The Rogues of Sherwood Forest ( 1950 )
In terms of the famous Robin Hood legend the Walt Disney version The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men( 1952 ) to me stands out as the very best – however this one – made a couple of years earlier is pretty good. It was made in Hollywood and so the exteriors don’t quite match up to the English countryside where the story is set. In the Walt Disney version much of the filming was done at Burnham Beeches – close to Denham Film Studios – in England – and I have to say that was near perfect.
However this Columbia Pictures production The Rogues of Sherwood Forest released in 1950 with John Derek portraying the character with a vigour suitable to the son of that knavish hero
The Rogues of Sherwood Forest is set in a post-King Richard England. With his brother dead, Prince John ( George MacReady ) – now in his 50s – takes control of the throne once again and he hasn’t lost any of his youthful zest for bloodshed and tyranny.
Robin, Earl of Huntington, son of the famous Robin Hood, rallies up some of his father’s merrie men – including Little John, Friar Tuck and Will Scarlet – and gathers a fresh band of outlaws to wage woodland war on Prince John and his followers
Gordon Douglas is he Director of this rousing Technicolor swashbuckler, which features some stunning cinematography ( by Charles Lawton Jr. ) and beautiful matte-painted backdrops – as this one below. However the matte part is the whole of the top right of the picture – the castle and also the moat I would say. It is very effective though.
While many of the other Robin Hood films are worth viewing The Rogues of Sherwood Forest boasts a very good cast and script, from screenwriter George Bruce Some of his previous films included The Man in the Iron Mask ( 1939 ), The Son of Monte Cristo ( 1940 ), and The Corsican Brothers ( 1941 ).
Diana Lynn Stars as Lady Marianna.
She was a child protégé pianist at age 10. She was a very capable and promising actress whose career was cut short. After being in several films and a number of TV films and programmes, she took a short respite from acting in 1964 while raising a family with her second husband in New York.
She had just returned to Hollywood in 1971 with a part in a new film, but she suffered a stroke and died before filming began. She was only 45.
Above – A Book from the film which would have been on sale at the time – and can still be purchased to this day. It has some lovely colour plates.
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