The Bandit of Sherwood Forest

Columbia Pictures reportedly spent about $1 million on this fairly robust entertainment, chronicling the adventures of Robert of Huntington (American star Cornel Wilde), the son of the legendary Robin Hood (Russell Hicks). It's 20 years since Hood Sr.'s adventures, and there's a new tyrant to deal with, the nefarious William of Pembroke (ever-reliable Henry Daniell). This piece of work wants to murder the current boy-king (Maurice Tauzin) and become king himself. But Robin still associates with his legendary Merrie-Men, and is soon joined by Robert, who's just as adept at handling swords and bows & arrows.

A first-rate cast (Jill Esmond as the queen, Anita Louise as Roberts' love interest Lady Catherine, Edgar Buchanan as Friar Tuck, George Macready as Fitz-Herbert, Ray Teal as Little John, etc.) helps to make this very pleasant if nothing altogether special. While there is enough violence on hand, very little of it is actually bloody, and the action is well-executed. The music is by Hugo Friedhofer, who'd worked on the very popular Errol Flynn Robin Hood movie, and it's appropriately rousing. The athletic and charismatic Wilde is a fine choice for the dashing lead, who has a sense of humour and a very confident attitude. Daniell is, as always, a perfect movie villain. You only have to know him briefly to know that he's pure evil. But what really makes the difference is the fact that Columbia shot this in Technicolor, which gives the adventure a degree of freshness. Some of the colours just pop off the screen.

Screenplay credited to Wilfrid H. Pettitt & Melvin Levy, based on a story by Paul A. Castleton & Pettitt and a novel by Castleton. Henry Levin and George Sherman share director credit, but maintain an effective unity of vision.

Six out of 10.

Hot off the heels of his starring role as Chopin in A SONG TO REMEMBER, actor CORNEL WILDE was actually a fine choice to play the swashbuckling title role since he was an athlete of Olympian proportions. ANITA LOUISE, originally considered for the Maid Marian role in Flynn's film version, plays the lovely Lady Catherine.

It's strictly Saturday matinée stuff from Columbia, splashed with gorgeous Technicolor scenery but unfortunately a script that is only occasionally interesting enough to warrant the royal treatment given the production values and costumes.

Interestingly, Tony Gaudio photographed it (he did Errol's ROBIN HOOD) and all of it looks like it was filmed yesterday in the brightest of hues. JILL ESMOND, RUSSELL HICKS (as Robin Hood), LLOYD CORRIGAN, GEORGE MACREADY, EDGAR BUCHANAN (as Friar Tuck) and reliable villain HENRY DANIELL (wickedly plotting the death of a boy King) are all satisfactory in supporting roles. Only really miscast actor seems to be JOHN ABBOT as Will Scarlett.

It works on a certain level as a zestful Robin Hood film, but is really nothing special despite spirited performances by CORNEL WILDE and ANITA LOUISE as the leads.

For an entertaining hour and twenty minutes, it's well worth watching but it's directed without any particular style by George Sherman.

This movie was released in the 1940's starring Cornell Wilde; Anita Louise; Jill Esmond; Edgar Buchanan; Henry Daniell and George Macready.

The story deals with the legend of Robin Hood. On this occasion it is the son of Robin Hood, namely Robert, played by Cornel Wilde, who is the hero.

Obviously, since Robin Hood lived in the days of Richard The Lion Heart and King John, one must assume that the young King is King John's son Henry III, who ascended the throne during his minority. The kingdom during this time was ruled by Regents culminating in Simon de Montfort, when the King achieved his majority.

But historical fact aside, the film is an enjoyable piece of escapist adventure, which is sadly lacking from our screens today.

If you get a chance try viewing The Rogues of Sherwood Forest released through the same stable - Columbia 1950 starring John Derek and Diana Lynn. Interesting to note that this too is the son of Robin Hood but in the time of King John played by George Macready who also appeared in the Bandit of Sherwood Forest

Of the myriad epic adventures revolving around the legendary figure of Robin Hood, this is the one (despite the inherently low-key nature of it all) to come closest – in spirit, accomplishment and entertainment value – to the definitive 1938 Errol Flynn vehicle: I suppose it was mere coincidence that both had two directors assigned to them! For one thing, the look of the film is just as gorgeous (Tony Gaudio, one of the cinematographers involved, was also partly responsible for THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD) but the action is similarly zesty, the leads (Cornel Wilde – actually playing the Son Of – and Anita Louise) equally likable and well-suited, and the rogues' gallery (including Henry Daniell, George Macready and Ian Wolfe – even if, admittedly, only the first gets a character of any real substance) no less formidable. Of course, a good deal of the plot is familiar from previous versions – since the off-spring of the crusading outlaw goes through much the same paces as his father: from the initial antagonism between him and the leading lady, and also between him and Robin's band of "Merrie Men" (apparently, they fail to notice the comparable attire!), to the presence of a usurper on the throne (who not only comes face to face with the hero for the first time when the latter interrupts the Regent's banquet, but the villain even tries to ensnare Wilde via an archery contest which Robin Jr. attends – and wins – under heavy disguise!). The script does, however, supply its own exciting embellishments to the formula, such as devising an elaborate plan to rescue the child king from certain death at the hands of the tyrant eager to get him out of the way – while the expected storming-of-the-castle at the climax by the forces of good takes a back seat to the inevitable duel between Wilde and Daniell (which surprisingly occurs out in the open at nightfall). The supporting cast also includes the likes of Jill Esmond – the ex-Mrs. Laurence Olivier – as the Queen Mother (whose character disappears half-way through), Lloyd Corrigan (as the typically bumbling Sheriff of Nottingham), John Abbott (as Will Scarlet) and Eva Moore (so memorable as Rebecca Femm in my all-time favorite film, James Whale's THE OLD DARK HOUSE [1932], relegated here to only a couple of scenes in one of her last roles). For the record, Wilde, Daniell and Macready would all appear in a number of other enjoyable swashbucklers over the years: interestingly, Daniell had previously dueled with Errol Flynn himself in THE SEA HAWK (1940), whereas Macready would eventually graduate to chief villain for this film's immediate follow-up i.e. ROGUES OF SHERWOOD FOREST (1950; which I actually watched early on in the year) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042901/usercomments-2.

The Bandit of Sherwood Forest is directed by George Sherman and Henry Levin and collectively written by Wilfrid H. Pettitt, Melvin Levy and Paul A. Castleton. It stars Cornel Wilde, Anita Louise, Jill Esmond, Edgar Buchanan, Henry Daniel, George Macready and Russell Hicks. Music is by Hugo Fridehofer and cinematography is shared between Tony Gaudio, William Snyder and George B. Meehan.

A wonderful spin on the Robin Hood legend, this finds Robin Hood (Hicks) enlisting the help of his son Robert (Wilde) in stopping the nefarious members of the Regency who seek to basically abolish the Magna Carta. What follows in narrative trajectory terms is the usual array of fights and face-offs, with bow and arrows skills supplementing the swordplay. There is of course some simmering passions at work, whilst loyalty and camaraderie is never ever far away.

There's such a sense of fun about the picture, it's like everyone is enjoying playing in a costume adventure. The Technicolor is luscious and the set design and art direction is impressive, more so when put into context the modest budget allocated to the production by Columbia.

The draw card is Wilde, a one time Olympic standard fencer, he utterly convinces as a swashbuckler and has charm in abundance. It's very unlikely anyone will ever fill a Robin Hood based film role with the panache that Errol Flynn did back in 1938, but Wilde most assuredly nails down a marker for one of the genre's best.

Not all the costuming strikes as period reflective, neither does one or two character accents, but it matters not one jot. A sometimes rousing and often engaging swashbuckling adventure, The Bandit of Sherwood Forest is one of the better "Hood" movies out there. 8/10