Every generation has it’s own Robin Hood, mine was Richard Greene in the ITV series “The Adventures of Robin Hood” still remembered for the theme song.
For some it will be Michael Praed, later replaced by Jason Connery, when Michael went off to Hollywood, in the series “Robin of Sherwood” Jason’s father Sean also had a go at Robin Hood in the Film “Robin and Marion”.
Possibly the most famous Robin Hood is Errol Flynn in the 1938 Warner Bros “The Adventures of Robin Hood” The first Robin adventure to be made in colour, set in England but filmed in California.
The horse that Maid Marion, played by Olivia De Havilland, rode was Trigger, later to find fame with Roy Rodgers, if you don’t know who Roy Rodgers was, that’s what google is for.
Kevin Costner had a go in the unintentionally hilarious “Robin Hood Prince of Thieves” were his American accent came in for some criticism, the oft quoted “To-night we will sup with my father in Nottingham” being the highlight.
The theme song by Canadian singer Bryan Adams “Everything I do, I do it for you” proved to be a great success. Sixteen consecutive weeks at number one, the longest time in British recording history. It was a worldwide hit reaching number one in over twenty countries. It nearly didn’t happen, the film company were not happy with the song and asked Bryan Adams to change it he refused.
My favourite story about that theme song was the Belfast couple that told the elderly organist at their wedding that they wanted the Robin Hood theme. The organist did not know of the Bryan Adams song and said he thought that the Robin Hood theme was a little odd for them to walk down the aisle to, when the Bride told him that it was a beautiful song and that is what she wanted.
So the couple walked down the aisle to “Robin Hood, Robin Hood, riding through the glen, Robin Hood, Robin Hood and his Merry Men” the theme to the 1950s TV series.
The BBC recently inflicted a dire Politically Correct “Robin Hood” on the viewing public. Jonas Armstrong as Robin played with all the charisma of a sullen hoodie. Even Keith Allen as a really vile Sheffif of Nottingham could not save this series and the BBC have dropped it as fast as the plummeting viewing figures.
Robin Hood has been a rich vein for filmmakers and now director Ridley Scott has turned his camera on the legend. Reuniting with Kiwi actor Russell Crowe and trying to repeat their success with the multi Oscar winning “Gladiator” this week sees “Robin Hood” reaching the screen. This is a different take on the usual story, more a story of how he got to be Robin Hood.
Beautifully filmed on the Pembrokeshire coast, the battle scenes are fast and exciting, without gratuitous violence. Mark Strong, last seem as the villain in “Sherlock Holmes” again plays the villain, he is really cornering the market in dressed in black villains.
The main villains in this Robin Hood are the French and as we all love to hate the French that should go down well at the box office, the film was not well received at the Cannes Film Festival. Now there’s a surprise.
Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett make a surprisingly entertaining and believable Robin and Marion. Some of the accents are a bit strange as are some of the characters; Robins Merry Men are a Scot, an Irishmen and a Welshman with it being left to Friar Tuck to be the comic turn. Russell Crowe does have some problems with the accent, occasionally drifting towards the Irish.
This is ideal escapist entertainment, don’t expect historical accuracy and all is well set up for the sequel when Robin will start robbing the rich and giving to the poor, I look forward to my share.
Don't rush out at the end, stay for the spectacular graphics in the closing credits.
4 Stars
“Robin Hood” is now on general release and showing locally at FACT. Cert 12A
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