THE RETURN OF ROBIN HOOD.

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 3, 5 January 1939, Page 17

THE RETURN OF ROBIN HOOD.

Errol Flynn in a Colour Version.

Years ago the devotee of the.silent film saw a movie in which Douglas Fairbanks appeared as Robin Hood, and to this day he remains in memory for his feats of daring and the agility which he revealed. Now, years later, and after the silent version of "Robin Hood" came out in a new edition to meet popular demand, Warner Bros.First National have made a sound version of the story, which is coming to the Regent Theatre shortly. It is filmed in. colour and enriched with striking scenery. That, and hundreds of daring stunt men, make a show which is of first-rate appeal to all the young ,in years and those who remain young in spirit. The legend is deathless, and the gaiety and daring of Ho bin Hood have tne same attraction no matter who is the principal, but in choosing Errol Mynn to play the part of the outlawed Saxon hero, and Olivia de Havilland to be his Maid Marian, the film company has deserved well of the public, wnile the supporting figures, Claude Rains as' Prince John, and Basil Rathbone, as Sir Guy of Gisbourne, could not be better. Kobin Hood is a myth, attempts to find a historical basis for him have failed, hence the story oi his rebellion against the usurper Prince John, his holding of part of England in the name of the vanished Richard the" Lionheart, gone to the Crusades and held captive in Vienna, is merely part of the universal folklore. And hence the alterations which the filmmakers have made in the customary plot, their infusing of a certain sentiment of nationality into the theme, for instance, and representation of Kobin Hood and Maid Marian as looking to a time when there would be no Saxons and Normans, but an English race, are as permissible as anything that has been done to the legend in the centuries since first we know his name to have been written—sso years ago. And the outcome is a lusty, merry, adventurous tale, full of fight, of pranks, of resource, and humour. This Robin of Errol Flynn is probably near the ideal Robin of the people of England five centuries ago; he is a droll fellow, bold and vigorous to the point of impudence, as when he goes unattended among his foes and fights his way out again, open-handed, a hater of monks, a protector of women, a dweller in the green wood, an incomparable archer, and an early Socialist—he believes in the redistribution of property and takes from the rich to give to the poor. On the dramatic side, he is a hater of oppression and the man who holds his part of England for his rightful king. Thus the film has taken, with great skill, the manoeuvres of Prince John and his lieutenant, Sir Guy of Gisbourne, to partition the kingdom among themselves, to snatch power from Richard, and to suppress the local irritation of Robin Hood, and from these it has woven an exciting story of ambush, escape, a baited trap, assassins, and pitched battles, reaching its climax at the moment when Prince John, having usurped the power of Regent, attempts to take another step and usurp the title of king. Then there is a battle to end battles, with Robin and Sir Guy lof Gisbourne meeting in a long and! dramatic struggle and nemesis at last on the way. The romance comes when the gallant Robin Hood manages to 1 make the Norman Maid Marian see j what he is doing among the oppressed people, Norman and Saxon, and wins her love. Wins her aid, too, for it is her plan which saves him when the rope is about his neck in the public square. And there are feats of daring and agility which match the lavishness with which the film has been produced. The scenes during the forest ambush, with the outlaws leaping from great heights on to the backs of the! Norman guards, the closing of the town j gate of Nottingham, with Robin rid-j ing to the top of the great structure at the end of a rope as the portcullis i falls,.these things will be remembered even as the first Robin Hood film is, remembered. And for the supportingl cast there is a great array of talent, with Alan Hale as Little John, Eugene■ Pallette as Friar Tuck, the great J swordsman and greater eater, Herbert! Mundin as Mutch the miller's 3on, j Patric Knowles as Will Scarlet, lan Hunter as King Richard, Melville Cooper as the High Sheriff of Nottingham, Montagu Love as the Bishop of Black Canon, and Una O'Connor as Maid Marian's comic attendant. Also! in the cast, not seen but felt, is! Howard Hill, the greatest archer in the world, who provides some of the thrills of the picture, breaking a mace in the hands of Basil Rathbone as he is about J to strike down Mutch, pinning a letter to a table amongst a group of men, and splitting the shaft of an arrow already in a target. And the colourful background matches the colourful story, making the picture one of the very best of the year. ,