The Men of Sherwood Forest (1954)

Director: Val Guest

Writer: Allan MacKinnon

Composer: Doreen Carwithen

Starring: Don Taylor, Reginald Beckwith, Eileen Moore, David King-Wood, Douglas Wilmer, Harold Lang, Ballard Berkeley, Patrick Holt, Wnsley Pithey, Leslie Linder, John Van Eyssen

More info: IMDb

Tagline: All the glory and splendour of stirring adventure!

Plot: In 1194, on his return from the Third Crusade, Richard the Lionheart is taken prisoner in Germany. Disguised as a troubadour, Robin Hood formulates a plan to rescue Richard but he is captured himself.

My rating:  6.5/10

Will I watch it again?  Nah.

I recognized a few names in the opening credits that would later be associated with Hammer's horror pictures and then at the end I see that it was a Hammer production, their first in color it turns out.  That would explain the overall quality of the picture.  Since THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938) there have been several Robin Hood pictures in color.  No one can top Errol Flynn's turn on Robin but Don Taylor does an excellent job and takes second.  The music here is rousing and robust, there's plenty of action sprinkled throughout this 74 minute adventure flick and there's a general sense of fun.  Thankfully this isn't a retelling of the 1938 movie but there are some elements of it to be found.  A lot of time is spent inside the castle and the 8 year old adventurous boy in me would've preferred more outdoor scenes.  Hell, it's an English production filmed in Robin Hood's backyard so why not take advantage of the beautiful English forests and countryside?  I'm almost inclined to give this a solid 7 but it's missing a little something that pushes it over the edge.  It's a fine film but it's also not as fun as it should be.  That might sound silly but when you see I hope you see what I'm trying to get at. 

The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952)

Director: Ken Annakin

Starring: Richard Todd, Joan Rice, Peter Finch, James Hayter, James Robertson Justice, Martita Hunt, Hubert Gregg

More info: IMDb

Tagline: The romantic adventure of the year!

Plot: Young Robin Hood, in love with Maid Marian, enters an archery contest with his father at the King's palace. On the way home his father is murdered by henchmen of Prince John. Robin takes up the life of an outlaw, gathering together his band of merry men with him in Sherwood Forest, to avenge his father's death and to help the people of the land that Prince John are over taxing.

My rating: 6.5/10

Will I watch it again? Nah.

There's no escaping the shadow of THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938). That movie is flawless and there'll never be another Robin Hood movie that can come close but I won't fault anyone for trying. This is an admirable effort that has a few differences than the '38 film. The performances are fine but it lacks vibrancy. Todd is fine as Robin Hood. I do my best not to compare any actor who plays him to Errol Flynn but he seems too small in stature. The guy's 5'9" and he looks like a boy compared to everyone else. Outside of his height he does fine.


There's a little action and a scant bit of swordplay. I could've definitely used more. I usually have something to say about the score but I JUST finished watching it and can't remember a damn thing about it. I suppose that means Clifton Parker's music did what it needed to do. It's been said that the composer is doing their job if you don't notice the music. Yeah but how about that grand Korngold score for the '38 picture? TSoRHaHMM is a good telling of the tale but it's not so special that I'll ever watch it again. If it had been an original story, then another spin somewhere down the road would be in order.

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Director: Michael Curtiz

Starring: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, Claude Rains, Patric Knowles, Eugene Pallette, Alan Hale

More info: IMDb

Tagline: The Best Loved Bandit Of All Time!

Plot: 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.

My rating: 10/10

Will I watch it again? It's a given.

It's perfect. I've seen it many, many times and it never loses its charm. Errol Flynn IS Robin Hood. There has never been nor will there ever be an actor more suited for the role, nor a better film version of the tale. It's a magnificent adventure film that hits every mark with precision of Robin Hood's arrows.


The casting is tops. Rathbone nails it, Rains is deliciously nasty, de Havilland needs to have my babies, and everyone else brings such life and joy to their roles that it would be difficult to imagine any substitutions. The action is top notch; the swordplay, archery, fight scenes - all are loads of fun and most exciting.


The pacing is remarkable. There's not a dull moment to be found and if you do find one, you're just looking for trouble 'cause there ain't one! Curtiz's direction is nothing short of masterful. He put all the pieces of the puzzle together leaving nothing behind. He crafted the perfect adventure film that has all the action you could hope for, suspense and romance.


Ah, the romance. As far as what you see on screen, Errol Flynn makes this picture. His dashingly handsome good looks, eloquent speech and effortless athletic abilities combine to make one of the most charismatic characters the silver screen has ever known. The only aspect that equals that magical combination is Erich Wolfgang Korngold's rousing score. From the opening stirring theme that exudes action and adventure to the love theme, one of the most beautiful and romantic themes ever written, Korngold's music brings Sherwood Forest to life. The balcony scene with Flynn and de Havilland where they kiss for the first time is magical. With the help of Korngold's music, I'm literally tearing up by the end of it. The last few seconds of the cue are so beautiful that I can't find the words to do them justice. Have a listen...

I once saw this in a theater. I sat in the first row of the balcony, loaded up with Coke and corn, and for a brief time I was transported hundreds of years ago to a time and place that are legendary. I'll never forget it. THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD is a magical film that encompasses all that can be good about making movies. It works on every level and it touches me in ways that only a Mrs. Scorethefilm should. The Blu-ray of this is nothing short of amazing. HOOD has always looked good no matter how I saw it. Even the VHS was decent. The colors popped from the screen but the Blu-ray is the absolute best I've ever seen it and I can't imagine a better presentation.


If you haven't seen this picture you owe it to yourself. You may not go cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs over this picture like me afterward but at the very least you will come out the other side feeling like picking up a sword or a quarter staff and playing Robin Hood like your ten years old again. Movies that can do that are very few and this is the best of the best.

Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960)

Director: Terence Fisher

Starring: Richard Greene, Peter Cushing, Sarah Branch, Richard Pasco, Nigel Green, Niall MacGinnis, Jack Gwillim, Edwin Richfield, Oliver Reed, Desmond Llewelyn

More info: IMDb

Tagline: NEW and Greatest Adventures of Robin Hood... The World's Most Renowned Swordsman!

Plot: 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.

My rating: 6/10

Will I watch it again? Nah, but only because there are far too many movies out there to watch for the first time.

It's amazing how much better watching a good widescreen print can make your experience. I'm sure that if I saw a rotten pan & scan copy of this I would have been dying to get to the end. I only mention that because these things matter and seeing things like this only enhance the viewing. Such as the case with this Hammer produced actioner starring Richard Greene (who played TV's Robin Hood for four seasons from 1955-1960) and the great Peter Cushing as his nemesis, as the Sheriff of Nottingham. Cushing definitely stands out, but Greene? Meh. Maybe it's my bias as an Errol Flynn fan.


What I did enjoy is not just another retelling of the same old story. Marian's in it but not like you'd think. She's smitten with Robin practically from the get-go. Nigel Green is great as Little John. I could care less for the comic relief courtesy of Friar Tuck (MacGinnis) and the silly music that accompanied his antics with the donkey. Ugh. The story's pretty good and I like the intrigue and plot twist with the Sheriff (as well as his resolution - didn't see that coming).


How about that tagline, huh? Renowned swordsman? You'd never know it from this picture - especially coming from a guy who played Robin Hood for 143 episodes over the previous four years!!! Maybe it was just sub-par choreography but I found the swordplay lacking in any skill. Some of the shots looked downright clumsy the way the actors were slinging the things around. Just look for yourself.

See? That's one of many fights. It was neat seeing Desmond "Q from the James Bond films" Llewelyn in a small role as well as Oliver Reed. While Reed does ask for a drink, it's only water sad to say.


SWORD OF SHERWOOD FOREST isn't a bad way to kill 80 short minutes on a Sunday afternoon and I certainly recommend it but I doubt it'll be anything that you'll want to watch more than once. There's a crapload of Robin Hood movies out there that could be just as good if not better. But there are none that will equal the perfection that starred Errol Flynn in THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938). There will never be a better version told. Ever.