The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley

Screenplay by Norman Reilly Raine and Seton I. Miller

Runtime: 1 hr, 42 min

So far in Michael Curtiz Month, we have seen his efforts take the form of a patriotic musical and a melodramatic film noir.  But as I said last week, Curtiz’s films were varied greatly and genre, and today’s picture is no exception.  A film that was originally to be directed by William Keighley and starring a great deal of actors that I actually recognize, The Adventures of Robin Hood finds Curtiz in action-adventure mode, and of all the films I’ve covered for this month, it is easily the most enjoyable.

Starring Errol Flynn in his signature turn as Sir Robin of Locksley, The Adventures of Robin Hood finds Prince John (Claude Rains) ready to take the throne belonging to his brother, Richard the Lion-Heart, who has been taken captive while returning from the Crusades.  As the Norman taxes on and cruelty to the Saxons increase while Richard’s away, Robin Hood turns outlaw to aid the poor and challenge the oppressors, forming his band of Merry Men and gradually wooing Richard’s ward, the lovely Maid Marian (Olivia de Havilland).

Firstly, Errol Flynn’s performance is superb.  Not only does Flynn deliver his lines with a wonderful mixture of joviality, disdain and honor, but he is also nimble and does a convincing job in the acting sequences.  Yes, he does allow Robin Hood to come off as something a jerk at times, especially when recruiting his partners into the fold, but it is a reasonable portrayal.  I would expect a troublesome rebel to be hard to deal with on and off the battlefield, and one cannot deny that Flynn makes it fun to watch.

Robin Hood’s crew is motley one, and the variety of characters present is one of the film’s strongest points.  Among his eventual comrades are the skillful and sturdy Little John (Alan Hale), the tubby yet strong Friar Tuck (Eugene Pallatte), and the youthful, wisecracking Will Scarlett (Patric Knowles; there’s also a bit of Alan-a-Dale to the character).  These characters provide texture to their leader’s exploits, though it is a shame that some, especially Scarlett, don’t get enough screen time to fully flesh out their roles.

The Merry Men are all interesting, but it’s the Normans who turn in the best performances.  It would be hard to do otherwise when Melanie Hamilton, Louis Renault and Sherlock Holmes are coming to bat.  De Havilland’s performance as Maid Marian is nuanced and understated, Claude Rains is proper and prissy as Prince John, and Basil Rathbone lends dignity to his role as Sir Guy of Gisbourne.  But my favorite role of all is Melville Cooper as the Sheriff of Nottingham, secretly aware and intelligent yet completely ineffectual; one gets the feeling he’s the Norman version of Piggy.

I’ve gushed about the performances, but The Adventures of Robin Hood is intended as a spectacle, and it succeeds there as well.  The archery tournament sequence, complete with arrow-splitting feats of wonder, is tense and expertly staged.  The fight scenes between Robin Hood and whoever gets in his way are exciting; every blow he shares with Sir Guy has the potential to end everything right there.  And the Technicolor filming looks gorgeous, coming a full year before Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz brought color film to the next level.

On top of the color filming, the film looks great because the world the crew constructs is lively.  Curtiz gives equal time to emotion establishing close-ups and wide-angle shots to show off the scope and grandeur of this medieval England.  The clothes of the nobles are appropriately showy, while the castle architecture is cold and basic with ample empty space.  In fact, every detail shines through, from the poverty of the oppressed Saxons to the rich food freely available to the Norman nobility.  Despite centuries of time difference, there is a clear “you-are-there” effect.

However, as appears to be a recurring theme this month, The Adventures of Robin Hood has some problems with pacing its plot properly.  Rather than follow the narrative of Robin Hood keeping Prince John from taking Richard the Lion-Heart’s throne straight through, the screenwriters opt for an anecdotal approach which gradually builds up to the central conflict.  This does allow for the characters to have their moments, but having Robin Hood and Maid Marian taken captive at different points makes the film a bit repetitive in its obstacles.

Yet whereas the poor structure of Yankee Doodle Dandy ultimately sank the film, the pure spectacle of The Adventures of Robin Hood is enough to rise above the plot difficulties.  Indeed, the episodic nature of the film almost aids it, highlighting the mythic nature of the Robin Hood tales.  Triumphing as a series of performances and as an action-adventure, The Adventures of Robin Hood is great fun, pure and simple, and when well executed, that’s all that one really needs out of this sort of movie.