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From the fine 1922 silent Robin Hood with Douglas Fairbanks to the Kevin Costner vehicle Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Sherwood Forest has been fertile ground for moviemaking. No version, though, says "Welcome to Sherwood," with anywhere near the pizzazz of this 1938 classic, in which Errol Flynn memorably utters that very line from atop a tree limb, smiling with the debonair grace that defined his legend. The story's framework is adventure 101: Robin takes on the bad guys in the name of justice and, after a few setbacks, emerges thrillingly victorious in a climactic showdown and wins the hand of Maid Marian. But this familiar setup seems more blueprint than boilerplate thanks to Flynn's inimitable screen charisma. Swashbuckling through the action sequences (sword fighting, wielding bow and arrow, swinging onto rooftops), Flynn turns in what most critics agree is the finest performance of his film career. Amazingly, Flynn wasn't even nominated for an Academy Award, although the movie did pick up Oscars for art direction, editing and Erich Wolfgang Korngold's thrilling score. The supporting cast, meanwhile, isn't exactly an amateur troupe. Joining Flynn in his adventures are, among others, Olivia deHavilland as Marian, Claude Rains as Prince John, and Basil Rathbone as Sir Guy of Gisborne. Together they make joyous movie magic, the swashbuckling adventure against which all others must be measured. Bruce Kluger

All Movie Guide

In order to avoid the material copyrighted by Douglas Fairbanks Sr. for his 1922 Robin Hood, the scripters of this Flynn version relied on several legendary episodes that had never before been filmed, notably the battle between Robin and Little John (Alan Hale Sr., who played this part three times in his long career) and the "piggy-back" episode between Robin and Friar Tuck (Eugene Pallette). The film ties together the various ancient anecdotes with a storyline bounded by the capture in Austria of Richard the Lionheart (Ian Hunter) on one end and Richard's triumphant return to England on the other. Robin Hood is already an outlaw at the outset of the film, while Maid Marian (Olivia de Havilland) is initially part of the enemy camp, as one of Prince John's (Claude Rains) entourage. Marian warms up to Robin's fight against injustice (and to Robin himself), eventually becoming a trusted ally. James Cagney was originally announced for the role of Robin Hood, just before Cagney left Warner Bros. in a salary dispute. William Keighley was the original director, but he worked too slowly to suit the tight production schedule and was replaced by Michael Curtiz (both men receive screen credit). A lengthy opening jousting sequence was shot but removed from the final print; portions of this sequence show up as stock footage in the 1957 Warners film The Story of Mankind. The chestnut-colored Palomino horse ridden by de Havilland in the Sherwood Forest scenes later gained screen stardom as Roy Rogers' Trigger. Hal Erickson

Product Details

• UPC: 012569798397
• Source: WARNER HOME VIDEO
• Aspect Ratio: Pre-1954 Standard (1.33.1)
• Presentation: B&W
• Sound: Dolby Digital Mono
• Language: English, Français, Español
• Subtitles: English, Français, Español
• Time: 1:42:00
• Sales Rank: 12,283

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