The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

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.

Directors:

Michael Curtiz, William Keighley

Writers:

Norman Reilly Raine (original screenplay: based upon ancient Robin Hood legends), Seton I. Miller (original screenplay: based upon ancient Robin Hood legends)

Stars:

Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone

Won 3 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Sir Robin of Locksley, defender of downtrodden Saxons, runs afoul of Norman authority and is forced to turn outlaw. With his band of Merry Men, he robs from the rich, gives to the poor and still has time to woo the lovely Maid Marian, and foil the cruel Sir Guy of Gisbourne, and keep the nefarious Prince John off the throne.

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Plot Keywords:

swashbuckler | little john character | king john character | robin hood character | king richard lionheart character | 

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Taglines:

Only the rainbow can duplicate its brilliance!

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for adventure violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 May 1938 (USA)

Also Known As:

Robin Hood

Filming Locations:

Jungleland, Thousand Oaks, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,900,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$3,981,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

William Keighley was initially assigned to the project because he had made Warners' first excursion into three-strip Technicolor, when he directed God's Country and the Woman (1937).

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Goofs

At the conclusion of the final fight scene between Robin and Guy, Guy falls over the wall and lands with both arms extended. Moments later, Robin runs by Guy and Guy's arms are straight down by his side.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Title card: In the year of Our Lord 1191 when Richard, the Lion-Heart, set forth to drive the infidels from the Holy Land, he gave the Regency of his Kingdom to his trusted friend, Longchamps, instead of to his treacherous brother, Prince John.
Title card: Bitterly resentful, John hoped for some disaster to befall Richard so that he, with the help of the Norman barons, might seize the throne for himself. And then on a luckless day for the Saxons...
Town Crier announcing capture of Richard: News has come from Vienna: "Leopold of Austria has seized...

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Crazy Credits

The Warner Brothers shield is in the form of an English coat of arms.

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Connections

Version of The Erotic Adventures of Robin Hood (1969)

User Reviews

Errol Flynn, Robin Hood And The Unexpected Miracle Of Film

What an amazing experience to see The Adventures Of Robin Hood 80 years after its original release. How can one explain the longevity of its relevance. Relevant in every department. Acting to start with. Errol Flynn was not considered a great actor, never an Oscar nomination or anything like that. Bette Davis was always frustrated for having to work opposite him rather that Laurence Olivier. But, look at him now, 80 years later - Erroll Flynn' s performance is as fresh today as the day he filmed it. Compare that with Oscar winner Russell Crowe's Robin Hood (2010) - Russell Crowe even had the impertinence of mocking Erroll Flynn's version. This bit of tribia kuind of depressed me after the high of seeing again this Michael Curtiz's masterpiece. Here, everything works. Other than Erroll Flynn - even if when's he is on the screen is difficult to pay attention to anyone else - we do. Mostly because Claude Rains, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone and the rest of the sensational cast. This adventure film will continue to captivate audiences for years, decades, centuries to come.