Robin Hood in Hollywood
The English Folk Hero on Film
Aug 11, 2009 Jonathan Squirrell
The first recorded mention of the outlaw of Sherwood Forest is from a fifteenth century ballad, and it is hardly an exaggeration to say the Lincoln-green clad archer has been popular ever since. His adventures in keeping Olde England safe from tyranny while Richard the Lionheart crusaded in the Holy Land have passed beyond mere fiction to obtain a mythic status.
Robin Hood in the Movies
Given the enduring popularity of the character through ballads, and later in literature, Robin Hood was always likely to make it onto film But what might be surprising is how quickly it happened, and indeed how often it has happened since.
Robin’s first outing on the silver screen came in 1908, and another appearance followed four years later before a lavish million-dollar Douglas Fairbanks production in 1922, which was the first film to have a Hollywood premiere.
The Fairbanks version contains many of the elements we associate with the legend - King John usurping the throne from his illustrious, lion-hearted brother; Maid Marion as a love interest and plenty of derring-do from Robin and the Merry Men. The film is widely regarded as a classic, and earned a Medal of Honour for Fairbanks, who both directed and starred.
Errol Flynn - the Best ever Robin Hood?
Perhaps because of the long shadow cast by this version, it was not until 1938 that the story was filmed again. But The Adventures of Robin Hood, which starred the ultimate swash-buckler in Errol Flynn, must be considered worth the wait. The film won three academy awards, and was nominated for best picture.
Olivia de Havilland played a feisty Maid Marion, and arch-screen villain Basil Rathbone was suitably menacing as Guy of Gisbourne. But the film can probably thank a career-defining performance by Flynn for its place in the pantheon of great movies. A perfect lead, both as a romantic idol and a convincing hero, Flynn made the role of Robin Hood his own, and no actor has quite matched up to him since.
Robin Hood as a Fox, a Gangster, and an Old Man
The next few years saw little of Robin, perhaps because of a glut of war movies, but further films were released in 1946 and 1948. At least six versions followed in the 1950's, including one from Walt Disney studios. However the 1960's were barren for Hood in Hollywood, although two British films were released in that decade. The only American take on the outlaw was the 1964 Rat Pack musical Robin and the Seven Hoods, which transported many aspects of the legend to 1930's Chicago.
1973 saw Disney make a second attempt at creating a classic Robin story, this time using animation. The film features the clever conceit of portraying the characters as animals - a fox as Robin, a wolf as the Sherif and so on; comic performances from Peter Ustinov and Terry-Thomas as King John and his advisor, Sir Hiss; and an Oscar nominated soundtrack provided by country singer Roger Miller.
Another 1970's Robin Hood was Sean Connery, who featured alongside Audrey Hepburn in Robin and Marian in 1976. The fact that Connery played an elderly Robin, and the other most notable Hood’s of the last three decades were an animated fox and Frank Sinatra’s ‘Robbo’ illustrates exactly how hard it has proven to be to live up to the performance of Errol Flynn.
The 1980's produced some notable television adaptations, but little from Hollywood.
Kevin Costner Revives Robin Hood
Then, in the early 1990's came a rush of new interest. 1991 saw both Robin Hood, featuring Uma Thurman, and the big-budget blockbuster Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, starring Kevin Costner. Costner was at the height of his popularity following the acclaimed Dances With Wolves, and was part of an all-star cast including Morgan Freeman, Christian Slater, and a superb Alan Rickman. The film is also remembered for the Bryan Adams ballad ‘(Everything I do) I do it For You’ which was a massive hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Despite a mixed critical reception, the film has attained something of a cult status.
The Costner version, and many other elements of the legend, were mercilessly sent-up in 1993 by the master of spoofs Mel Brooks in Robin Hood: Men in Tights. But since then, the story has lain mostly dormant.
Ridley Scott and Russel Crowe Take on Robin Hood
In 2010 however we are due to be treated to an interpretation from celebrated director Ridley Scott, who has once again teamed up with Russell Crowe for a historical extravaganza. Their previous collaboration produced Gladiator, the multiple Oscar winning epic set during the Roman Empire. That film garnered praise for its style, set-pieces and scope, as well as for Scott and Crowe personally, but it also drew criticism for its factual inaccuracies.
Gladiatordepicted a warrior struggling for revenge on the aristocrats who betrayed him, and something similar might be expected of the forthcoming Robin Hood. It has already been revealed that Robin will be shown not as a nobleman but as an ordinary soldier, which is how he was portrayed in the early ballads. Whatever the exact plot details, the film is being eagerly anticipated, with fans of Scott, Crowe - and Robin Hood - all hoping for something memorable.
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