“Underneath this little stone
Lies Robert Earl of Huntington;
No other archer was so good –
And people called him Robin Hood.
Such outlaws as he and his men
Will England never see again.”
― Roger Lancelyn Green, The Adventures of Robin Hood
There is a wretched current movie retelling the tale of Robin Hood and getting well-earned dismal reviews. The above modern trailer for The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) gives us an idea of the type of swashbuckling entertainment the film industry was capable of eight decades ago. Someone will eventually realize that the formula, witty dialogue, good values, good guys, bad guys, romance, some humor and lots of well-staged action, still will work with audiences, and that man or woman will become very rich indeed.
It’s weird; they keep making new ‘Robin Hoods’ with this exact same stupid “dark and edgy realism” approach, and it keeps failing. Yet they never think to just imitate the film that’s still packing in audiences eighty years after it was made.
Don
Truly 1938 version was a great Movie!
But a sad note to the story. The Archvillain, Prince John, universally considered to be a true sociopath, became King John I called the Softsword, of Magna Carta fame, on the death of his Brother King Richard I called the Lion hearted. I do not think that Robin and Marian lived happily ever after for very long.
Use to be Hollywood cared diddley about historical accuracy but they made great movies. Now they don’t do either
Funny. I just watched this movie with my kids last night. Watched the 1952 Ivanhoe the night before that.
There was plenty of resistance to John Lackland’s reign Hank, that culminated in Magna Carta which John reluctantly signed a few months before his death. An historical Robin and Marian would not have lacked for baronial support for their war against King John the Worst, the Barons being in open revolt at the time of John’s death in October of 1216.
Preferred version:
I recently read a history book on Louis VII of France. Apropos, from Britannia.com: “In 1216, after the barons rebelling against King John of England had offered the English throne to Louis in return for his aid, Louis went to England to aid the rebels. Initially he was successful, but eventually he was defeated at sea and suffered defections. In 1217, when peace was concluded at Kingston, Louis was secretly paid 10,000 marks.”
Ivanhoe, Robin Hood, Knights of the Round Table, Prince Valiant, Zorro, Captains Courageous – old movies that one could watch with their parents and with their kids. In other words family entertainment. That is why TCM is still in business.
At 4 PM (NYC time) TCM is airing “Gunga Din.”
Bonus question from the movie: What song are the Scottish troops singing as they march?
King Solomon’s Mines (the good one, w/ Deborah Kerr & Stewart Granger) was on before that. Robin & Marian is on now.
It’s been a good afternoon (for me) at the in-laws.