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The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series)
Encyclopedia
The Adventures of Robin Hood is a popular British
television series comprising 143 half-hour, black and white episodes. It starred Richard Greene
as the outlaw Robin Hood
and Alan Wheatley
as his nemesis, the Sheriff of Nottingham
. The show aired weekly between 1955 and 1959 on ITV
in London in the UK
and on CBS
in the US. The show followed the legend
ary character Robin Hood
and his band of merry men in Sherwood Forest
and the surrounding vicinity. While some episodes dramatised the traditional Robin Hood tales, most episodes were original dramas created by the show's writers and producers.
The programme was produced by Sapphire Films
Ltd for ITC Entertainment
, was filmed at Nettlefold Studios
with some location work, and was the first of many big-budget shows commissioned by Lew Grade
. In 1954, Grade was approached by American producer Hannah Weinstein
to finance a series of 39 half hour episodes, at a budget of £10,000 an episode, of a series she wished to make called 'The Adventures of Robin Hood', for which she had already signed Richard Greene to the project as Robin Hood and been given the backing of US distribution company, Official Films Inc, who were confident of selling it to the US market. Grade was so impressed by her proposal that he agreed immediately to back the series, hoping to make large profits by selling programmes to the lucrative American market. In the UK, the series premiered on ATV
London, on Sunday 25 September 1955 the US premiere was on Monday 26 September 1955 by CBS
, ATV Midlands began the series on Friday 17 February 1956, the series had a staggered start across the other regions from 1956-1961 as the ITV regional stations came on-air for the first time in the UK. 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.
To mark the end of production on the series Mr and Mrs Fisher (Hannah Weinstein and her new husband John Fisher) and Richard Greene threw a final wrap party at The High Pine Club on 10 December 1958, cast members Alexander Gauge, Archie Duncan, Patricia Driscoll with husband Duncan Lamont, Paul Eddington, both Sheriffs Alan Wheatley and John Arnatt attended. Also there were producer Sidney Cole, Ken Hodges (lighting cameraman), Noel Rowland (camera operator), Pip Pearson (sound) and directors including Compton Bennett, Gordon Parry, Terry Bishop, Robert Day, Peter Seabourne and Anthony Squire and stuntman Rupert Evans.
Many soon-to-be-famous faces pop up, including: Leslie Philips, Jane Asher
, Anne Reid
(Coronation Street
and Dinnerladies
), Edward Mulhare
(The Ghost & Mrs. Muir
and Knight Rider), Patrick Troughton
(the Second Doctor
), Sidney James
, Joan Sims
and Bernard Bresslaw
(Carry On films), Leo McKern
(Rumpole Of The Bailey
), Alfie Bass
(The Army Game
), Sylvia Kay
(Just Good Friends), Harry H. Corbett
and Wilfrid Brambell
(Steptoe and Son
), Barbara Mullen
(Dr Finlay's Casebook
), Richard O'Sullivan (Man About The House
), Geoffrey Bayldon
(Catweazle
).
A number of actors appeared in supporting roles in most episodes, for series one these include: Victor Woolf, Willoughby Gray
, John Drake, John Longden
, Charles Stapley, John Dearth, Arthur Skinner, Paul Connell and Gabriel Toyne. And for later series include: Paul Hansard, Paul Eddington
, Michael Lane, Edward Mulhare
, Shaun O'Riordan, Morris Barry
, Patrick Troughton
, Wilfred Brambell, Nigel Davenport
, Harry H. Corbett
, Kevin Stoney
, Ronald Hines
and Max Faulkner, who also did stunt/double work. Frank Maher
later Patrick McGoohan
's stunt double played many small non speaking parts, and stuntman Terry Yorke, who doubled for Richard Greene, played many small roles throughout all four series.
), 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" (Series 2), 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" (Season 3), 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" (Season 2), Robin Hood is away in France on a mission. The Lady Marian, Little John and the other Merry Men carry the day without the star of the show ever showing his face.
143 episodes were filmed in four seasons.
, who had left-wing political views. Weinstein hired many blacklisted
American writers to script episodes of the series: these included Ring Lardner Jr.
, Waldo Salt
, Robert Lees
and Adrian Scott
. Howard Koch
, who was also blacklisted, served for a while as the series' script editor
. The blacklisted writers were credited under pseudonyms, to avoid the attention of studio executives.
(The sponsored prints of the first five episodes of series one, screened by CBS in the US on its first run, had no writer credits on their end title sequences, writers were only credited on sponsored prints from episode 6 onward, only later non sponsored US re-run prints of series one have writer credits for these episodes, some of which differ from writer credits on UK prints. As an example, Lawrence McClellan is credited as writer of "The Coming of Robin Hood" on US prints, for the UK the pseudonym used is Eric Heath.)
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.
and at the adjoining Foxwarren Park Estate, near Cobham, owned by Hannah Weinstein, horses used for filming were also stabled at Foxwarren house, which had a projection room for viewing daily film rushes and completed films. In 1956 a replica castle exterior, complete with drawbridge, was built in the grounds of the estate for filming of 'The Adventures of Sir Lancelot
' series (it features prominently in title sequence for the colour episodes), this was used predominantly for castle scenes in series 3 & 4 of Robin Hood, it first appears as Chataeu Marmont in 'The Bandit of Brittany' during series 2, in place of the standing castle and village set on the backlot at Nettlefold studios used in series 1 & most of series 2.
As well as this, establishing shots and short film sequences were also shot at various medieval buildings in the UK including: Allington Castle in Suffolk, this was used to establish Fitzwalter Castle, Marian's home in the series, Painshill Park, near Cobham, Saltwood Castle in Hythe, Pencoed Castle near Magor in Monmouthshire. Three Northumberland sites - Alnwick Castle, Lindesfarne Castle and Warkworth Castle. As well as Bodiam Castle in East Sussex, Leith Hill near Dorking, Framlington Castle in Suffolk, Newar Priory near Ripley, Castle Mill in Dorking and Newark Mill amongst others were used through the series.
(series 2), Michael Reed (series 2/3), Ian Craig (series 4)
Camera Operators ................................... Noel Rowland (series 1-4), Eric Williams (series 4)
Art Directors ............................................. Peter Proud (series 1), John Blezard (series 2-4), Peter Mullins (series 2/3)
Production Designer ................................. Peter Proud (series 2)
Art Supervisor ............................................... William Kellner
(series 2)
Assistant Director .............................................. Christopher Noble
Sound .................................................... H.P. Pearson
Film Editors .....................................Bill Lewthwaite, Peter Seabourne, Harry Booth, Inman Hunter and Thelma Connell (series 1), Joan Warwick (series 2-4), David Hawkins (series 2), Lee Doig (series 3/4), Peter Rolfe Johnson (series 4), Richard Sidwell (series 4)
Dubbing Editors ..............................................Harry Booth
and Michael Deeley
(series 1), Freddie Cook (series 2)
Supervising Film Editors ..........................................Thelma Connell
(series 1/2), Maurice Rootes (series 2)
Continuity ............................................. Joanna Busby/Barbara Thomas (series 1) Olga Marshall (series 2)
Make-Up Supervisor .............................. Walter Schneiderman
Hairdressers .......................................... Eileen Bates (series 1/2), Bill Griffiths (series 1), Betty Sheriff (series 2)
Wardrobe Supervisor ........................................... Brenda Gardner
Script Editors ....................................... Albert G. Ruben (series 1-3), Kathryn Dawes (series 2), Peggy Phillips (series 2/3), Raymond Bowers (series 4)
Production Supervisor/Manager ..................................George Mills (series 1), Harold Buck (series 1-4)
Assistant Producer ......................................John C. George
Production Associate ..................................Richard Greene (series 4)
Associate Producer .................................Thelma Connell (series 2-4)
Producer ........................................Sidney Cole
(series 1-4) (credited as Associate Producer on series 1)
Executive Producer .................................Hannah Weinstein
. The song is still fondly remembered:
In 1956 the theme song was released on Parlophone
records by Dick James
with Stephen James and his chums and Ron Goodwin's Orchestra and reached number 14 in the UK charts (78rpm single:R.4117/45rpm single:MSP6199), and by PYE
records as a 78rpm single by Gary Miller
with Tony Osbourne orchestra and the Beryl Stott chorus (PYE N.15020) and reached number 10 on the UK charts
, versions by Frankie Laine
(CBS Coronet), Nelson Riddle and his Orchestra (Capitol), Alan Dale (Coral), Joe Reisman's orchestra and chorus (RCA Victor) and Ronnie Ronaldo (Colombia) were also issued. These versions had the extended song with fives verses and the chorus six times.
This song was parodied by Monty Python's Flying Circus
in their Dennis Moore sketch, which depicted a masked highwayman from the 18th century (more like the Scarlet Pimpernel
) stealing lupin
s from the rich to give to the poor.
"Robin des Bois" was the theme recorded for the French TV market, sung in French, it can be heard on the 3rd series episode "Farewell To Tuck" released by Network on DVD. The series was first broadcast in France as "Aventures dans la Foret de Sherwood" in 1965 on ORTF. Other countries to broadcast the series include Canada 1955-1958 on CBOT, Toronto and CKCO, Ontario, Australia 1956-1961 on HSV7 (The Seven Network),Finland in 1964 on NORDEEZE, Holland in 1965/66 on AVRO and Germany between 1971 and 1974 on ARD.
First series episodes also exist with a variant downbeat instrumental end theme by Edwin Astley, it can be heard on the episode "The Highlander" released by Network DVD.
, 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.
syndication prints had a few variants to the original UK prints, after the brief title sequence the US prints would repeat this sequence but with "Brought to You By" and after the arrow strikes the tree the sponsors name "Wildroot Cream-Oil" superimposed, "Johnson and Johnson" sponsored episodes had a voice-over over the opening titles "Richard Greene in The Adventures of Robin Hood" and over the repeated sequence "presented by" followed by the names of two Johnson and Johnson products, images of which would appear over the shot of the arrow in the tree, a commercial featuring one of the products would then be shown, the Wildroot Cream-Oil sponsored episodes would then feature an animated commercial showing a Robin Hood type figure with lanck hair and a dinosaur. A Minstrel song would then be sung at the beginning of each episode, over the episode title, providing a playful poetic synopsis in short prose of what could be expected to be seen. After the final fade to black a sequence featuring an actor playing the Minstrel would be shown as he sung these lyrics to the tune of "Early One Morning
": "We'll have the merry time again with Robin and his merry men and the folk who'll bring him to you then ask for words with you." followed by a commercial for next weeks sponsor before the end titles would be shown, (Wildroot Cream Oil and Johnson and Johnson sponsored alternate episodes) the end credits start with the opening sequence, again, with Sandy Becker
mentioning the sponsors name again, with the sponsors product appearing on screen through the end titles which are shown over the shot of the tree. This caption also appeared: "This film was flown to the USA via Pan American World Airways". The opening minstrel tunes were also sung to the tune of 'Early One Morning'. There were two sponsors of the CBS syndicated screenings, Wildroot Cream-Oil (a hair tonic company) and Johnson and Johnson (known in the UK for baby powder). The commercials involved "within" the episodes appeared originally on all three Seasons broadcast at 7.30pm (eastern standard time) /6.30pm (central standard time) Monday nights on CBS (not series 4).
Alternative title captions appear over the opening sequence on some US prints, instead of "Richard Greene in The Adventures of Robin Hood" they state "Richard Greene plays Robin Hood-The Adventures in Sherwood Forest".
Alternate US end credit titles crediting the series as "A Hannah Weinstein Production for Sapphire Films Limited",(and for later episodes from 1958 credited as "A Hannah Fisher Production") also exist.
In the UK, at the time, sponsorship of programmes was not allowed and each episode had one commercial break in the middle.
, drawing 32,000,000 viewers per week. Sapphire films were commissioned to make four other series by Lew Grade, The Adventures of Sir Lancelot
(1956/57) (broadcast by NBC
on Monday nights at 8.00pm), The Bucaneers
(1956/57) (broadcast by CBS
on Saturday nights at 7.30pm), Sword of Freedom
(1957/58), and The Four Just Men (1958/59). ITC continued to make and sell TV series to the US until the late 1970s, including The Saint
, The Prisoner
, and Thunderbirds
plus many more.
has released all 4 seasons on DVD. They have also released a complete series set featuring all 143 episodes of the series.
Alpha Video
has released 22 single volume collections of the series, featuring various episodes.
In Region 2, Network DVD
has released all 4 seasons on DVD in the UK.
Three DVD boxsets of the series have also been released in Germany by KNM Home Entertainment as "Die Abenteuer Von Robin Hood" with German language soundtracks in 2009.
for Hammer Film productions (in association with Yeoman Films), Directed by Terence Fisher
, written by Alan Hackney, director of photography was Ken Hodges and the film editor was Lee Doig , all TV series alumni. Richard Greene starred as Robin Hood with Peter Cushing
as The Sheriff of Nottingham, Blonde haired Sarah Branch played Maid Marian with Nigel Green
as Little John, Jack Gwillim
as Archbishop Hubert Walter and Edward Pascoe as Edward - The Earl of Newark, Oliver Reed
also had a small role. It was filmed in colour and in a widescreen process referred to as 'Megascope' on the opening titles.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television series comprising 143 half-hour, black and white episodes. It starred Richard Greene
Richard Greene
Richard Marius Joseph Greene was a noted English film 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 for 143 episodes from 1955 to 1960.It has been...
as the outlaw 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....
and Alan Wheatley
Alan Wheatley
Alan 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 Nottingham
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...
. The show aired weekly between 1955 and 1959 on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
in London in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
in the US. The show followed the legend
Legend
A 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 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....
and his band of merry men in 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...
and the surrounding vicinity. While some episodes dramatised the traditional Robin Hood tales, most episodes were original dramas created by the show's writers and producers.
The programme was produced by Sapphire Films
Sapphire Films
Sapphire Films was a British television production company, active in the 1950s. Amongst their best-known series are The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Adventures of Sir Lancelot, The Buccaners, and The Four Just Men produced for ITC Entertainment and screened on ITV in the UK, as well as being...
Ltd for ITC Entertainment
ITC Entertainment
The Incorporated Television Company was a British television company largely involved in production and distribution. It was founded by Lew Grade.-History:...
, was filmed at Nettlefold Studios
Nettlefold Studios
Nettlefold 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. During the late fifties the studio changed its name to...
with some location work, and was the first of many big-budget shows commissioned by Lew Grade
Lew Grade
Lew Grade, Baron Grade , born Lev Winogradsky, was an influential Russian-born English impresario and media mogul.-Early years:...
. In 1954, Grade was approached by American producer Hannah Weinstein
Hannah Weinstein
Hannah 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 having produced The Adventures of Robin Hood television series in the 1950s...
to finance a series of 39 half hour episodes, at a budget of £10,000 an episode, of a series she wished to make called 'The Adventures of Robin Hood', for which she had already signed Richard Greene to the project as Robin Hood and been given the backing of US distribution company, Official Films Inc, who were confident of selling it to the US market. Grade was so impressed by her proposal that he agreed immediately to back the series, hoping to make large profits by selling programmes to the lucrative American market. In the UK, the series premiered on ATV
Associated TeleVision
Associated Television, often referred to as ATV, was a British television company, holder of various licences to broadcast on the ITV network from 24 September 1955 until 00:34 on 1 January 1982...
London, on Sunday 25 September 1955 the US premiere was on Monday 26 September 1955 by CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, ATV Midlands began the series on Friday 17 February 1956, the series had a staggered start across the other regions from 1956-1961 as the ITV regional stations came on-air for the first time in the UK. 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.
To mark the end of production on the series Mr and Mrs Fisher (Hannah Weinstein and her new husband John Fisher) and Richard Greene threw a final wrap party at The High Pine Club on 10 December 1958, cast members Alexander Gauge, Archie Duncan, Patricia Driscoll with husband Duncan Lamont, Paul Eddington, both Sheriffs Alan Wheatley and John Arnatt attended. Also there were producer Sidney Cole, Ken Hodges (lighting cameraman), Noel Rowland (camera operator), Pip Pearson (sound) and directors including Compton Bennett, Gordon Parry, Terry Bishop, Robert Day, Peter Seabourne and Anthony Squire and stuntman Rupert Evans.
Characters
- Robin HoodRobin HoodRobin 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....
, a nobleman returned from the Crusades and forced into outlawry in Sherwood Forest. Played by Richard GreeneRichard GreeneRichard Marius Joseph Greene was a noted English film 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 for 143 episodes from 1955 to 1960.It has been...
. - The Sheriff of NottinghamSheriff 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...
, Robin Hood's enemy who schemes to capture the outlaw. Played by Alan WheatleyAlan 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 JohnLittle JohnLittle John was a legendary 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 (actor)Archie Duncan was a Scottish actor born in Glasgow.Duncan's father was a Regimental Sergeant Major in the army and his mother a postmistress...
. Duncan was briefly replaced by Rufus Cruikshank for ten episodes after Duncan was injured when a horse bolted toward the spectators, mostly children, watching the location filming of the episode "Checkmate" on 20 April 1955, Archie Duncan grabbed the bridle stopping the horse but the cart it was pulling ran him over causing a fractured kneecap and cuts and bruises. He received the Queen's Commendation for Bravery Award and £1,360 in damages from Sapphire films. - Maid MarianMaid MarianMaid Marian is the wife of the legendary English outlaw Robin Hood. Stemming from another, older tradition, she became associated with Robin Hood only in the 16th century.-History:The earliest medieval Robin Hood stories gave him no female companion...
(Lady Marian Fitzwalter), a noblewoman and Robin Hood's lover. Played in series one and two by Bernadette O'FarrellBernadette O'FarrellBernadette O'Farrell was an Irish actress.She is best known for playing Maid Marian in the 1950s TV version of The Adventures of Robin Hood...
and in series three and four by Patricia DriscollPatricia DriscollPatricia Driscoll is an Irish actress, who has appeared on both television and in films. She was born in Cork, Ireland....
. - Friar TuckFriar TuckFriar 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 GaugeAlexander Gauge was a British actor best known for playing Friar Tuck in The Adventures of Robin Hood from 1955 to 1960....
. - Will ScarletWill 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. Played by Ronald HowardRonald Howard (British actor)Ronald Howard was an English actor and writer best known in the U.S. for starring in a weekly Sherlock Holmes television series in 1954. He was the son of actor Leslie Howard.- Life and work :...
(2 episodes/Series 1) and Paul EddingtonPaul EddingtonPaul Eddington CBE was an English actor best known for his appearances in popular television sitcoms of the 1970s and 80s: The Good Life, Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister.-Early life:...
(Series 4). - Alan-a-DaleAlan-a-DaleAlan-a-Dale is a figure in the Robin Hood legend...
, a member of Robin Hood's band. Played by Richard ColemanRichard 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...
(3 episodes/Series 4). - Derwent, a member of Robin's band. Played by Victor Woolf. Excepting Robin, this character was featured in the most episodes of the show, a total of 112.
- Prince JohnJohn of EnglandJohn , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
, the scheming friend of the Sheriff of Nottingham and brother of King Richard. Played by Donald PleasenceDonald PleasenceSir Donald Henry Pleasence, OBE, was a British actor who gained more than 200 screen credits during a career which spanned over four decades...
, Hubert GreggHubert GreggHubert Gregg was a BBC broadcaster, writer and stage actor. At the end of his life he was probably best known for the BBC Radio 2 'oldies' shows A Square Deal and Thanks For The Memory...
, and Brian Haines. - Joan, the barmaid at the Blue Boar Inn, a friend of Robin and his band. Played by Simone Lovell. (Helen Forrest also played Joan in two series 1 episodes)
- Sir Richard of the LeaRichard at the LeeRichard at the Lee was a major character in the early medieval ballads of Robin Hood, especially the lengthy ballad A Gest of Robyn Hode, and has reappeared in Robin Hood tales throughout the centuries.Sir Richard is said to have been a nobleman, the lord of Verysdale...
, a friend of Robin and his band. Played by Ian HunterIan Hunter (actor)Ian Hunter was a British character actor.Among dozens of film roles, his best-remembered appearances include That Certain Woman with Bette Davis, The Adventures of Robin Hood , The Little Princess and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde...
. - The Deputy Sheriff of Nottingham, (The Sheriff's replacement in series 4), played by John ArnattJohn Arnatt- Biography :John Arnatt was born in Petrograd on 9 May 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...
. - Queen EleanorEleanor of AquitaineEleanor of Aquitaine was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages. As well as being Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, she was queen consort of France and of England...
of Aquitaine played by Jill EsmondJill EsmondJill Esmond was an English actress and first wife of Sir Laurence Olivier.-Early life:Esmond was born Jill Esmond Moore 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...
. (2 episodes in series 1) - Prince Arthur played by Peter AsherPeter AsherPeter Asher is an English guitarist, singer, manager and record producer. He first came to prominence in the 1960s as a member of the vocal duo Peter and Gordon before going on to a successful career as a record producer.-Early life:He was born at the Central Middlesex Hospital, a child actor and...
(3 episodes series 1 & 2), Richard O'Sullivan (1 episode series 3) and Jonathon Bailey (1 episode series 4) - Lady Constance, Duchess of Brittany played by Dorothy AlisonDorothy AlisonDorothy Alison was an Australian stage, film and television actress.She was born in Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia, and was educated at Sydney Girls High School. She moved to London, England in 1949 to further her career...
(3 episodes series 1 & 2), Pamela Alan (1 episode series 3) and Patricia MarmontPatricia MarmontPatricia Marmont is an American actress. She is the daughter of Percy Marmont and was married to Nigel Green.-Selected filmography:* Front Page Story * The Crowded Day * Helen of Troy...
(1 episode series 4)
Many soon-to-be-famous faces pop up, including: Leslie Philips, Jane Asher
Jane Asher
Jane Asher is an English actress. She has also developed a second career as a cake decorator and cake shop proprietor.-Early life:...
, Anne Reid
Anne Reid
Anne Reid, MBE is a 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....
(Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
and Dinnerladies
Dinnerladies
Dinnerladies is a British sitcom written, co-produced by and starring Victoria Wood. It ran on BBC One for 16 episodes from 1998 to 2000.-Plot:...
), Edward Mulhare
Edward Mulhare
Edward Mulhare was a popular television actor whose career spanned four decades.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
The Ghost & Mrs. Muir (TV series)
The Ghost & Mrs. Muir is a situation comedy based on the 1947 film The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, which was based on the 1945 novel by R.A. Dick. It starred Hope Lange as Carolyn Muir, a young widow who rents Gull Cottage, near the fictional fishing village of Schooner Bay, Maine along with her two...
and Knight Rider), Patrick Troughton
Patrick Troughton
Patrick George Troughton was an English actor most widely known for his roles in fantasy, science fiction and horror films, particularly 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,...
(the Second Doctor
Second Doctor
The Second Doctor is the second incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by character actor Patrick Troughton....
), Sidney James
Sidney James
Sidney James was a former professional footballer, who played for Huddersfield Town and Hartlepool United. He died in April 1917, when he was killed in action during World War I.-References:...
, Joan Sims
Joan Sims
Joan 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:...
and Bernard Bresslaw
Bernard Bresslaw
Bernard Bresslaw was an English actor. He is best remembered for his comedy work, especially as a member of the Carry On team.-Biography:...
(Carry On films), Leo McKern
Leo McKern
Reginald "Leo" McKern, AO was an Australian-born British actor who appeared in numerous British and Australian television programmes and movies, and more than 200 stage roles.-Early life:...
(Rumpole Of The Bailey
Rumpole of the Bailey
Rumpole of the Bailey is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer which starred Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, an ageing London barrister who defends any and all clients...
), Alfie Bass
Alfie Bass
Alfred Bass was an English actor. He was born in Bethnal Green, London, the youngest in a Jewish family with ten children; their parents had fled persecution in Russia...
(The Army Game
The Army Game
The Army Game is a British sitcom that aired on ITV from 1957 to 1961. Made in black-and-white, it is about National Service conscription to the post-war British Army. It was created by Sid Colin...
), Sylvia Kay
Sylvia Kay
Sylvia Kay, is an English character actress, who has had many roles in British television programmes, most notably as Daphne Warrender in the BBC Sitcom Just Good Friends...
(Just Good Friends), Harry H. Corbett
Harry H. Corbett
Harry 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...
and Wilfrid Brambell
Wilfrid Brambell
Henry Wilfrid Brambell was an Irish film and television actor best known for his role in the British television series Steptoe and Son. He also performed alongside The Beatles in their film A Hard Day's Night, playing Paul McCartney's fictional grandfather.- Early life :Brambell was born in Dublin...
(Steptoe and Son
Steptoe and Son
Steptoe 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 by the BBC from 1962 to 1965, followed by a second run from 1970 to 1974. Its theme tune, "Old...
), Barbara Mullen
Barbara Mullen
Barbara Mullen was an American actress well known in the UK for playing the part of Janet the housekeeper in Dr Finlay's Casebook...
(Dr Finlay's Casebook
Dr. Finlay's Casebook (TV & radio)
Dr. Finlay's Casebook is a television series that was broadcast on the BBC from 1962 until 1971. Based on A. J. Cronin's novella entitled Country Doctor, the storylines centred on a general medical practice in the fictional Scottish town of Tannochbrae during the late 1920s...
), Richard O'Sullivan (Man About The House
Man About the House
Man About the House is a British sitcom starring Richard O'Sullivan, Paula Wilcox and Sally Thomsett that was broadcast for six seasons on ITV from 1973 to 1976. It was created and written by Johnnie Mortimer and Brian Cooke. The series was considered daring at the time due to its subject matter of...
), Geoffrey Bayldon
Geoffrey Bayldon
Geoffrey Bayldon is a British actor. After playing roles in many dramas including Shakespeare, he became known for portraying the title role of the children's series Catweazle , after turning down the opportunity to play both the First and Second Doctors in the long-running BBC science fiction...
(Catweazle
Catweazle
Catweazle was a British television series, created and written by Richard Carpenter which was produced and directed by Quentin Lawrence for London Weekend Television under the LWI banner, and screened in the UK on ITV in 1970 and 1971...
).
A number of actors appeared in supporting roles in most episodes, for series one these include: Victor Woolf, Willoughby Gray
Willoughby Gray
Willoughby Gray was an English actor of stage and screen born in London ....
, John Drake, John Longden
John Longden
John Longden was a West Indian-born English film actor. He appeared in 84 films between 1926 and 1964, including five films directed by Alfred Hitchcock.-Biography:...
, Charles Stapley, John Dearth, Arthur Skinner, Paul Connell and Gabriel Toyne. And for later series include: Paul Hansard, Paul Eddington
Paul Eddington
Paul Eddington CBE was an English actor best known for his appearances in popular television sitcoms of the 1970s and 80s: The Good Life, Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister.-Early life:...
, Michael Lane, Edward Mulhare
Edward Mulhare
Edward Mulhare was a popular television actor whose career spanned four decades.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...
, Shaun O'Riordan, Morris Barry
Morris Barry
Morris Barry was born in Northampton and was a noticeable figure on the production side of the BBC in the 1960s and 1970s....
, Patrick Troughton
Patrick Troughton
Patrick George Troughton was an English actor most widely known for his roles in fantasy, science fiction and horror films, particularly 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,...
, Wilfred Brambell, Nigel Davenport
Nigel Davenport
Nigel Davenport is an English stage, television and film actor.- Early life :Davenport was born Arthur Nigel Davenport, however he goes by the first name of Nigel. Davenport was born in Shelford, Cambridgeshire, the son of Katherine Lucy and Arthur Henry Davenport. Davenport's father was a bursar...
, Harry H. Corbett
Harry H. Corbett
Harry 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...
, Kevin Stoney
Kevin Stoney
Kevin Stoney was an English actor, best known for his television roles.During World War II, Stoney served with the Royal Air Force....
, Ronald Hines
Ronald Hines
Ronald Hines is a British television actor.He has had a lengthy career, but possibly his best known role was as the husband in three of the four series of Not in Front of the Children...
and Max Faulkner, who also did stunt/double work. Frank Maher
Frank Maher (stuntman)
Frank Maher was a British stuntman, most famous for his roles as a stuntman or stunt coordinator in a vast range of British TV shows in particular the TV series Danger Man in which he frequently acted as a stunt double for the series star Patrick McGoohan.-Early career:He was born in London on 18...
later Patrick McGoohan
Patrick McGoohan
Patrick Joseph McGoohan was an American-born actor, raised in Ireland and England, with an extensive stage and film career, most notably in the 1960s television series Danger Man , and The Prisoner, which he co-created...
's stunt double played many small non speaking parts, and stuntman Terry Yorke, who doubled for Richard Greene, played many small roles throughout all four series.
Plot
The series is set in the 12th Century, during the reign of King Richard I. Robin Hood, a nobleman, is 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 who, with his cohorts, schemes to capture the outlaw by any means possible. Lady Marian Fitzwalter (Maid MarianMaid Marian
Maid Marian is the wife of the legendary English outlaw Robin Hood. Stemming from another, older tradition, she became associated with Robin Hood only in the 16th century.-History:The earliest medieval Robin Hood stories gave him no female companion...
), 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" (Series 2), 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" (Season 3), 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" (Season 2), Robin Hood is away in France on a mission. The Lady Marian, Little John and the other Merry Men carry the day without the star of the show ever showing his face.
Format
Each episode starts with a country scene of normal life in Old England during which an introductory poem in rhymed cadence is sung by a minstrel in Seasons 1 and 2 (not 3 and 4). The poem is a jestful abstract summary vignette of what can be expected in the episode. The episode then goes through its storyline. The end of the episode is followed by the theme song of Robin Hood for the series with the production credits given.Episodes
- Main article: List of The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series) episodes (including DVD release information).
143 episodes were filmed in four seasons.
Blacklisted writers
The Adventures of Robin Hood was produced by Hannah WeinsteinHannah Weinstein
Hannah 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 having produced The Adventures of Robin Hood television series in the 1950s...
, who had left-wing political views. Weinstein hired many blacklisted
Hollywood blacklist
The Hollywood blacklist—as the broader entertainment industry blacklist is generally known—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 beliefs or...
American writers to script episodes of the series: these included Ring Lardner Jr.
Ring Lardner Jr.
Ringgold Wilmer "Ring" Lardner, Jr. was an American journalist and screenwriter blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studios during the Red Scare of the late 1940s and 1950s.-Early life:...
, Waldo Salt
Waldo Salt
Waldo Miller Salt was an American screenwriter who was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studio bosses during the era of McCarthyism.-Early life and career:...
, Robert Lees
Robert Lees
Robert 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 Scott
Adrian Scott
Robert Adrian Scott was an American screenwriter and film producer. He was one of the Hollywood Ten and later blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studio bosses.-Biography:...
. Howard Koch
Howard Koch (screenwriter)
Howard E. Koch was an American playwright and screenwriter who was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studio bosses in the 1950s.-Early Years:...
, who was also blacklisted, served for a while as the series' script editor
Script editor
A 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 attention of studio executives.
(The sponsored prints of the first five episodes of series one, screened by CBS in the US on its first run, had no writer credits on their end title sequences, writers were only credited on sponsored prints from episode 6 onward, only later non sponsored US re-run prints of series one have writer credits for these episodes, some of which differ from writer credits on UK prints. As an example, Lawrence McClellan is credited as writer of "The Coming of Robin Hood" on US prints, for the UK the pseudonym used is Eric Heath.)
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.
Filming
Whilst interiors were filmed at Nettlefold Studios, location shooting for the series took place on the nearby Wisley common, Wisley, Surreyand at the adjoining Foxwarren Park Estate, near Cobham, owned by Hannah Weinstein, horses used for filming were also stabled at Foxwarren house, which had a projection room for viewing daily film rushes and completed films. In 1956 a replica castle exterior, complete with drawbridge, was built in the grounds of the estate for filming of 'The Adventures of Sir Lancelot
The Adventures of Sir Lancelot
The Adventures of Sir Lancelot is a British television series first broadcast in 1956, produced by Sapphire Films for ITC Entertainment and screened on the ITV network...
' series (it features prominently in title sequence for the colour episodes), this was used predominantly for castle scenes in series 3 & 4 of Robin Hood, it first appears as Chataeu Marmont in 'The Bandit of Brittany' during series 2, in place of the standing castle and village set on the backlot at Nettlefold studios used in series 1 & most of series 2.
As well as this, establishing shots and short film sequences were also shot at various medieval buildings in the UK including: Allington Castle in Suffolk, this was used to establish Fitzwalter Castle, Marian's home in the series, Painshill Park, near Cobham, Saltwood Castle in Hythe, Pencoed Castle near Magor in Monmouthshire. Three Northumberland sites - Alnwick Castle, Lindesfarne Castle and Warkworth Castle. As well as Bodiam Castle in East Sussex, Leith Hill near Dorking, Framlington Castle in Suffolk, Newar Priory near Ripley, Castle Mill in Dorking and Newark Mill amongst others were used through the series.
Crew
Directors of Photography ......................... Gerald Gibbs (series 1), Ken Hodges (series 1-4), Ernest PalmerErnest Palmer (British cinematographer)
Ernest Palmer was a British cinematographer. He worked on over 20 films.-Filmography:* The River Wolves * While Parents Sleep * Birds of a Feather...
(series 2), Michael Reed (series 2/3), Ian Craig (series 4)
Camera Operators ................................... Noel Rowland (series 1-4), Eric Williams (series 4)
Art Directors ............................................. Peter Proud (series 1), John Blezard (series 2-4), Peter Mullins (series 2/3)
Production Designer ................................. Peter Proud (series 2)
Art Supervisor ............................................... William Kellner
William Kellner
William Kellner was an Austrian-born art director who worked primarily on British films in the 1940s and 1950s. He began his career as a draughtsman working for Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger on their films A Canterbury Tale and I Know Where I'm Going! and on David Lean's Brief...
(series 2)
Assistant Director .............................................. Christopher Noble
Sound .................................................... H.P. Pearson
Film Editors .....................................Bill Lewthwaite, Peter Seabourne, Harry Booth, Inman Hunter and Thelma Connell (series 1), Joan Warwick (series 2-4), David Hawkins (series 2), Lee Doig (series 3/4), Peter Rolfe Johnson (series 4), Richard Sidwell (series 4)
Dubbing Editors ..............................................Harry Booth
Harry Booth
Harry Booth, born in London, England is a film director, film producer, screenwriter and editor. He began his film career in 1941.-Director:*Ben Hall TV episode *Going Dutch aka Op de Hollandse toer...
and Michael Deeley
Michael Deeley
Michael Deeley is a British film producer who has helped create notable films such as The Italian Job, Blade Runner and The Deer Hunter. He is also a founding member and Deputy Chairman of The British Screen Advisory Council....
(series 1), Freddie Cook (series 2)
Supervising Film Editors ..........................................Thelma Connell
Thelma Connell
Thelma Connell was an English film editor.Born Thelma Balle Dunaway in London, she began her career as a continuity girl, and then moved up to assistant editor on films such as The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp before taking the editing role for the first time in In Which We Serve...
(series 1/2), Maurice Rootes (series 2)
Continuity ............................................. Joanna Busby/Barbara Thomas (series 1) Olga Marshall (series 2)
Make-Up Supervisor .............................. Walter Schneiderman
Hairdressers .......................................... Eileen Bates (series 1/2), Bill Griffiths (series 1), Betty Sheriff (series 2)
Wardrobe Supervisor ........................................... Brenda Gardner
Script Editors ....................................... Albert G. Ruben (series 1-3), Kathryn Dawes (series 2), Peggy Phillips (series 2/3), Raymond Bowers (series 4)
Production Supervisor/Manager ..................................George Mills (series 1), Harold Buck (series 1-4)
Assistant Producer ......................................John C. George
Production Associate ..................................Richard Greene (series 4)
Associate Producer .................................Thelma Connell (series 2-4)
Producer ........................................Sidney Cole
Sidney Cole
Sidney Henry Cole was a British film and television producer and editor.Cole was educated at the LSE, and entered the film industry as a scenario reader for Stoll Picture Productions, a company founded by Sir Oswald Stoll...
(series 1-4) (credited as Associate Producer on series 1)
Executive Producer .................................Hannah Weinstein
Theme song
Carl Sigman wrote the words and music for the theme song which was sung by Dick JamesDick James
Dick 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 life:...
. The song 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 (1st paragraph) repeat]
In 1956 the theme song was released on Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
records by Dick James
Dick James
Dick 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 life:...
with Stephen James and his chums and Ron Goodwin's Orchestra and reached number 14 in the UK charts (78rpm single:R.4117/45rpm single:MSP6199), and by PYE
Pye
Pye Ltd. was an electronics company founded in Cambridge, England and is currently wholly owned by Philips.- Early growth :W.G. Pye & Co. Ltd. was founded in 1896 in Cambridge by William George Pye, an employee of the Cavendish Laboratory, as a part time business making scientific instruments...
records as a 78rpm single by Gary Miller
Gary Miller (singer)
Gary 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...
with Tony Osbourne orchestra and the Beryl Stott chorus (PYE N.15020) and reached number 10 on the UK charts
Record chart
A 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....
, versions by Frankie Laine
Frankie Laine
Frankie Laine, born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio , was a successful American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performance of "That's My Desire" in 2005...
(CBS Coronet), Nelson Riddle and his Orchestra (Capitol), Alan Dale (Coral), Joe Reisman's orchestra and chorus (RCA Victor) and Ronnie Ronaldo (Colombia) were also issued. These versions had the extended song with fives verses and the chorus six times.
This song was parodied by Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python’s Flying Circus is a BBC TV sketch comedy series. The shows were composed of surreality, risqué or innuendo-laden humour, sight gags and observational sketches without punchlines...
in their Dennis Moore sketch, which depicted a masked highwayman from the 18th century (more like the Scarlet Pimpernel
Scarlet pimpernel
Scarlet pimpernel is a low-growing annual plant found in Europe, Asia and North America...
) stealing lupin
Lupin
Lupinus, commonly known as Lupins or lupines , is a genus in the legume family . The genus comprises about 280 species , with major centers of diversity in South and western North America , and the Andes and secondary centers in the Mediterranean region and Africa Lupinus, commonly known as Lupins...
s from the rich to give to the poor.
"Robin des Bois" was the theme recorded for the French TV market, sung in French, it can be heard on the 3rd series episode "Farewell To Tuck" released by Network on DVD. The series was first broadcast in France as "Aventures dans la Foret de Sherwood" in 1965 on ORTF. Other countries to broadcast the series include Canada 1955-1958 on CBOT, Toronto and CKCO, Ontario, Australia 1956-1961 on HSV7 (The Seven Network),Finland in 1964 on NORDEEZE, Holland in 1965/66 on AVRO and Germany between 1971 and 1974 on ARD.
First series episodes also exist with a variant downbeat instrumental end theme by Edwin Astley, it can be heard on the episode "The Highlander" released by Network DVD.
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 MuseumBritish Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, and modeled on castles of Harlech
Harlech Castle
Harlech Castle, located in Harlech, Gwynedd, Wales, is a concentric castle, constructed atop a cliff close to the Irish Sea. Architecturally, it is particularly notable for its massive gatehouse....
, Farleigh
Farleigh Hungerford Castle
Farleigh Hungerford Castle, sometimes called Farleigh Castle or Farley Castle, is a medieval castle in Farleigh Hungerford, Somerset, England. The castle was built in two phases: the inner court was constructed between 1377 and 1383 by Sir Thomas Hungerford, who made his fortune working as a...
, and Framlingham
Framlingham Castle
Framlingham Castle is a castle in the market town of Framlingham in Suffolk in England. An early motte and bailey or ringwork Norman castle was built on the Framlingham site by 1148, but this was destroyed by Henry II of England in the aftermath of the revolt of 1173-4...
. Some of the 100 soldiers who manned the battlements of Nottingham Castle
Nottingham Castle
Nottingham Castle is a castle in Nottingham, England. It is located in a commanding position on a natural promontory known as "'Castle Rock'", with cliffs high to the south and west. In the Middle Ages it was a major royal fortress and occasional royal residence...
were miniature toy soldiers.
Sponsorship
In the US the original CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
syndication prints had a few variants to the original UK prints, after the brief title sequence the US prints would repeat this sequence but with "Brought to You By" and after the arrow strikes the tree the sponsors name "Wildroot Cream-Oil" superimposed, "Johnson and Johnson" sponsored episodes had a voice-over over the opening titles "Richard Greene in The Adventures of Robin Hood" and over the repeated sequence "presented by" followed by the names of two Johnson and Johnson products, images of which would appear over the shot of the arrow in the tree, a commercial featuring one of the products would then be shown, the Wildroot Cream-Oil sponsored episodes would then feature an animated commercial showing a Robin Hood type figure with lanck hair and a dinosaur. A Minstrel song would then be sung at the beginning of each episode, over the episode title, providing a playful poetic synopsis in short prose of what could be expected to be seen. After the final fade to black a sequence featuring an actor playing the Minstrel would be shown as he sung these lyrics to the tune of "Early One Morning
Early One Morning
"Early One Morning" is an English folk song. The lyrics are first found in publications as far back as 1787. A broadside in the Bodleian Library, Oxford dates from about 1803...
": "We'll have the merry time again with Robin and his merry men and the folk who'll bring him to you then ask for words with you." followed by a commercial for next weeks sponsor before the end titles would be shown, (Wildroot Cream Oil and Johnson and Johnson sponsored alternate episodes) the end credits start with the opening sequence, again, with Sandy Becker
Sandy Becker
George Sanford Becker , who was known professionally as Sandy Becker, was a television announcer, actor, and comedian who hosted several popular children's programs in New York City...
mentioning the sponsors name again, with the sponsors product appearing on screen through the end titles which are shown over the shot of the tree. This caption also appeared: "This film was flown to the USA via Pan American World Airways". The opening minstrel tunes were also sung to the tune of 'Early One Morning'. There were two sponsors of the CBS syndicated screenings, Wildroot Cream-Oil (a hair tonic company) and Johnson and Johnson (known in the UK for baby powder). The commercials involved "within" the episodes appeared originally on all three Seasons broadcast at 7.30pm (eastern standard time) /6.30pm (central standard time) Monday nights on CBS (not series 4).
Alternative title captions appear over the opening sequence on some US prints, instead of "Richard Greene in The Adventures of Robin Hood" they state "Richard Greene plays Robin Hood-The Adventures in Sherwood Forest".
Alternate US end credit titles crediting the series as "A Hannah Weinstein Production for Sapphire Films Limited",(and for later episodes from 1958 credited as "A Hannah Fisher Production") also exist.
In the UK, at the time, sponsorship of programmes was not allowed and each episode had one commercial break in the middle.
Influence
The series was an immediate hit on both sides of the AtlanticAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, drawing 32,000,000 viewers per week. Sapphire films were commissioned to make four other series by Lew Grade, The Adventures of Sir Lancelot
The Adventures of Sir Lancelot
The Adventures of Sir Lancelot is a British television series first broadcast in 1956, produced by Sapphire Films for ITC Entertainment and screened on the ITV network...
(1956/57) (broadcast by NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
on Monday nights at 8.00pm), The Bucaneers
The Buccaneers (TV series)
The Buccaneers was a 1956 Sapphire Films television drama series for ITC Entertainment, networked by CBS in the US and shown on ATV and selected ITV companies in the UK....
(1956/57) (broadcast by CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
on Saturday nights at 7.30pm), Sword of Freedom
Sword of Freedom
Sword of Freedom was a 1958 drama adventure series for a family audience. Like several of its predecessors , it was produced by Sapphire Films for ITC Entertainment and fitted into the same swashbuckler genre as previous productions...
(1957/58), and The Four Just Men (1958/59). ITC continued to make and sell TV series to the US until the late 1970s, including The Saint
The Saint (TV series)
The Saint was an ITC mystery spy thriller television series 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 character may be nicknamed The Saint because the...
, The Prisoner
The Prisoner
The Prisoner is a 17-episode British television series first 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.The series follows a British former...
, and Thunderbirds
Thunderbirds (TV series)
Thunderbirds is a British mid-1960s science fiction television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films using a form of marionette puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation"...
plus many more.
Products
Many licensed products and knockoffs were sold, including books, jigsaw puzzles, iron-on patches, toy bows and arrows, and more. Magazine Enterprises featured Richard Greene photos on three Robin Hood comic books. Robin and Marian made the cover of TV Guide in the Week of 12–18 May 1956.DVD
In Region 1, Mill Creek EntertainmentMill Creek Entertainment
Mill Creek Entertainment is a home entertainment company that manufactures movie and television DVD compilation box sets at "value" prices. Nashville's Amity Entertainment is an affiliate to Mill Creek...
has released all 4 seasons on DVD. They have also released a complete series set featuring all 143 episodes of the series.
Alpha Video
Alpha Video
Alpha 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 22 single volume collections of the series, featuring various episodes.
In Region 2, Network DVD
Network DVD
Network 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 all 4 seasons on DVD in the UK.
Three DVD boxsets of the series have also been released in Germany by KNM Home Entertainment as "Die Abenteuer Von Robin Hood" with German language soundtracks in 2009.
| DVD Name | Ep# | Release dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | Region 2 | ||
| The Complete First Season | 39 | March 18, 2008 | March 3, 2008 |
| The Complete Second Season | 39 | October 14, 2008 | December 1, 2008 |
| The Complete Third Season | 39 | March 31, 2009 | November 1, 2008 |
| The Complete Fourth Season | 26 | August 25, 2009 | January 24, 2005 |
| The Complete Series | 143 | August 25, 2009 | December 12, 2011 |
Film
In 1960 Sydney Cole and Richard Greene produced the feature film Sword of Sherwood ForestSword of Sherwood Forest
Sword of Sherwood Forest is a 1960 British adventure film directed by Terence Fisher for Hammer Film Productions. Richard Greene reprises the role of Robin Hood, which he played in The Adventures of Robin Hood on TV from 1955 to 1960....
for Hammer Film productions (in association with Yeoman Films), Directed by Terence Fisher
Terence Fisher
Terence Fisher was a film director who worked for Hammer Films. He was born in Maida Vale, a district of London, England.Fisher was one of the most prominent horror directors of the second half of the 20th century...
, written by Alan Hackney, director of photography was Ken Hodges and the film editor was Lee Doig , all TV series alumni. Richard Greene starred as Robin Hood with Peter Cushing
Peter Cushing
Peter Wilton Cushing, OBE was an English actor, known for his many appearances in Hammer Films, in which he played the handsome but sinister scientist Baron Frankenstein and the vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing, amongst many other roles, often appearing opposite Christopher Lee, and occasionally...
as The Sheriff of Nottingham, Blonde haired Sarah Branch played Maid Marian with Nigel Green
Nigel Green
Nigel Green was a South African-born English character actor. Because of his strapping build and commanding demeanour he would often be found playing military types and men of action in such classic sixties films as Jason and the Argonauts, Zulu, Tobruk and The Ipcress File.-Early life and...
as Little John, Jack Gwillim
Jack Gwillim
Jack William Frederick Gwillim was a prolific English character actor.-Career:Born in Canterbury, Kent, England, he served in the Royal Navy for over twenty years, attaining the rank of Commander...
as Archbishop Hubert Walter and Edward Pascoe as Edward - The Earl of Newark, Oliver Reed
Oliver Reed
Oliver Reed was an English actor known for his burly screen presence. Reed exemplified his real-life macho image in "tough guy" roles...
also had a small role. It was filmed in colour and in a widescreen process referred to as 'Megascope' on the opening titles.
External links
- The Adventures of Robin Hood: A Robin Hood Spotlight
- Download episodes of The Adventures of Robin Hood at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
- Fishko Files, WNYC,June 25, 2010.