Douglas Fairbanks, Errol Flynn, Richard Greene, Brian Bedford, Sean Connery, Kevin Costner, Cary Elwes, Jonas Armstrong, Russell Crowe…
All of us have our own favorite Robin Hood. For me, Robin Hood will always be Errol Flynn who starred in the 1938 version of Robin Hood: The Adventures of Robin Hood. This is the classic Robin Hood that I grew up on, the timeless swash buckling Technicolor classic that depicted the classical outlaw as something straight out of Arthurian Myth and fantasy. While film critics might declare Douglas Fairbanks as the original Robin Hood (the 1922 silent film), in my heart of hearts, I think that it is Errol Flynn that personifies this prince of thieves best.
There will always be debate whether or not the stories and ballads of Robin Hood and his Merry Men was based on an actual historic figure. Sure, a real outlaw that robbed from the rich and gave back to the poor might have really existed. Sure, it might have even been a soldier with crusade experience (although most experts agree that he only became a nobleman later on). But, for me, it is more about the myth that surrounds the story of Sir Robin of Locksley. This fantasy aspect is what has kept Robin Hood alive and vibrant for over 800 years and the best place where this fantasy is portrayed is in the movie with Errol Flynn.
My father, however, would wholly disagree. To him the only Robin Hood that is worth his time of day is Richard Greene’s Robin Hood from the classic 1950’s television show. While he loves the Errol Flynn movie, he grew up watching the television show. Looking back at this old television program, I can see why my dad likes it so much. Like the movie, this show is full of plenty of action and even a bit of intrigue as the Sheriff of Nottingham plots Robin’s demise.
“The Adventures of Robin Hood” (1955) manages to be fun, entertaining and even thought provoking, proving that it had a lot of talent behind the making of it. Some of the talented writers behind this very successful television series were actually American writers who found them blacklisted because of the McCarthy era. Under pseudonyms, they penned tales that hit on the very themes that they found themselves blacklisted for. Many episodes even touched on actual historical events. As a kid, I remember watching one classic episode where Robin Hood helps a peasant make it to “a year and a day” freeing him of serfdom. It was exactly the same topic that I was learning in my history class at the time but way more entertaining.
It is hard to blame the old man for making Richard Greene his favorite Robin Hood, but for me, this Robin is too stiff and bulky. Errol Flynn’s Robin has more panache and charm as does my second favorite Robin Hood: Cary Elwes. That’s right folks, in my opinion the second best Robin Hood out there is from the 1993 parody Robin Hood: Men in Tights. There is something just so charming about Elwes performance that you sometimes forget that the whole thing is really a send up. This ticks off my girlfriend, because this movie is pretty much making fun of her own favorite Robin Hood which is Kevin Costner in 1991’s Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. In this movie, you see an attempt to demythify (not a real word) the Robin Hood story and give it a historical context, doing away with much of the tight wearing fantasy elements portrayed in the earlier films. Costner’s Robin Hood is a no nonsense soldier who will not be seen within hundred yards of those green tights and prefers to wield a much larger and menacing looking sword. While this movie does have its moments of action and a brilliant performance by Alan Rickman as the evilest, vilest Sheriff of Nottingham there ever was, to me, Costner just does not cut it as Robin, although I will most definitely take Rickman as my Sheriff.
To me, Costner’s Robin Hood ranks just below the animated fox from the 1973 Disney gem Robin Hood. Sure, it might suck for Kevin to be outdone by a fox, but it is one charming fox and this cartoon also happened to be a staple of my childhood. Hey at least, he ranks above Sean Connery’s portrayal of Robin Hood in the Robin in Marian (1976), but then again I have never really seen this movie, only heard of it (so count your blessings Costner).
Truth be told, I have yet to see the latest incarnation of Robin Hood, but from the looks of the previews, team Ridley/ Crowe have definitely decided on the more historical as opposed to mythical fantasy aspect of the story. From the looks of it, it seems like the 2010 version of Robin Hood assumes that there really was a character in England’s past that had a habit of stealing from the corrupt rich and giving to the downtrodden.
Perhaps there was. Good outlaws have always done what they can to win over the local people. It is this type of generosity that kept the likes of Jesse James and Jon Dillinger free men. Perhaps there really was a veteran of the Crusades that got together a band of merry men to oppose the tyrannical rule of a sheriff. At least the History Channel thinks it is a good idea. There might have been, but to me it is the mythical, larger than life elements of Robin Hood that really makes it a good story.
Everyone has their own favorite Robin Hood that is fine. Whether you like the historically accurate new Robin, the 50’s morality teleplay Robin, the older Robin, the cartoon fox Robin, or the Swashbuckling Technicolor Robin, as long as you take something positive away from each of their stories, I think that there is room enough in the world for all of them.
Franck Benedittini
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