"The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1955) TV series 1955-1960

Writer:

Robert Lees
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Release Date:

26 September 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Family

Plot:

A long-running series of adventures featuring Robin of Locksley--Robin Hood--and his group of Sherwood-Forest-based freedom fighters...

Plot Keywords:

Crusade | Prince | Based On Legend | Disarming Someone | Action Hero

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy.

Cast

Richard Greene	...	Robin Hood / ... (143 episodes, 1955-1960)
Victor Woolf	...	Derwent / ... (112 episodes, 1955-1960)
Archie Duncan	...	Little John (105 episodes, 1955-1960)
Alexander Gauge	...	Friar Tuck / ... (90 episodes, 1955-1960)
Alan Wheatley	...	Sheriff of Nottingham (80 episodes, 1955-1960)
Paul Eddington	...	Will Scarlett / ... (64 episodes, 1956-1960)

Series Directed by
Terry Bishop		(35 episodes, 1956-1960)
Bernard Knowles		(19 episodes, 1955-1959)
Ralph Smart		(19 episodes, 1955-1956)
Robert Day		(12 episodes, 1957-1960)
Peter Seabourne		(12 episodes, 1958-1960)
Terence Fisher		(11 episodes, 1956-1957)
Anthony Squire		(8 episodes, 1957-1960)
Don Chaffey		(7 episodes, 1957-1958)
Lindsay Anderson		(5 episodes, 1956-1957)
Gordon Parry		(5 episodes, 1960)
Daniel Birt		(4 episodes, 1955)
Peter Maxwell		(4 episodes, 1958)
Arthur Crabtree		(2 episodes, 1956)
Gerard Bryant		(2 episodes, 1958)
Compton Bennett		(2 episodes, 1960)

Series Writing credits
Eric Heath		(14 episodes, 1955-1956)
John Dyson		(13 episodes, 1955-1958)
Paul Symonds		(9 episodes, 1955-1957)
Anne Rodney		(8 episodes, 1955-1957)
Ralph Smart		(8 episodes, 1956-1957)
Leon Griffiths		(8 episodes, 1957-1960)
Neil R. Collins		(7 episodes, 1956-1958)
Ring Lardner Jr.		(6 episodes, 1955-1958)
Michael Connor		(6 episodes, 1957-1959)
Basil Dawson		(6 episodes, 1957-1958)
Howard Dimsdale		(5 episodes, 1958-1960)
Leslie Poynton		(4 episodes, 1957-1958)
Sidney Wells		(4 episodes, 1957-1958)
Philip Bolsover		(4 episodes, 1958-1960)
Louis Marks		(4 episodes, 1958-1960)
James Carhardt		(3 episodes, 1957)
Milton Schlesinger		(3 episodes, 1957)
Nicholas Winter		(3 episodes, 1957)
Ian McLellan Hunter		(3 episodes, 1958)
Jan Read		(3 episodes, 1959-1960)
Raymond Bowers		(3 episodes, 1960)
Alan Hackney		(3 episodes, 1960)
James Aldridge		(2 episodes, 1956-1957)
Arthur Behr		(2 episodes, 1956)
Alan Moreland		(2 episodes, 1957)
Robert Lees		(unknown episodes)
Adrian Scott		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Sidney Cole	....	producer / associate producer / ... (143 episodes, 1955-1960)
Hannah Weinstein	....	executive producer / associate producer (143 episodes, 1955-1960)
Thelma Connell	....	associate producer (82 episodes, 1957-1960)

Series Original Music by
Edwin Astley		(75 episodes, 1955-1957)
Albert Elms		(68 episodes, 1956-1960)
Sidney Russell		(unknown episodes)

Series Cinematography by
Ken Hodges		(74 episodes, 1956-1960)
Michael Reed		(31 episodes, 1957-1958)
Gerald Gibbs		(25 episodes, 1955-1956)
Ernest Palmer		(7 episodes, 1957)
Ian Craig		(4 episodes, 1959-1960)
Robert Navarro		(2 episodes, 1957-1958)

Series Film Editing by
Joan Warwick		(48 episodes, 1956-1960)
Lee Doig		(19 episodes, 1957-1958)
Harry Booth		(15 episodes, 1955-1956)
Peter Rolfe Johnson		(8 episodes, 1959-1960)
Peter Seabourne		(5 episodes, 1955-1956)
David Hawkins		(5 episodes, 1956)
Thelma Connell		(3 episodes, 1955-1956)
Richard Sidwell		(3 episodes, 1960)
Bill Lewthwaite		(2 episodes, 1955)
Inman Hunter		(2 episodes, 1956)
Seymour Logie		(2 episodes, 1957)

Series Production Design by
Peter Proud		(31 episodes, 1955-1957)

Series Art Direction by
John Blezard		(52 episodes, 1956-1960)
Peter Proud		(38 episodes, 1955-1956)
Peter Mullins		(37 episodes, 1957-1958)

Series Makeup Department
Wally Schneiderman	....	makeup supervisor / makeup artist (87 episodes, 1955-1960)
Eileen Bates	....	hair stylist / hairdresser / ... (37 episodes, 1955-1957)
Bill Griffiths	....	hair stylist / hairdresser (21 episodes, 1955-1956)
Betty Sherriff	....	hair stylist (5 episodes, 1956)

Series Production Management
Harold Buck	....	production manager / production supervisor (117 episodes, 1956-1960)
George Mills	....	production supervisor (39 episodes, 1955-1956)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Chris Noble	....	assistant director (60 episodes, 1955-1957)

Series Art Department
William Kellner	....	art supervisor (9 episodes, 1956-1957)

Series Sound Department
H.C. Pearson	....	sound (139 episodes, 1955-1960)
Michael Deeley	....	dubbing editor (33 episodes, 1955-1956)
Freddie Cook	....	dubbing editor (22 episodes, 1956-1957)
Harry Booth	....	dubbing editor (6 episodes, 1955-1956)

Series Stunts
Gabriel Toyne	....	fight director (1 episode, 1957)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Noel Rowland	....	camera operator (88 episodes, 1955-1960)
Eric Williams	....	camera operator (5 episodes, 1959-1960)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Brenda Gardner	....	wardrobe / wardrobe supervisor (61 episodes, 1955-1957)

Series Editorial Department
Thelma Connell	....	supervising editor / editorial supervisor (45 episodes, 1955-1957)
Maurice Rootes	....	supervising editor (19 episodes, 1957)

Series Other crew
Albert G. Ruben	....	script supervisor (80 episodes, 1955-1957)
Joanna Busby	....	continuity (36 episodes, 1955-1956)
Peggy Phillips	....	script supervisor / script editor (36 episodes, 1956-1958)
Raymond Bowers	....	script supervisor / script editor (26 episodes, 1959-1960)
Richard Greene	....	production associate (26 episodes, 1959-1960)
Olga Marshall	....	continuity (21 episodes, 1956-1957)
Kathryn Dawes	....	script supervisor (9 episodes, 1957)
Barbara Thomas	....	continuity (4 episodes, 1956)

Production Companies

• Incorporated Television Company (ITC)
• Sapphire Films
• Yeoman Films Ltd.

Distributors

• Independent Television (ITV) (1955) (UK) (TV) (original airing)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1955-1958) (USA) (TV) (original US airing)
• TV Noordzee (1964) (Netherlands) (TV)
• AVRO Television (1965-1966) (Netherlands) (TV)
• EDI Video (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (USA) (VHS)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Mill Creek Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD) (complete series)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

30 min (143 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

UK:PG (all episodes) | USA:Approved

Filming Locations:

Alnwick Castle, Alnwick, Northumberland, England, UK

Company:

Incorporated Television Company (ITC)

Trivia:

This is the earliest Robin Hood series to be in existence in its entirety. The earlier series, which featured Patrick Troughton as Robin, no longer exists.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Monkees: Fairy Tale (#2.16)" (1968)

An Adventure Series For All Ages; Well-Acted and Intelligently Written

"The Adventures of Robin Hood" was not a children's program, not even a young people's program.  Consider its credits, if you doubt my assessment. Its directors included Daniel Birt, Robert Day, Don Chaffey, Terry Bishop, Terence Fisher, Arthur Crabtree, Peter Maxwell, Ralph Smart and Bernard Knowles, many known for TV and feature film work. The writing corps included some blacklisted Hollywood film writers as well as highly-competent British scenarists including in their numbers Milton Schlesinger, Ring Lardner Jr., Ralph Smart, John Dyson, John Cousins, Arthur Behr, Raymond Bowers, Eric Heath, Anne Rodney, Leslie Poynter. Paul Symonds, Sidney Wells, Ian Lartain, Ian McLellan Hunter and C.D. Phillips. The story sets up an historically false but dramatically useful opposition--the Saxons of England championing the cause of the imprisoned honest King Richard Coeur de Lion, set against his usurping, nefarious brother Prince John, who is in league with their Norman overlords and crooked sheriffs (out only to steal land and wealth and ready to enslave the populace for a brass farthing).  The very fine continuing cast included handsome and able leading man Richard Greene, lovely Bernadette O'Farrell and later very good actress Patricia Driscoll as Maid Marian Fitzwalter; the splendid Shakespearean actor Alexander Gauge playing the definitive Friar Tuck, with Archie Duncan as Little John, Paul Eddington as Will Scarlet, Alan Wheatley as a marvelously subtle and villainous Sheriff of Nottingham, Victor Woolf as Derwent and Simone Lovell as the brave and helpful Maid Joan. Several fine actors played Prince John, including Donald Pleasance, Ian Hunter Robin's friend Sir Richard and Jill Esmond Queen Eleanor. Regular guests included Paul Eddington (doing double duty), Willoughby Gray, John Dearth, Arthur Skinner, Charles Stapley plus guest stars of the caliber of Edward Mulhare, and Leo McKern. Hannah Weinstein was executive producer, with the participation of Sidney Cole as line producer, Thelma Connell a associate and Richard Greene. Edwin Astley, Albert Elms and Sidney Keith Russell provided the music; Carl Sigman wrote the popular title song. The cinematography for the show, which ranged from hood to very good, was done by Gerald Gibbs, Ken Hodges and Michael Reed at various times. The production designer was Peter Proud, and the art directors Proud, John Blezard and Peter Mullins. Gabriel Toyne was in charge of duels and battles with Brenda Gardner in charge of wardrobe. So many people have happy memories of watching this show as young people, I believe they would be surprised how entertaining the and engrossing the show remain. The comedy was frequently very successful, the dialogue above average and the motivations of the characters extraordinarily clear. And, frequently, memorable. Because the show was about important matters to realists, the scenes deal with essentials; and this makes them more consistently interesting and rich than is usual in a television show. This is a much-loved television series, for many reasons; I was privileged to wait each week for its episodes when I was growing up. I have seen many since that time, and they are still enjoyable, as fiction and as good-spirited fun for discriminating viewers.