Complete credited cast: | |||
Richard Greene | ... | Robin Hood | |
Peter Cushing | ... | Sheriff of Nottingham | |
Niall MacGinnis | ... | Friar Tuck (as Niall McGinnis) | |
Richard Pasco | ... | Edward, Earl of Newark | |
Jack Gwillim | ... | Archbishop of Canterbury Hubert Walter | |
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Sarah Branch | ... | Maid Marian Fitzwalter |
Nigel Green | ... | Little John | |
Vanda Godsell | ... | The Prioress | |
Edwin Richfield | ... | The Sheriff's Lieutenant | |
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Charles Lamb | ... | Old Bowyer |
Dennis Lotis | ... | Alan A'Dale |
The sheriff of Nottingham plots to confiscate the estate of the Lord of Bortrey, who has died on Crusade. The Archbishop of Canterbury speaks against this plot, and the sheriff plans to eliminate him. Robin Hood pretends to undertake the assassination of the Archbishop for the plotters; Maid Marion, meeting him thinks him the leader of a gang of murderers, and leads him into a trap. Written by Bruce Cameron <dumarest@midcoast.com>
The second of three Hammer versions of Robin Hood, which provides posterity with a record of Richard Greene in colour and out in the open air surrounded by real trees amid the very green woodland of County Wicklow (this having been shot at Ardmore Studios in Dublin rather than Bray; which is one reason why it doesn't resemble a typical Hammer production).
Only Greene repeats his role from the tv series, with fifties crooner Denis Lotis making a guest appearance singing a couple of ballads as Alan-a-Dale; while Lady Marian is a platinum blonde in a purple top who in this telling he meets for the first time skinny dipping (what else?). Hammer's most obvious contribution to the casting is Peter Cushing as the Sheriff of Nottingham and Oliver Reed as a saturnine, backstabbing (literally) heavy (Derren Nesbitt being cast against type as one of the merrie men; and Vanda Godsell even more against type as the prioress of a nunnery).
Also characteristic of Hammer is their enterprising commissioning of composer Alun Hoddinott, whose sole score for a feature film this is.