Tales of Robin Hood
Director: James Tinling
Year: 1951
Rating: 4.5
A substandard Robin Hood movie but it's still
Robin Hood so I can't rate it too low. I should but I can't. I read that
it was a failed TV pilot and I can see why. Low budget and black and white
with a few vaguely recognizable faces but not the stars. It only runs an
hour but manages to squeeze in many of the familiar Robin Hood touchstones.
The fight with Little John, the archery contest, meeting Lady Marion in Sherwood,
the usual crew of Merry Men but adds a few new elements. It begins when Robin
is a young lad and his father the Lord of Loxely is murdered and Robin escapes
with the help of one of his father's men (Walt Bissell). Jump 20 years and
he is the defender of the poor and the enemy of Sir Gui who is oppressing
the poor. Oddly, the Sheriff of Nottingham in this one is a good guy. The
dialogue seems to have been written for ten year olds and the acting is stiff
like an oak staff. Robin is played by Robert Clark who has 172 credits on
IMDB and I have no clue who he is. The lovely Maid Marion is played by Mary
Hatcher whose cleavage is definitely more impressive than her acting with
only 8 credits, this being the last. I always enjoy coming upon an obscure
Robin Hood film, even the bad ones.
