The Adventures of Robin Hood was a popular
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
television series comprising 143 half-hour, black and white episodes. It starred
Richard Greene Richard Marius Joseph Greene was a noted English movie and television actor. A matinee idol who appeared in more than 40 films, he was perhaps best known for the lead role in the long-running British TV series The Adventures of Robin Hood, which ran 143 episodes from 1955 to 1960.-Early...
as the outlaw
Robin HoodRobin Hood is a hero in English folklore, a highly-skilled archer and outlaw. In particular, he is known for "stealing from the rich and giving to the poor," assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men"...
and
Alan WheatleyAlan Wheatley was a radio announcer who turned to stage and screen acting in the 1930s and was much seen in British films, being a television actor during the black and white era....
as his nemesis, the
Sheriff of NottinghamThe Sheriff of Nottingham was historically the office responsible for enforcing law and order in Nottingham and bringing criminals to justice. For years the post has been directly appointed by the Lord Mayor of Nottingham and in modern times, with the existence of the police force, the position is...
. The show aired between 1955 and 1960 on
ITVITV is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters, set up under the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC. ITV is the oldest commercial television network in the UK...
in the
UKThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
, and between 1955 and 1959 on
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is an American television network, one of television's original "big three", which also include NBC and ABC. Like NBC, CBS started out as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System...
in the US. The show followed the
legendA legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
ary character
Robin HoodRobin Hood is a hero in English folklore, a highly-skilled archer and outlaw. In particular, he is known for "stealing from the rich and giving to the poor," assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men"...
and his band of merry men in
Sherwood ForestSherwood Forest is a Royal Forest in Nottinghamshire, England, that is famous through its historical association with the legend of Robin Hood. Continuously forested since the end of the Ice Age, Sherwood is today reduced to a 423 square-kilometre remnant surrounding the village of Edwinstowe, the...
and the surrounding vicinity. While some episodes dramatized the traditional Robin Hood tales, most episodes were original dramas created by the show's writers and producers.
The program was produced by
Sapphire FilmsSapphire Films was a British television production company, active in the 1950s. Amongst their best-known series are The Adventures of Robin Hood and The Adventures of Sir Lancelot, produced for ITC Entertainment and screened on ITV in the UK, as well as being networked in the United...
Ltd for
ITC EntertainmentThe Incorporated Television Company was a British television company largely involved in production and distribution...
, was filmed at
Nettlefold StudiosNettlefold Studios were located in what is now Hepworth Way, Walton-on-Thames. Cecil Hepworth began film making there in 1899, but the name derives from the subsequent owner, Archibald Nettlefold, who rebuilt the studios on the original site...
with some location work, and was the first of many big-budget shows commissioned by
Lew GradeLew Grade, Baron Grade , born Lev Winogradsky, was an influential Ukraine-born English impresario and media mogul.-Early years:...
, who hoped to make large profits by selling programs to the lucrative American market. The series was shot on 35mm film to provide the best possible picture quality, and had fade-outs where US commercials were intended to slot in. Episodes may be viewed in television reruns and are available on DVD.
Characters
- Robin Hood
Robin Hood is a hero in English folklore, a highly-skilled archer and outlaw. In particular, he is known for "stealing from the rich and giving to the poor," assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men"...
, a nobleman returned from the Crusades and forced into outlawry in Sherwood Forest. Played by Richard Greene Richard Marius Joseph Greene was a noted English movie and television actor. A matinee idol who appeared in more than 40 films, he was perhaps best known for the lead role in the long-running British TV series The Adventures of Robin Hood, which ran 143 episodes from 1955 to 1960.-Early...
- The Sheriff of Nottingham
The Sheriff of Nottingham was historically the office responsible for enforcing law and order in Nottingham and bringing criminals to justice. For years the post has been directly appointed by the Lord Mayor of Nottingham and in modern times, with the existence of the police force, the position is...
, Robin Hood's enemy who schemes to capture the outlaw. Played by Alan WheatleyAlan Wheatley was a radio announcer who turned to stage and screen acting in the 1930s and was much seen in British films, being a television actor during the black and white era....
- Little John
Little John was a fellow outlaw of Robin Hood, and was said to be Robin's chief lieutenant and second-in-command of the Merry Men.-Folklore:He appears in the earliest recorded Robin Hood ballads and stories...
, Robin Hood's trusted friend and his second in command. Played by Archie DuncanArchie Duncan was a Scottish actor born in Glasgow. Although he appeared in over 50 television series and movie roles, he is best remembered for two - Inspector Lestrade in the 1954 series Sherlock Holmes and as Little John in The Adventures of Robin Hood with Richard Greene from 1955 to 1960. He...
, Duncan was briefly replaced by Rufus Cruikshank for ten episodes after Duncan was injured saving two child actors from a runaway horse.
- Maid Marian
Maid Marian usually named Lady Marian Fitzwalter of Leaford , is the female companion to the legendary English outlaw Robin Hood. Stemming from another, older tradition, she became associated with Robin Hood only in the sixteenth century.-History:The earliest Medieval Robin Hood stories gave him...
, a noblewoman and Robin Hood's lover. Played in series one and two by Bernadette O'Farrell and in series three and four by Patricia DriscollFor other persons named Patricia Driscoll, see Patricia Sriscoll.Patricia Driscoll is an Irish actress, who has appeared on both television and in films. She was born in Cork, Ireland....
- Friar Tuck
Friar Tuck is a companion to Robin Hood in the legends about that character. He is a common character in modern Robin Hood stories, which depict him as a jovial friar and one of Robin's Merry Men. The figure of Tuck was common in the May Games festivals of England and Scotland during the 15th...
, a member of Robin Hood's band. Played by Alexander GaugeAlexander Gauge was a British actor best known for playing Friar Tuck in The Adventures of Robin Hood from 1955 to 1960....
- Alan-a-Dale
Alan-a-Dale is a figure in the Robin Hood legend. According to the stories, he was a wandering minstrel who became a member of Robin's band of outlaws, the "Merry Men."...
, a member of Robin Hood's band. Played by Richard ColemanRichard Coleman was a British television and stage actor.-Early life:He was born Ronald Coleman in Peckham, London in 1930. Coleman was awarded the Leverhulme Scholarship to RADA in 1951, and graduated in 1953 with the Principal’s Medal. He adopted the stage name Richard Coleman, to avoid...
- Prince John
Prince John refers most commonly to the following:*King John of England , who was known as Prince John during the reigns of his father and older brother...
, the scheming friend of the Sheriff of Nottingham and brother of King Richard. Played by Donald PleasenceDonald Henry Pleasence OBE, was an English actor, having accumulated over 200 screen credits throughout his long career...
, Hubert GreggHubert Gregg was a BBC broadcaster, writer and stage actor, in recent times probably best known for the BBC Radio 2 "oldies" shows A Square Deal and Thanks For The Memory...
and Brian Haines.
The show had a number of performers appearing in minor roles. Jonathan Bailey,
Richard O'SullivanRichard O'Sullivan is an English comedy actor who is probably best known to British and Australian audiences for his role as Robin Tripp in the 1970's sitcoms Man About the House and Robin's Nest...
and
Peter AsherPeter Asher is an English guitarist, singer, manager and record producer.-Early life:...
all played Prince Arthur while
John ArnattJohn Arnatt was a British actor born in Russia.- Biography :John Arnatt was born in Petrograd on May 9, 1917. His parents were Francis Arnatt and Ethel Marion Arnatt . He attended Epworth College. Arnatt trained for the stage at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art...
played the Deputy Sheriff of Nottingham.
Ronald HowardRonald Howard , the son of actor Leslie Howard, was an English actor and writer best known in the U.S. for starring in a weekly Sherlock Holmes television series in 1954.- Life and work :...
played
Will ScarletWill Scarlet was a prominent member of Robin Hood's Merry Men. He was present in the earliest ballads along with Little John and Much the Miller's Son....
, a member of Robin Hood's band in two episodes of series one while
Paul EddingtonPaul Eddington CBE was an English actor best known for his appearances in popular television sitcoms of the 1970s and 80s, including the The Good Life and Yes Minister.-Early life:...
played the character in series four. Eddington also played many other parts in series two and three. Victor Woolf and
Patrick TroughtonPatrick George "Pat" Troughton was an English actor most widely known in his role as the second incarnation of the Doctor in the long running British science-fiction television series Doctor Who, which he played from 1966 to 1969.-Early life:Troughton was born on 25 March, 1920 in Mill Hill,...
(who had played the title role in an earlier Robin Hood series) played a variety of roles in the show. On the distaff side,
Jill EsmondJill Esmond was an English actress.Esmond was born in London, the daughter of stage actors Henry V. Esmond and Eva Moore. While her parents toured with theatre companies, Esmond spent her childhood in boarding schools until she decided at the age of fourteen to become an actress...
played
Queen EleanorEleanor of Aquitaine was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages...
,
Jane AsherJane Asher is an English actress, who is well known in the United Kingdom for her numerous appearances in film and television dramas. She has also developed a second career as a cake decorator and cake shop proprietor. -Early life:...
played Prince Arthur's sister, and
Anne ReidAnne Reid is BAFTA Award-nominated English film and television actress from Newcastle upon Tyne, best known for her roles as Valerie Tatlock in Coronation Street and Jean in Dinnerladies.-Val Barlow:...
and Simone Lovell played barmaids at the Blue Boar Inn.
Joan SimsIrene Joan Marion Sims was an English actress best remembered for her roles in the Carry On films, and latterly for playing Madge Hardcastle in As Time Goes By.-Early life:...
guest starred in one episode. John Dearth played so many roles, he just about needs his own page. Many soon-to-be-famous faces pop up, including
Robert Shaw-Arts and Humanities:*Bob Shaw , Irish science fiction writer*Bob Shaw , co-writer for Seinfeld, A Bugs Life and others*Robert Shaw , American actor...
(
Jaws (film)Jaws is a 1975 American horror/thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Peter Benchley's novel Jaws. The police chief of Amity Island, a fictional summer resort town, tries to protect beachgoers from a giant great white shark by closing the beach, only to be overruled by the town...
),
Edward MulhareEdward Mulhare was an Irish popular television leading man from 1956 to 1995.Born at 22 Quaker Road, Cork city, County Cork, Ireland, and educated by the Irish Christian Brothers, Mulhare intended to study medicine, but was sidetracked by a growing interest in acting...
(
The Ghost & Mrs. Muir (tv series)The Ghost & Mrs. Muir is a situation comedy based on the 1947 film of the same name. It starred Hope Lange as a young widow who rents Gull Cottage, near the fishing village of Schooner Bay. It is haunted by the ghost of a nineteenth century sea captain played by Edward Mulhare.This series is based...
), and
Leo McKernReginald "Leo" McKern AO was an Australian actor who appeared in numerous British television programs and movies, and more than 200 stage roles.-Early life:...
(
Rumpole Of The BaileyRumpole of the Bailey is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer, QC which starred Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, an aging London barrister who defends any and all clients...
),
Harry H. CorbettHarry H. Corbett OBE was an English actor.Corbett was best known for his starring role in the popular and long-running BBC Television sitcom Steptoe and Son in the 1960s and 70s. Early in his career he was dubbed "the English Marlon Brando" by some sections of the British press for serious roles...
and
Wilfrid BrambellWilfrid Brambell was an Irish film and television actor, born in Dublin, best known for his role in the British television series Steptoe and Son constantly being referred to as "a dirty old man"...
, both of
Steptoe and SonSteptoe and Son is a British sitcom written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson about two rag and bone men living in Oil Drum Lane, a fictional street in Shepherd's Bush, London. Four series were broadcast on the BBC from 1962 to 1965, followed by a second run from 1970 to 1974. Its theme tune, "Old...
fame with Corbett appearing in four episodes and Brambell in two.
Plot
Richard Greene stars as Robin Hood, a nobleman forced into the life of an outlaw, dwelling in Sherwood Forest with a band of men who right the wrongs committed by the rich and powerful against the poor and defenseless.
Robin Hood's enemy in the series is the Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Wheatley) who, with his cohorts, schemes to capture the outlaw by any means possible.
Maid MarianMaid Marian usually named Lady Marian Fitzwalter of Leaford , is the female companion to the legendary English outlaw Robin Hood. Stemming from another, older tradition, she became associated with Robin Hood only in the sixteenth century.-History:The earliest Medieval Robin Hood stories gave him...
, a young noblewoman and Robin Hood's lover, keeps him informed of the Sheriff of Nottingham's whereabouts and intentions. Episodes are punctuated with manly deeds of derring-do, tense escapes and pursuits, princely tournaments, the thundering hoofbeats of powerful steeds, the clattering of flashing swords, and the whizzing of fatally-placed arrows.
One strong point of the show was the seamless history lessons. The producers hired English historians as consultants, which was a great help in plotting. For example, in "A Year and A Day", a refugee peasant explains that, under English law, a peasant who escapes serfdom and lives in a city for "a year and a day" is a free man, given the man lives openly, not in hiding. When Robin Hood helps the peasant move about the city, the Sheriff invokes "the law of hue and cry", explaining that any man within hearing must drop his chores and help apprehend the felon. In "A Christmas Goose", a boy's goose nips a lord's horse so the lord is thrown. The lord condemns the goose to death - for his Christmas dinner. But Robin Hood counters that under English common law, an accused animal is entitled to a fair trial, the same as a human. While Robin Hood drags out the trial, Friar Tuck gets the cook drunk and switches geese. When the deception is revealed, the lord relents and pardons the goose.
Another strong point were the supporting characters, who were clever and likable. In "The Goldmaker's Return", Robin Hood is away in France on a mission. Maid Marian, Friar Tuck, Little John and other Merry Men carry the day without the star of the show ever showing his face.
At least one episode "The Knight who came to Dinner" had two different versions. The basic plotline (Sir Richard of the Lea's castle being subject to forfeit due to a debt; remains the same, however in the Alpha video version the bondholder is a corrupt knight, while in the Mill Creek version of the episode the bondholder is a corrupt Abbot. The shots not directly involving the Abbot or the Knight are identical. The only other difference being that in the Mill creek version Sir Richard refers to Maid Marian by a different surname suggesting that it might have been a pilot. It is noteworthy that both versions have identical credits reflecting the Abbot and not the knight in the cast. The Fact that the Knight is played by a regular member of the troop of actors who appear in the series also suggests it was made later, perhaps for American audiences.
Blacklisted writers
The Adventures of Robin Hood was produced by
Hannah WeinsteinHannah Weinstein was an American journalist, publicist and left-wing political activist who moved to Britain and became a television producer. She is best known for producing The Adventures of Robin Hood television series in the 1950s. She had three daughters...
, a member of the Hollywood branch of the
Communist Party USAThe Communist Party of the United States of America is a Marxist-Leninist political party in the United States.During the first half of the 20th century it was the largest and most widely influential communist party in the country, and played a prominent role in the U.S...
, which helped to finance her production company,
Sapphire FilmsSapphire Films was a British television production company, active in the 1950s. Amongst their best-known series are The Adventures of Robin Hood and The Adventures of Sir Lancelot, produced for ITC Entertainment and screened on ITV in the UK, as well as being networked in the United...
. Weinstein hired many
blacklistedThe Hollywood blacklist—more precisely the entertainment industry blacklist, into which it expanded—was the mid-twentieth-century list of screenwriters, actors, directors, musicians, and other U.S. entertainment professionals who were denied employment in the field because of their political...
American writers to script episodes of the series: these included
Ring Lardner Jr.Ringgold Wilmer "Ring" Lardner Jr. was an American journalist and screenwriter, who was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studios during the Red Scare of the late 1940s and 1950s.-Early life:...
,
Waldo SaltWaldo Pressman Salt was an American screenwriter who was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studio bosses during the era of McCarthyism.-Early life and career:...
,
Robert LeesRobert Lees was an American television and film screenwriter. Lees was best known for writing comedy, including several Abbott and Costello films.-Life and career:...
and
Adrian ScottRobert Adrian Scott was an American screenwriter and film producer known as one of the Hollywood Ten who was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studio bosses during the era of McCarthyism....
.
Howard KochHoward E. Koch was an American playwright and screenwriter who was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studio bosses in the 1950s....
, who was also blacklisted, served as the series'
script editorA script editor is a member of the production team of scripted television programmes, usually dramas and comedies. The script editor has many responsibilities including finding new script writers, developing storyline and series ideas with writers, ensuring that scripts are suitable for production...
. The blacklisted writers were credited under pseudonyms, to avoid the notice of the
House Un-American Activities CommitteeThe House Committee on Un-American Activities was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives. In 1969, the House changed the committee's name to "House Committee on Internal Security"...
.
After the blacklist collapsed, Lardner said that the series' format allowed him "plenty of opportunities to comment on issues and institutions in Eisenhower-era America". In addition to the redistributive themes of a hero who robs from the rich and gives to the poor, many episodes in the programme's first two seasons included the threat that Robin and his band would be betrayed to the authorities by friends or loved ones, much as the blacklisted writers had been.
Theme song
Carl Sigman wrote the words and music for the theme song which was sung by
Dick JamesDick James , born Reginald Leon Isaac Vapnick, was a music publisher and the founder of the DJM record label and recording studios, as well as The Beatles' publisher Northern Songs.-Early days:...
and is still fondly remembered:
Robin Hood, Robin Hood, riding through the glen
Robin Hood, Robin Hood, with his band of men
Feared by the bad, loved by the good;
Robin Hood, Robin Hood, Robin Hood!
He called the greatest archers to a tavern on the green,
They vowed to help the people of the king,
They handled all the trouble on the English country scene,
And still found plenty of time to sing...
(Chorus repeat)
The song was released as a single by
Gary MillerGary Miller born Neville Williams was an English popular music singer and actor of the 1950s and 1960s. His career spanned only 13 years before he died of a heart attack in 1968. He released 24 singles and six EPs on the Pye Records label between 1955 and 1967...
and reached number 10 on the UK
chartsA record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
.
This song was parodied by
Monty Python's Flying CircusMonty Python’s Flying Circus is a BBC sketch comedy programme from the Monty Python comedy team, and the group's initial claim to fame. The show was noted for its surreality, risqué or innuendo-laden humour, sight gags, and sketches without punchlines...
in their Dennis Moore sketch, which depicted a masked highwayman from the 18th century (more like the
Scarlet PimpernelScarlet pimpernel is a low-growing annual plant found in Europe, Asia and North America...
) stealing
lupinLupins or lupines are the members of the genus Lupinus in the legume family . The genus comprises between 200 and 600 species, with major centers of diversity in South America and western North America, in the Mediterranean region and Africa.The species are mostly herbaceous perennial plants...
s from the rich to give to the poor.
Artistic details
Art director Peter Proud, an expert at wartime camouflage, hit on the idea of putting many props on wheels to facilitate quick set changes, since one 26 minute episode was shot every four and a half days. The show boasted "140 set pieces (baronial fireplaces, staircases, stone walls, entrance halls, and the like)". There was some outdoor location filming, mainly involving horse-riding doubles and stuntmen, and without dialogue recording. Sets were designed from parchments and sketches from the British Museum, and modeled on castles of Harlech, Farleigh, and Framlingham. Some of the 100 soldiers who manned the battlements of Nottingham Castle were miniature toy soldiers.
Influence
The series was an immediate hit on both sides of the
AtlanticThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres , it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface and about one-quarter of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to the Atlas of Greek...
, drawing 32,000,000 viewers per week. Lew Grade continued to commission 35mm shows until the late 1970s, including
The SaintThe Saint is a long-running ITC mystery spy thriller, that aired in the UK on ITV between 1962 and 1969. It centred on the Leslie Charteris literary character, Simon Templar, a Robin Hood-like adventurer with a penchant for disguise....
,
The PrisonerThe Prisoner is a 17-episode British television series broadcast in the UK from 29 September 1967 to 1 February 1968. Starring and co-created by Patrick McGoohan, it combined spy fiction with elements of science fiction, allegory, and psychological drama....
and
ThunderbirdsThunderbirds is a British mid-1960s television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films using a form of marionette puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation". The series followed the adventures of International Rescue, an organisation created to help those in grave danger using...
.
Merchandise
The series has been released by several companies, as under British copyright law, TV episodes are only eligible for a total of 50 years of copyright.
In Region 1,
Mill Creek EntertainmentMill Creek Entertainment is a home entertainment company that manufactures movie and television DVD compilation box sets at "value" prices. It was founded in 2002 by Ian Warfield, Robert Zakheim and Scott Moss in Minneapolis,Minnesota., and is currently a wholly-owned subsidiary of...
released the all 4 seasons on DVD between March 18, 2008 and August 25, 2009. They also released a complete series set on August 25, 2009.
Alpha VideoAlpha Video is an entertainment company, based near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that specializes in the manufacturing and marketing of public domain movies and TV shows on DVD...
has released fifteen DVDs' (Region 0) worth of material from
The Adventures of Robin Hood, each containing four episodes (60 episodes in total).
In Region 2,
Network DVDNetwork DVD is a DVD publishing company that specialises in classic British television. In particular, it has the rights to a number of well-known ITV programmes....
has released the complete series in the UK in four boxed sets, licensed from the holder of series trademarks,
GranadaGranada Limited is a former British media and previously catering conglomerate, best known as the former parent of Granada Television Limited. It is now known as ITV plc following its merger with Carlton Communications plc...
. The first three series have 39 episodes each, and are on five-disc sets, while the last series has 26 episodes and four discs. All sets are encoded in
PALPAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is an analogue television encoding system used in broadcast television systems in large parts of the world. Other common analogue television systems are SECAM and NTSC. This page primarily discusses the colour encoding system...
format and have no region encoding.
TMG (Timeless Media Group) has released a three DVD boxed set containing the first thirty episodes of the show. Other six episode DVDs are also available.
External links