Robin and Marian (1976)

Robin Hood, aging none too gracefully, returns exhausted from the Crusades to woo and win Maid Marian one last time.

Director:

Richard Lester

Writer:

James Goldman

Stars:

Sean Connery, Audrey Hepburn, Robert Shaw

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sean Connery	...	Robin Hood
Audrey Hepburn	...	Maid Marian
Robert Shaw	...	Sheriff of Nottingham
Richard Harris	...	Richard the Lionheart / King Richard
Nicol Williamson	...	Little John
Denholm Elliott	...	Will Scarlett
Kenneth Haigh	...	Sir Ranulf
Ronnie Barker	...	Friar Tuck
Ian Holm	...	King John
Bill Maynard	...	Mercadier
Esmond Knight	...	Old Defender
Veronica Quilligan	...	Sister Mary
Peter Butterworth	...	Surgeon
John Barrett	...	Jack
Kenneth Cranham	...	Jack's Apprentice

Storyline

A sort of tragicomedy/adventure film, "Robin and Marian" picks up the Robin Hood legend some twenty years after most versions of the story, with Robin and his sidekick Little John returning to their old Sherwood haunts world-weary from the Crusades and their sickening brutality. They're informed by former cohorts Friar Tuck and Will Scarlett that Maid Marian now lives at the nearby priory, where she has become an abbess. Marian greets Robin's return with mixed feelings, but after he rescues her from his longtime enemy, the Sheriff of Nottingham, who tries to arrest her on religious grounds, the two become lovers once again.

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Plot Keywords:

robin hood | crusades | friar | aging | abbess | 

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Taglines:

Love is the greatest adventure of all.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

April 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Death of Robin

Filming Locations:

Pamplona, Navarra, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Rastar Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

James Goldman had already written The Lion in Winter, which included the characters of Richard and John Plantagenet in their younger years.

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Goofs

The position and angle of the arrow that led to the death of Richard the Lionheart changes. When arrow first struck Richard, it is near where the neck and shoulder meet and at an angle that indicates it was fired from high above while the scene shortly later when the 'doctor' is attempting to remove it, the arrow is lower and at right angles as if it was fired at ground level.

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Quotes

Robin Hood: Give me my bow... Where this falls, John, Put us close, and leave us there.

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Connections

Version of Robin Hood (1912)

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Soundtracks

"Dawn"
(uncredited)
Music by Graham Garton
Lyrics by J.R. Heron

User Reviews

A good, inspiring movie, about the true nature of heroism

Most people are unaware of this movie's existence, despite an all-star cast. It is one of my favorite movies of all time.

Robin Hood is an old man now, trying to tie together some of the pieces of his ideals. The familiar characters are also still around.

The most interesting thing about the movie is the insights it offers into the nature of heroism. Robin and the merry men were heroes because of what they believed in and their courage, not because they could shoot the straightest and run the fastest.

The gang can't jump fences or climb walls any more, or do much of anything that requires physical exertion. Their efforts are sometimes comical. But they are still great men because of what is inside of them.

Audrey Hepburn is wonderful as the aging Marian, and look for the visual poetry of the three apples which are pictured in the opening as ripe and in the ending as withered, as are Rob and Johnny and Marian. There are many such metaphorical presentations which are not often seen in movies. I like to see a little of that visual poetry, even if it is a bit clumsy.

Not a great film ... not a Grand Illusion or anything, but just a nice execution of a simple, touching concept.