Robin Hood at the Movies: 06 “Rogues of Sherwood Forest” 1950.

 

King John is out to prevent the Magna Carta. He knows The Earl of Huntingdon, son of Robin Hood, will oppose him. Huntingdon is soon to joust against Sir Baldrick at a festival, so the King has his armour tampered with, that Baldrick can kill him. The plan does not end well for Baldrick, and Huntingdon thinks Lady Marian, seated next to the King, must have known in advance of this attempt on his life.

King John is still angry about his past encounters with the original Robin Hood, and decides to punish his son, Huntingdon. Huntingdon, with Little John, returns to Nottingham and sees excessive taxes being collected. No better to reason for a swordfight. Robin and Little John are arrested and sentenced to hang. Lady Marian, recovered from her little spat with Robin a short while previous, helps them to escape, after which the King officially declares them to be outlaws with a price on their heads.

Lord Flanders, with all his troops, is after the reward. Robin realises he needs to regroup his father’s merry men. He finds Tuck eating, Alan A Dale serenading, and Scarlet in the stocks. If the viewing audience has any doubts about them being “merry men”, the “Hey Nonny No” song they sing as they go, plus the obligatory bouts of laughter, should put their concerns at rest.

Marian is persuaded to send Robin, via carrier pigeon, the details of each day’s tax collections. Robin himself tries to garner the support of a group of barons headed for a banquet with the King. They reject Robin, not knowing that the King plans to murder them all. One survives, and is able to provide troops to support Robin against Flanders’ army, after which King John is depicted signing the Magna Carta.

It’s a poor movie. If any of the cast were to win an award it would probably go to Marian’s carrier pigeon. The whole “son of” premise raises more questions than it answers. For example, if the original Earl of Huntingdon (mentioned but not seen in this movie), had this particular Son of Robin Hood with the original Marian (not mentioned at all herein), then isn’t it a bit of a stretch for this Robin to also meet a Lady Marian? Really?

Note: Alan Hale Snr also took the role of Little John once before in “The Adventures or Robin Hood” (1938). “Rogues of” would be his final movie.

Robin Hood at the Movies: 05 Prince of Thieves, 1948.

 

Sir Allan Claire and his sister Lady Marian are riding through Sherwood Forest. An assassin tries to kill Sir Alan. Robin Hood saves them, but still robs them of their money, until he learns they are friends of King Richard. Sir Allan Claire has come to Nottingham to marry Lady Christable, though she is already betrothed against her will to Baron Tristram, nephew of Prince John.

The assassin has survived and informs Tristram of their whereabouts. The obligatory sword fight follows, in which Robin throws the assassin out of an upstairs window. They then leave to support Allan in his attempt to save his Lady Christable, but the assassin has (of course) survived again and hears their plan, soon disclosing it to Tristram. Robin is then captured, until Lady Christable’s maid, Maude, sets him free.

Lady Marian and Maude go swimming. (Not the first time Marian’s done this in the movies). Marian herself is then captured, and Robin must surrender himself in exchange for her release. This he does and ends up on the scaffold. But the executioners are not what they seem, and the swordfights commence (any staircase will do), before no less than a triple wedding herald’s the finale.

The underlying storyline here is akin to the ancient legend of Robin Hood helping Alan A Dale save his sweetheart from an arranged marriage to an old nobleman.

Robin Hood at the Movies: 04 “The Bandit of Sherwood Forest”, (1946).

 

Robin Hood is now an older man, and has become the Earl of Huntingdon. Therefore it is his son Robert of Nottingham who will take up his father’s cause when Regent William of Pembroke, temporary guardian of the throne, threatens to revoke the Magna Carta. But first, Robin Hood must gather together his original merry men, who rally to his call in their hundreds, racing to his side on horseback, looking more like the 7th Cavalry than Sherwood Forest outlaws. Little John, Friar Tuck, Alan A Dale, and Will Scarlet are all present. (Maid Marian is not mentioned throughout the movie.) As a consequence, Robin, Earl of Huntingdon, is banished from his lands.

Pembroke takes the boy destined to be King, away from his mother the Queen, who in turn goes looking for Robin Hood to help her, with Lady Catherine Maitland at her side. They encounter Robert by a river, after catching him spying on Katherine in a state of undress, although she seems not to object too much to an almost instant kiss and cuddle from this complete stranger.

Their attempt to rescue the boy results in their capture. Robert, it seem, is not half the man his father Robin was. However, rather than hang him, Pembroke offers a duel to the death, the scenes for which deliberately echo those of Flynn and Rathbone, complete with shadows on the staircase, but not half as good.

This movie has not stood the test of time, although it was really successful at the box-office. Cornel Wilde’s hairpiece is so huge I was expecting it to be listed in the credits. On the other hand, Anita Louise is very good as Lady Catherine Maitland, possibly the first heroine in a Robin Hood movie to actively engage with the proceedings, fighting alongside the outlaws.

Robin Hood at the Movies: 03 “The Adventures of Robin Hood” (1938).

 

King Richard is taken prisoner during the Crusades. Prince John, with the help of Guy of Gisbourne, seizes the moment to take over his throne. In Sherwood Forest, Sir Robin of Loxley (already kitted up in his Lincoln Green costume!) saves Much from Gisbourne, when he is caught poaching the King’s deer.

Later, Marian, a Norman girl of high standing, is feasting with Prince John. Robin interrupts the proceedings with the dead King’s deer over his shoulders. Prince John announces he is taking over the throne from his brother Richard. That is the moment Robin decides on an outlaw life, and so the scene is set.

Little John and Friar Tuck are both recruited in the traditional river-crossing manner. Will Scarlet (wearing the reddest costume in movie history) was already a close friend. Marian, being a Norman, takes rather more persuasion. However, after the Golden Arrow competition leads to Robin Hood’s capture, it is Marian who will go to his rescue, an act which will see her locked up for treason.

A “stranger” comes to town in disguise (although the gold trimmings on his robe might be a clue!) It is, of course, King Richard. The King, Robin, and his men, descend on Nottingham, a battle which climaxes in the most famous duel to ever come out of Hollywood.

A huge commercial success, winning 3 Academy Awards, “The Adventures of Robin Hood” retains its popularity today. A colourful mix of action and romance. Perhaps a little too colourful for today’s tastes, and the speeded-up sequences are a little quaint, but the image of Errol Flynn as Robin Hood, persists.