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The Adventures of Robin Hood (Two-Disc Special Edition)

The Adventures of Robin Hood (Two-Disc Special Edition)

List Price: $26.99
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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Nothing short of fantastic!
Review: When King Richard the Lion Heart (played by Ian Hunter) is imprisoned in Germany, his brother Prince John (Claude Rains) seizes power, and begins oppressing the common English people. When Sir Robin of Locksley (Errol Flynn) can't take it anymore, he raises the standard of rebellion, and leads a host of "merry men" against John and his cohorts (Basil Rathbone and Melville Cooper). This is a swashbuckling story of romance (Olivia de Havilland as Maid Marian), adventure, honor, and resistance to evil. [Color, released in 1938, with a running time of 1 hour, 42 minutes.]

There is probably nothing that I can say about this movie that hasn't already been said. This movie is nothing short of fantastic! The action is great, including some of the best swords-work seen for many years thereafter, and is exciting without being gory. I loved the message of the movie, and the fact that it is clean and fit for the whole family; the most erotic scene is when you can actually see Olivia de Havilland's hair!

Therefore, let me highly recommend this movie to everyone; it's got everything the discriminating viewer could want--romance, adventure and morals.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good, but could have been more complete
Review: As far as I know, George Korngold produced two CDs with Varujan Kojian and the Utah Symphony Orchestra. This CD was the first one, and the other one was the very good suite "The Sea Hawk". In this particular case I think that the recording does not include the most famous cue of the original score, the "March of the Merry Men", which had already been recorded by George Korngold, Erich Wolfgang's son, with Charles Gerhardt. If this suite had included it, it had been much better. Nonetheless, since the music of said cue is really a "Leitmotiv", it appears constantly in this recording. My other complaint is the sound quality. Even though this one is also a digital recording, its level is very low. Sometimes old sereo records sound better than digital recordings, and this one is a case. But, nonetheless, please notice that I am an amateur in musical matters.
As a companion to this recording I recomend the two CDs of Charles Gerhardt and the National Philharmonic Orchestra (if I am not wrong named "The Sea Hawk" and "Captain Blood"), where long excerpts of this music are to be found, and the original soundtrack released by TSUNAMI.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Best Heroic
Review: The color is magnificent. Flynn is the consummate hero. It is the most magnificent expose of the Coeur de Leone series. What a trip!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Now We're Cooking!
Review: Recipe for the greatest swashbuckler movie ever:

START WITH: One of the most enduring legends of the western world that has appealed to people for centuries.

ADD: The best swashbuckling actor of your time as your lead Robin Hood (Errol Flynn)

COMBINE WITH: An actress who is not only his historial leading lady, but a fine and strong actress in her own right opposite him as Maid Marion (Olivia De Havilland)

SEPERATE: him from the villians written well and played by two of the better actors of their time. (Claude Raines PRINCE JOHN & Basil Rathbone Sir Guy )

MIX IN: A distinguished list of character actors in the key supporting roles of Little John (Alan Hale), Friar Tuck (Eugene Pallette) and the Bishop (Montagou Love)

ADD A SPRINKLE: Of comedy with The Sherif, Much, and Bess (also played by fine character actors)

BAKE IN: A tight script filled with derring do with characters that are not just cardboard good guys and bad guys.

SERVE: In a visual extravaganza will well shot colorful scenes adding to the sheer spectacle of the event.

PRESTO: You have the greatest swashbuckling epic ever.

SERVES ANY NUMBER FOR GENERATIONS TO COME

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: How did 'AFI's Top 100' miss this one?!?!
Review: Why is this not on AFI's Top 100 films list?? The best action/adventure movie of all time and still stands up to any current day attempt at great filmmaking. I am looking forward to a legit DVD release but until then I will continue to enjoy my 'imported' Tawain DVD.....

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The Latest But Not Necessarily The Greatest
Review: This modern recording (which has been around for some time now) lacks the enthusiasm and exuberance of the original which is available on Tsunami TSU 0139 ("E.W. Korngold: The Adventures of Robin Hood"). The orchestra sounds under rehearsed and fails to capture the excitement and richness of the composer's/conductor's vision and intent. Rush (or maybe hack) job? Bottom line: Buy both CDs and decide for yourself. However, TSU 0139 provides you the best "in-your-face evidence" of why Erich Wolfgang Korngold won an Academy award for this film symphony.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: There is no other Robin Hood!!!!!
Review: There is no other actor that is Robin Hood! Errol Flynn plays his part to perfection, as do all the players in the only version worth watching.
The first time I remember seeing this film my father took me to a screening at the Museum of Art in Los Angeles, a fitting venue, that was 30 years ago.
I have since had the pleasure of seeing it on the big screen a few more times, and was even able to meet Errol's daughter at one a couple of years back.
There have been many reproductions, and in fact Robin Hood was first played on film by Douglas Fairbanks, but none comes close to the perfection of Errol Flynn's version.
Basil Rathbone is the perfect villian, and at the time one of the best if not the best swordsman in Hollywood, I have heard that he gave Errol a few pointers?? Another perfect bit of casting went to the poor guy who looses the archery tournament to Robin, the guy who get's his arrow split by Robin is the stunt archer on the film and made the split shot himself, this was not a stunt but a real shot, and if you look close you can see that the arrow is not split in two but three! Also, every time you see someone hit with an arrow, it's this same person shooting them with a real bow and arrow from off camera!! Some pretty brave day players on this film.
What else can I say but to take the time to enjoy this film, and share it with the next generation. This film stands up still to the best action and adventure films of today, with perfect casting, great music, direction and cinematography.
I can't recomend this film enough to everyone.
And listen close to the dialog, there are many gems, scripted and otherwise.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Greatest Robin Hood, DVD please!
Review: This has been one of my all time favorite movies for years and it simply has never been outdone before or since. This movie, more than any other version, captures the flavor ot the Robin Hood legend. Has there ever been an actor who captures Robin's saucy good humor like Errol Flynn? Could any other actress match Olivia DeHavilland's sweet but smart Marian? Has there ever been such a slinking, swashbuckling villain like Basil Rathbone. Warner Bros. knew a good thing when they saw it which is why this is one of several Flynn/deHavilland/Rathbone teamings starting with Captain Blood.

Like most other movie versions, Robin is portrayed as a nobleman turned bandit to fight injustice rather than the peasant boy framed for poaching. Also, like most versions, this movie borrows heavily from Sir Walter Scott's medieval epic Ivanhoe. The Norman/Saxon conflict is lifted directly from there as is much of Prince John's plotting. The two themes, however, are melded rather seamlessly.

Most delightful is the fact that unlike the other two famous versions of Robin Hood (the 1922 version and Prince of Thieves) this movie shows how most of the main merry men (say that 3 times fast!) were recruited. Not only are we shown the battle with Little John but also the rescue of Mudge the Miller's Son and the tricking of Friar Tuck. Flynn/Robin is a very good loser and this is maybe the most likable trait of his character.

The dialogue fits in perfectly, over the top yet believable when spoken by the talented cast.
"Why, you speak treason!"
"Fluently"

My only complaint is no DVD! If ever a movie deserved one this is it! The technicolor would be spectacular, the music gallant, and of course, I want to see some DVD goodies! I hope we will get one soon.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Action Packed, Visually Brilliant, and Lots of Fun
Review: Errol Flynn's athletic charisma combines so well with the legend of Robin Hood that even more than fifty years later it is difficult to imagine any one else playing the part. Flynn aside, the entire film has a tremendous vitality due to its combination of a great cast, fast-paced script, and great art designed brilliantly photographed in Technicolor at its aggressive best. Kids and grown ups will enjoy the movie, and since you'll probably want to see it more than once ROBIN HOOD is certainly worth the cost.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of Flynn's best -- but why so few Flynn DVDs?
Review: The Adventures of Robin Hood is one of my favorite movies of all time. But, like so many others, I wish it would come out on DVD so I can enjoy it with pristine sound and near-perfect picture quality for many years to come.

Flynn, Basil Rathbone, Olivia de Havilland, Claude Rains -- what a cast! There are even a smattering of Hollywood's most famous character actors included here, such as Alan Hale Sr. (father of the Skipper on Gilligan's Island).

This movie got me started on a lifetime fascination with fencing, sword fighting, swashbuckling and the triumph of good over evil. It's a classic from start to finish.

But, again, I ask: Why so few Errol Flynn DVDs? Granted, he wasn't the most accomplished Hollywood actor. But he was one of the most famous -- and this movie, The Adventures of Robin Hood, is certainly one of Hollywood's finest.

Please, whomever holds the rights to this movie, please give it to us in DVD format. I've been wearing out too many VHS copies!


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