The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Directors:

Michael Curtiz
William Keighley

Writers:

Norman Reilly Raine (original screen play: based upon ancient Robin Hood legends) and
Seton I. Miller (original screen play: based upon ancient Robin Hood legends)
(more)

Release Date:

14 May 1938 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Romance

Tagline:

The Best Loved Bandit Of All Time!

Plot:

When Prince John and the Norman Lords begin oppressing the Saxon masses in King Richard's absence, a Saxon lord fights back as the outlaw leader of a rebel guerrilla army.

Plot Keywords:

Prince | Saxon | King | Norman | Outlaw

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Errol Flynn	...	Robin Hood
Olivia de Havilland	...	Maid Marian
Basil Rathbone	...	Sir Guy of Gisbourne
Claude Rains	...	Prince John
Patric Knowles	...	Will Scarlett
Eugene Pallette	...	Friar Tuck
Alan Hale	...	Little John
Melville Cooper	...	High Sheriff of Nottingham
Ian Hunter	...	King Richard the Lion-Heart
Una O'Connor	...	Bess
Herbert Mundin	...	Much
Montagu Love	...	Bishop of the Black Canons
Leonard Willey	...	Sir Essex
Robert Noble	...	Sir Ralf
Kenneth Hunter	...	Sir Mortimer
Robert Warwick	...	Sir Geoffrey
Colin Kenny	...	Sir Baldwin
Lester Matthews	...	Sir Ivor
Harry Cording	...	Dickon Malbete
Ivan F. Simpson	...	Proprietor of Kent Road Tavern (as Ivan Simpson)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert M. Parrington Jackson
Lowden Adams	...	Old Crusader (uncredited)
Frank Baker	...	Turnkey (uncredited)
James Baker	...	Captain Philip of Arras (uncredited)
Sidney Baron	...	Outlaw (uncredited)
Hal Baylor	...	Merry Man (uncredited)
Lionel Belmore	...	Humility Prim (uncredited)
Wilson Benge	...	Monk (uncredited)
Charles Bennett	...	Peddler at Tournament (uncredited)
Hal Brazeale	...	High Sheriff's Squire (uncredited)
George Bunny	...	Butcher (uncredited)
David Cavendish	...	Saxon Man (uncredited)
Phyllis Coghlan	...	Saxon Woman (uncredited)
Zebedy Colt	...	Child in Forest (uncredited)
D'Arcy Corrigan	...	Villager (uncredited)
Nick De Ruiz	...	Executioner (uncredited)
Jack Deery	...	Richard's Knight (uncredited)
Eddie Dew	...	Outlaw (uncredited)
Harold Entwistle	...	Tailor (uncredited)
Herbert Evans	...	Seneschal (uncredited)
Austin Fairman	...	Sir Nigel (uncredited)
Frank Hagney	...	Man-at-Arms (uncredited)
Alec Harford	...	Outlaw (uncredited)
Ivo Henderson	...	Richard's Knight (uncredited)
Holmes Herbert	...	Archery Referee (uncredited)
Howard Hill	...	Owen the Welshman (uncredited)
Peter Hobbes	...	Outlaw (uncredited)
Leyland Hodgson	...	Norman Officer (uncredited)
Harold Howard	...	Beggar (uncredited)
Olaf Hytten	...	Outlaw (uncredited)
Charles Irwin	...	Saxon Man (uncredited)
Crauford Kent	...	Sir Norbett (uncredited)
Paul Kruger	...	Monk (uncredited)
Marten Lamont	...	Sir Guy's Squire (uncredited)
Carole Landis	...	Guest at Banquet (uncredited)
Connie Leon	...	Saxon Woman (uncredited)
Charles McNaughton	...	Crippen (uncredited)
Thomas R. Mills	...	Priest with Blacksmith (uncredited)
Leonard Mudie	...	Town Crier (uncredited)
Joseph North	...	Friar (uncredited)
Antonia Oland	...	Child (uncredited)
Paul Power	...	Richard's Knight (uncredited)
Dick Rich	...	Soldier (uncredited)
John J. Richardson	...	Serf (uncredited)
Gerald Rogers	...	Saxon Man (uncredited)
Janet Shaw	...	Humility's Daughter (uncredited)
Reginald Sheffield	...	Herald at Archery Tournament (uncredited)
Robert St. Angelo	...	Pierre de Caan (uncredited)
Ernie Stanton	...	Outlaw (uncredited)
Val Stanton	...	Outlaw (uncredited)
Robert R. Stephenson	...	Soldier (uncredited)
John Sutton	...	Richard's Knight (uncredited)
Cyril Thornton	...	Saxon Man (uncredited)
David Thursby	...	Archer at Tournament (uncredited)
Trigger	...	Lady Marian's Horse (uncredited)
Claude Wisberg	...	Blacksmith's Apprentice (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Curtiz
William Keighley

Writing credits
Norman Reilly Raine		(original screen play: based upon ancient Robin Hood legends) and
Seton I. Miller		(original screen play: based upon ancient Robin Hood legends)
Rowland Leigh		contributor to treatment (uncredited)

Produced by
Henry Blanke	....	associate producer (uncredited)
Hal B. Wallis	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Jack L. Warner	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Erich Wolfgang Korngold

Cinematography by
Tony Gaudio		(photography)
Sol Polito		(photography)

Film Editing by
Ralph Dawson

Casting by
Rufus Le Maire		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Carl Jules Weyl

Costume Design by
Milo Anderson		(costumes)

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist
Ward Hamilton	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Irma Kusely	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Al Alleborn	....	unit production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lee Katz	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Jack Sullivan	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Gene Allen	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Pat Patterson	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
C.A. Riggs	....	sound
Gerald W. Alexander	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)
Charles David Forrest	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)
Elmer Haglund	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Nathan Levinson	....	recording director (uncredited)

Stunts
Frank Baker	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Bruggeman	....	stunts (uncredited)
Albert Cavens	....	assistant stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Albert Cavens	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Cavens	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Fred Cavens	....	stunts (uncredited)
Sol Gorss	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Graham	....	staircase fall stunt double: Basil Rathbone (uncredited)
Frank Hagney	....	stunts (doubtful) (uncredited)
Howard Hill	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Kennedy	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bert LeBaron	....	stunts (uncredited)
Post Park	....	staircase fall stunt double: Errol Flynn (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ernie Stanton	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chad Trower	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Buster Wiles	....	stunt double: Errol Flynn (uncredited)
Jack Williams	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
W. Howard Greene	....	Technicolor photography
Charles P. Boyle	....	director of photography: second unit (uncredited)
A. Clark	....	second assistant camera: Technicolor (uncredited)
William Classen	....	key grip (uncredited)
Wilfred M. Cline	....	camera operator: Technicolor (uncredited)
Allen M. Davey	....	associate director of photography: Technicolor (uncredited)
Frank Evans	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)
Elmer Fryer	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Al Green	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Carl E. Guthrie	....	first assistant camera: Technicolor (uncredited)
Glen Harris	....	grip (uncredited)
Stuart Higgs	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Vic Johnson	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Mac Julian	....	still photographer: second unit (uncredited)
J. Henry Kruse	....	camera operator: second unit (uncredited)
Lloyd MacLean	....	assistant still photographer (uncredited)
William V. Skall	....	camera operator: Technicolor (uncredited)
Claude Swanner	....	best boy (uncredited)
Homer Van Pelt	....	still photographer: second unit (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Elmer Ellsworth	....	wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)
Ida Greenfield	....	wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)
Rydo Loshak	....	wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Rudi Fair	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director
Hugo Friedhofer	....	orchestral arrangements
R.H. Bassett	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Milan Roder	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Natalie Kalmus	....	Technicolor color director
Morgan Padelford	....	associate Technicolor color director
Irving Rapper	....	dialogue director
Louis Van der Ecker	....	technical advisor (as Louis Van Den Ecker)
Fred Applegate	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Colin Campbell	....	dialogue director: second unit (uncredited)
Fred Cavens	....	fencing master (uncredited)
B. Reeves Eason	....	director: archery tournament scene (uncredited)
S. Charles Einfeld	....	press representative (uncredited)
Howard Hill	....	archery instructor (uncredited)
Rowland Leigh	....	screenplay construction contributor (uncredited)
Major	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Flora Pan	....	script supervisor: second unit (uncredited)
Irva Mae Ross	....	script supervisor: second unit (uncredited)
Sears	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Mary Elizabeth Tilson	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Thanks
James Duff	....	grateful acknowledgment: for crafting the bows and arrows used in this film.

Production Companies

• Warner Bros (presents) (as Warner Bros.Pictures,Inc.) (A First National Picture)

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1938) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1938) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1938) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1946) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Warner Bros (1948) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Sociedade Importadora de Filmes (SIF) (1940) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1950) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Dominant Pictures Corporation (1956) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release) (b&w)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (198?) (USA) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (1988) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM Home Entertainment (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• MGM Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (Germany) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Japan) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• GP Museum Soft (2004) (Japan) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Japan) (DVD)
• First Trading (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• PSG (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
• Emerald (2011) (Argentina) (DVD)
• United Artists Films (1964) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Finland (1938) (1959) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Epoca (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1983) (1987) (2003) (Finland) (TV)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2004) (Finland) (DVD) (2-disc edition)
• Scanvideo (1987) (Finland) (VHS)
• TV3 (1992) (Finland) (TV)
• Warner Bros. Television (????) (USA) (TV)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (2010) (Canada) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2010) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2006) (2009) (Finland) (TV)

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG for adventure violence

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Canada:F (Ontario) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Ireland:G | Norway:7 | Peru:PT | Sweden:Btl (cut) (1938) | UK:U | USA:PG | Netherlands:14 | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | USA:Approved (original rating) (PCA #3790) | Portugal:M/6 | Canada:G (video rating) | Germany:6 (video rating) | West Germany:6 (nf) | South Korea:12 (DVD rating) (2003) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | New Zealand:G (single DVD) | New Zealand:PG (2 dvd set) | Sweden:Btl (uncut) (1969) | Brazil:10 | UK:U (re-release) (1998)

Filming Locations:

Alhambra, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros

Trivia:

The Sir Joseph Hooker Oak (called the Gallows Oak in the film) where Robin Hood forms his outlaw band was supposedly the largest living oak tree in the world at the time of filming in 1937. The rock that Errol Flynn stands on in front of the tree is a prop.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the final fight with Gisbourne, Robin hits a candle with his sword, which bends as it's not made of steel. A frame later and sword is straightened again.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Town Crier announcing capture of Richard:News has come from Vienna: "Leopold of Austria has seized King Richard on his return from the Crusades. Our king is being held prisoner. Nothing further is known. His Highness Prince John will make further public pronouncement tomorrow."

Movie Connections:

Referenced in First Sunday (2008)

My favorite movie and a real masterpiece

This is it; this is THE classic movie I grew up adoring as a kid. It fueled my dreams of knights and ladies, made me fight battles against evil enemies in our backyard and inspired me to conclude my quest with honor, courage and romance.

"Robin Hood" features all the criteria of a masterpiece: great actors, a great staff, a great plot and a great overall product. Plus, this movie contains elements which, as normal as they may seem today, were revolutionary back in the late 1930s: a full-scale blockbuster that finally triggered the success of Technicolor and color movies as such, production costs of an astonishing 2 million dollars, sophisticated sword-fighting and arrow-shooting that even the masters of today's action sequences respect, a great score used to underline the peculiar character of every scene, huge crowds of people fighting simultaneously and a romantic couple of Errol Flynn and Olivia De Havilland, who in their emotional harmony may be unrivaled to this day.

Even though this was a super-modern state-of-the-art blockbuster, "Robin Hood" has maintained a curious innocence which still strikes me today. Women are not raped; they are merely pushed around, but the message is loud and clear ("the mistreatment of our women"), and Prince John's soldiers can be knocked out by a wooden table instead of being martially hacked into pieces by the film's hero. In its entirety, "Robin Hood", though presenting so much hardship and violence, is as smooth and gentle as they come, just like a ferry-tale banned on celluloid.

Of course, some may say that no other than Douglas Fairbanks is the original Robin Hood, and they may be right, but this "Robin Hood" is far from being a mere remake: It is another, even greater original. Today, of course, "Robin Hood" may seem simple and outdated, but this movie possesses more atmosphere and character than any other film I have ever seen.

Sure, "Robin Hood" has its weaknesses, ranging from poorly-concealed Sherwood trampolines to crooked prop swords, and in some of the shots, the continuity is simply terrible, but much like with a beloved person, I cherish each and every one of those imperfections and would not have them changed for anything in the world.

I have decided to give this movie a 10 out of 10 score, which does not mean that it is perfect, but in my opinion, its status as a timeless masterpiece, to be enjoyed by people for generations to come, and its revolutionary approach and features, which I mentioned above, allow no other judgment.