The Story of Robin
Hood and His Merrie Men
Director:
Ken Annakin
Year: 1952
Rating: 6.0
A fine very traditional PG rendering of the legend
of Robin Hood presented in glorious Technicolor from Walt Disney and actually
partly shot in Sherwood Forest. It hits all the usual touchstones of the myth
that we all know so well - King Richard leaves for the Crusades, his brother
Prince John is left running the country and he puts the evil Sheriff of Nottingham
in charge of collecting taxes, drives Robin into a life of crime and rebellion
where he meets Little John in a joust on a bridge. Friar Tuck eating under
a tree and of course the lovely Maid Marion. It is as familiar as an old
sock and just as comforting. It is a story I love and has been done in film
many times.
Robin Hood is of course a fictional legend
(as far as we know) beginning in ballads in the 14th century and growing over
the years to come until his tales were collected into a book around 1500.
But the history around Robin Hood is based mainly on the truth. King Richard
went off to lead the Third Crusade. It is a fascinating story worthy of its
own movie. He conquered Sicily and Cyprus on the way to the Holy Land and
was married, fought the great Saladin to a stalemate but was unable to achieve
his goals and on his way back was captured and held for ransom. In most film
depictions I have seen he is a brave man which was very true but he was a
cruel man - executing thousands of prisoners, allowing rioting against
the Jews in London and almost always being at war with someone. He was killed
in fact during a war while strolling the battlements by an arrow. His mother
who shows up in this film is the formidable Eleanor of Aquitaine who at one
time was married to the King of France and then later to the King of England.
Aim high I say. Another person worthy of her own mini-series who was played
by Katherine Hepburn in The Lion in Winter. Now ironically after Richard
died the throne was passed to his brother John, who by all telling was a
lousy King and forced to sign the Magna Carta.
Robin Hood is played by Richard Todd with
a bit of spirit but not with the charisma or physical ability that Errol Flynn
brought to the role. The only other name of note to me is Peter Finch as
the Sheriff of Nottingham. It is directed by Ken Annakin, who went on to
make some fine films - The Battle of the Bulge, Swiss Family Robinson and
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines.
