The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
Starring: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, Claude Rains, Melville Cooper, Ian Hunter
Director: Michael Curtiz, William Keighley
Arguably Flynn's greatest role, this is the classic, swashbuckling, adventure, costume epic/spectacle about the infamous rebel outlaw and his band of merry men from Sherwood Forest who "robbed from the rich and gave to the poor." The charming Robin Hood (Flynn) fights for justice against the evil Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Rathbone), the villainous Sheriff of Nottingham (Cooper), and the scheming Prince John (Rains), while striving to win the hand of the beautiful Maid Marian (de Havilland) - and to save the English throne for King Richard (Hunter). This good-natured, extravagant adventure epic still packs romance, comedy, great sword play action, music, colorful characters and storybook fantasy. One of the earliest films to be shot in three-color Technicolor and, at the time, the most expensive film Warner Bros. had produced ($2 million). William Keighley started directing the film, but Curtiz finished the filming. Academy Award Nominations: 4, including Best Picture. Academy Awards: 3, including Best Interior Decoration, Best Original Score, Best Film Editing.
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I do not think it is the actor that makes this a classic. It is the story. People love to root for the underdog and what better underdog is there than Robin Hood and his merry men. My personal favorite is the Mel Brooks spoof Robin Hood Men in Tights starring Cary Elwes.
ReplyDeleteI watched this movie as a kid and I can remember laughing at the cheesey sets and oh so obvious plot line, but all in all I was just a kid television was just settling into the MTV generation and this was the only freakin movie on that rainy Saturday afternoon.
ReplyDeleteOld movies are classics. Joe is right, the actor doesn't make the movie a classic, the story makes it a classic. The actor, however, does help to bring the story alive. Ben, the sets may have been cheesey, but they didn't have the technology to make a film like they do today. Think about how much money they had to spend, $2,000,000. The cost to make a movie is so much more than that today. Robin Hood is a classic, look how many remakes of the movie have been made. I'm sure if you were born well before the MTV generation, you would have appreciated that film more. They went from black and white to being able to color. The color may not have been great compared to today, but who knew they how far it would advance.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what has been said here its not the actor its the story. I dont think i ever saw a real robin hood story ive only seen Robin Hood Men in Tights. I love that movie. But i know the story of Robin hood and ive read stories and it is a classic it a good story.
ReplyDeleteWell i agree with Joe...people love to root for the underdog and this may have been one of the first that actually gave the people what they wanted. This movie probably set a president for more to come that was influence what society was looking for.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what everyone is saying here. It is definitely the story that makes this movie a classic, not the actor. I have seen bits and pieces of various Robin Hoods, including the Men In Tights one, and while I couldn't tell you the name of a single actor in the movie... I definitely know the story. Cheering for the underdog is the same reason people love Rocky Balboa so much!
ReplyDeleteAlthough the costumes are a bit odd, the fight scenes are more real than today. The shots in the film are long so the fights had to be choreographed just right. These men were true athletes as well as great ACTORS. The films then also had a great moral behind them. It was usually obvious but that was part of the beauty of the film.
ReplyDeleteIs there seriously another story with as many spinoffs as Robin Hood? It's good to see the original get credit as a great movie, but sad to consider hollywood's lack of originality when this story has been retold a million different ways.
ReplyDeleteRobin Hood has become shorthand for a good-hearted bandit who steals from the rich to give to the poor. It is also a proverbial expression for somebody who takes other people's giveaways and gives them to people him or she knows who could use them. Their social status, as young men, was shown by their weapons; they use swords rather than quarterstaffs. He appears not so much as a revolt against societal standards as an embodiment of them, being generous, pious, and courteous, opposed to stingy, worldly, and churlish foes.
ReplyDeleteI'm fairly critical of movies, especially new movies which seem to rely on action and stunts to attract audiences. I would have to agree that many movies now a days lack a good storyline and believable actors. I'm a fan of classics, such as Jaws, One Flew Over the Coo Coo's Nest, Braveheart - which all have great story lines that allow you to connect and truely care about the charecters. However to label any movie as the greatest movie of all time.... It just can't be done.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great movie cantaing many appealing ffeature. It has the action makeing it interesting and adventurous and exciting. It has the love aspect to it which adds to the complexity and it also has some comical aspects making appealing on all levels to some extent
ReplyDeleteI havent watched this version of Robin Hood, but I am quite familiar with the story. The thing that draws people in is all of the factors you listed; great sword-play, romance, comedy, and the underdog story. I am going to go out and find this movie to watch it now, because I am curious to see this version! According to what I have read so far and what knowledge I have about the Robin Hood legend, I would say this qualifies as a cult-classic!
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