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.

---

Plot Keywords:

swashbuckler | little john character | king john character | the sheriff of nottingham character | robin hood character | 

---

Taglines:

Excitement...Danger...Suspense...as this classic adventure story sweeps across the screen!

---

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Romance

---

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

Errol Flynn enjoyed working with the sophisticated and easy-going William Keighley but despised the temperamental and demanding Michael Curtiz. Problems between the two were reportedly exacerbated by Flynn's casual approach to production schedules and scene preparation, as well as his reputed bad memory for dialogue.

---

Goofs

When the Bishop of the Black Canons puts his shoe back on in the tavern scene with Richard, it is a shoe for the left foot. Shoes which fit individual feet weren't invented until the 1800s. In 1191, shoes were the same for each foot.

---

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."

---

Crazy Credits

Opening 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.

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..."

---

Connections

Version of Robin Hood (1984)

User Reviews

Errol Flynn IS Robin Hood

This is undoubtedly the best filmed version of the Robin Hood legend ever made. Errol Flynn leads a remarkable cast that seems to jump off the screen in their Technicolor brilliance. Flynn seems born to play this role (or any Swashbuckling Role for that matter). I urge all fans to read his highly entertaining autobiography My Wicked, Wicked Ways. After reading it you see that if he wasn't born to play these types of roles then he certainly spent his life practicing for them. The co-director Michael Curtiz is responsible for so many of the films one thinks about when the 'golden age of the studios' is mentioned – the list is amazing with Casablanca and Yankee Doodle Dandy among them. And just listen to the music! Erich Wolfgang Korngold's musical score is without a doubt one of the finest pieces ever written for the silver screen. If you are a listener of classical music on the radio you are bound to hear the score to this film at least a few times a year. One cannot blame Hollywood for not matching this level of perfection in other Robin Hood versions. Does lighting ever strike in the same place twice?