The Adventures of Robin Hood Reviews

When King Richard the Lion-Hearted (Ian Hunter) is captured by Austrians and held for ransom, evil Prince John (Claude Rains) declares himself ruler of England and makes no attempt to secure Richard's safe return. Though John has all the nobles and their armies on his side, it doesn't sway a lone knight, Robin Hood (Errol Flynn), who swears his allegiance to Richard and sets out to raise the ransom money by stealing from the caravans of the rich that cross through Sherwood Forest. Robin is aided by his lady love, Maid Marian (Olivia de Havilland), and his band of merry men, including Little John (Alan Hale) and Friar Tuck (Eugene Pallette), as he battles the false monarch and the villainous Sheriff of Nottingham (Melville Cooper) in his effort to return the throne to its rightful owner. This is one of the truly great adventure films of all time, and features a terrific performance by the perfectly cast Flynn. Handsome, dashing, and athletic, Flynn is everything that Robin Hood should be, with a wicked sense of humor to boot. His adversaries are all memorable villains, particularly Basil Rathbone as the conniving Sir Guy of Gisbourne. Rathbone spent many hours with a fencing instructor to prepare for his climactic duel with Flynn, one of the most exciting battles ever put on film. Only a spirited and extravagant production could do justice to the Robin Hood legend; this film is more than equal to the task. Korngold's score won a well-deserved Oscar, as did the editing and art direction.