REGENT THEATRE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 April 1939, Page 2

REGENT THEATRE

“ROBIN HOOD” A GREAT PICTURE. The Regent Theatre on Saturday night was packed to the doors with an enthusiastic audience which proclaimed the “Adventures of Robin Hood” one of the greatest pictures ever brought to the screen. Magnificently coloured, with the scenery outstanding for its beauty, the picture must be considered a talkie classic. Doubtless a large portion of the audience was attracted to the picture for sentimental reasons, because of the fact that in their childhood Robin Hood and his merry men were to them heroes never to be forgotten. And here the picture unfolds all the incidents with which every boy and girl and every adult today are familiar. Who is ever likely while memory lasts to forget Robin of Sherwood Forest, Friar Tuck, Little John, Will Scarlet, Maid Marian and those daring men who were part of living England nearly eight hundred years ago. What matters it today that time has made it uncertain whether the AngloNorman noble Robert Fitz Odo, or Robert, Earl of Huntingdon, was the real Robin Hood; what we do know is that stirred up by the atrocities committed in England in the reigns of Richard and John he took the side of the people, plundered the rich to give to the poor, thus making him away back in the twelfth century the hero he still is today. The picture follows closely the stories of the life of Robin Hood and his band handed down from those far off days. Incident after incident is unfolded freshening the memory of men and women in the audience who recalled each scene they had visioned in their childhood days. The acting all through was superb, that of Errol Flynn, as Robin Hood, marking the finest piece of acting ever given by this clever actor. He was just the character one would imagine Robin Hood to be—gallant, dashing, happy-go-lucky and ever on the side of the downtrodden. As Maid Marian, Miss Olivia de Haviland undoubtedly scored a screen triumph with a presentation effective in every respect—a difficult role to enact but skilfully handled by this actress. Herbert Mundin (who, by the way, was killed in a motor accident recently), Claude Rains, lan Hunter and Basil Rathbone have roles which they carry out in a manner that won the approbation of the audience. There is a very large supporting cast, while special attention has been given to the dressing. The only thing modern about the picture is that the English of today is spoken and not that of the days of Robin Hood, and that fact the audience

appreciated, because “Old English” or county dialect would have spoilt the picture to a large extent. There was a splendid supporting programme. The

"Adventures of Robin Hood” will be shown again tonight when there should be another big attendance.