Son of the Guardsman
Encyclopedia
Son of the Guardsman is a 1946 Columbia
film serial
. It was the 31st of the 57 serials produced by that studio.
Son of the Guardsman is a rare serial with a period setting, in this case 12th century England
. The serial is largely based on the Robin Hood
legends, to the exent of including outlaws from Sherwood Forest
, but it does not include or reference Robin Hood himself.
The serial was produced by the notoriously cheap Sam Katzman
and directed by Derwin Abrahams. Robert Shaw
starred as the heroic noble-turned-outlaw David Trent with Charles King as his villainous uncle Sir Edgar Bullard.
, Sir Richard Bullard conspires to conquer England. In doing so, he kidnaps the daughter of his rival, Lord Markham. This causes his nephew, David Trent, to turn against him and join the outlaws in Sherwood Forest, who led by Allan Hawk. Meanwhile, the outlaws of the forest support the usurped Prince Richard as the rightful ruler of England, who has been usurped
by the regent
Lord Hampton.
legends, although it does not include Robin Hood, just the period and Sherwood Forest
setting. The serial was made to use costumes and sets left over from feature film
s. Amortising the costs of all the productions involved. Costume drama
serials were rare productions for any producer. The serial's subitle was "Gallant Fighter of the Greenwood."
Source:
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
film serial
Serial (film)
Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials, Film serials or Chapter plays, were short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a feature film. They were related to pulp magazine serialized fiction...
. It was the 31st of the 57 serials produced by that studio.
Son of the Guardsman is a rare serial with a period setting, in this case 12th century England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The serial is largely based on the Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
legends, to the exent of including outlaws from Sherwood Forest
Sherwood Forest
Sherwood 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 Forest National Nature Reserve today encompasses 423 hectares surrounding the village of...
, but it does not include or reference Robin Hood himself.
The serial was produced by the notoriously cheap Sam Katzman
Sam Katzman
Sam Katzman was an American film producer and director. Born into a poor Jewish family, Katzman went to work as a stage laborer at the age of 13 in the fledgling East Coast film industry...
and directed by Derwin Abrahams. Robert Shaw
Robert Shaw (American actor)
Robert Shaw , born Robert Gottschall, was an American actor.-Filmography:* The Sky's No Limit - Dr...
starred as the heroic noble-turned-outlaw David Trent with Charles King as his villainous uncle Sir Edgar Bullard.
Plot
Set in the middle agesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, Sir Richard Bullard conspires to conquer England. In doing so, he kidnaps the daughter of his rival, Lord Markham. This causes his nephew, David Trent, to turn against him and join the outlaws in Sherwood Forest, who led by Allan Hawk. Meanwhile, the outlaws of the forest support the usurped Prince Richard as the rightful ruler of England, who has been usurped
Usurper
Usurper is a derogatory term used to describe either an illegitimate or controversial claimant to the power; often, but not always in a monarchy, or a person who succeeds in establishing himself as a monarch without inheriting the throne, or any other person exercising authority unconstitutionally...
by the regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
Lord Hampton.
Cast
- Robert ShawRobert Shaw (American actor)Robert Shaw , born Robert Gottschall, was an American actor.-Filmography:* The Sky's No Limit - Dr...
as David Trent, nobleman turned outlawOutlawIn historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute... - Daun Kennedy as Lady Louise Markham, daughter of Lord Markham
- Robert 'Buzz' Henry as "Roger Mowbry", really Prince Richard in disguise
- Jim Diehl as Allan Hawk, leader of the Sherwood Forest outlaws
- Hugh ProsserHugh ProsserHugh Prosser was a Hollywood actor who appeared in over 90 films between 1936 and 1953.A native of Illinois, Prosser was a versatile supporting performer particularly adept at playing unscrupulous villains, but also satisfactory in character roles and the occasional sympathetic part...
as Red Robert - Leonard PennLeonard PennLeonard Penn was an American film, television and theatre actor.-Early life and education:He was born in Springfield, Massachusetts.-Career:...
as Mark Crowell - Jock MahoneyJock MahoneyJock Mahoney was an American actor and stuntman of Irish, French, and Cherokee ancestry. Born Jacques O'Mahoney, he was credited variously as Jock Mahoney, Jack O'Mahoney or Jock O'Mahoney. He starred in two television series, both westerns...
as Captain Kenley - Charles King as Sir Edgar Bullard, David Trent's evil uncle
- John Merton as Lord Hampton, the evil regent
Production
Son of the Guardsman is based on the Robin HoodRobin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
legends, although it does not include Robin Hood, just the period and Sherwood Forest
Sherwood Forest
Sherwood 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 Forest National Nature Reserve today encompasses 423 hectares surrounding the village of...
setting. The serial was made to use costumes and sets left over from feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
s. Amortising the costs of all the productions involved. Costume drama
Costume drama
A costume drama or period drama is a period piece in which elaborate costumes, sets and properties are featured in order to capture the ambiance of a particular era.The term is usually used in the context of film and television...
serials were rare productions for any producer. The serial's subitle was "Gallant Fighter of the Greenwood."
Chapter titles
- Outlaws of Sherwood Forest
- Perils of the Forest
- Blazing Barrier
- The Siege of Bullard Hall
- A Dagger in the Dark
- A Fight for Freedom
- Trial by Torture
- Mark Crowell's Treachery
- Crushed to Earth
- A Throne at Stake
- Double Danger
- The Secret of the Treasure
- Into the Depths
- The Lost Heritage
- Free Men Triumph
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