032: Robin Hood (1922) - released 10/18/1922; viewed 1/24/06.
Mohandes Gandhi is arrested in Bombay and sentenced to six years for sedition. Construction begins on Yankees Stadium in the Bronx. The Lincoln Memorial is dedicated. The Irish Civil War begins.
BIRTHS: Carl Reiner, Ray Goulding, Christopher Lee, Judy Garland, Sid Caesar, Jackie Cooper. DEATHS: Hermann Rorschach, Alexander Graham Bell, Michael Collins, Bob Elliott.
DOUG: We watched a featurette about this movie narrated by Rudy Behlmer that came with the DVD for Errol Flynn's 'Hood.' I didn't enjoy this one as much as Zorro. One thing that bothered me is how long the movie spends with the Earl at the Crusades before he becomes Robin Hood. When Robin Hood finally arrives (roughly two thirds in), the movie comes alive with Fairbanks' trademark swordfights, stuntwork, and bravado. My favorite moment had Robin battling one of the Sheriff's henchmen, and he strangles him against a rail. Big Bad Wallace Beery makes a good King Richard, and this film spends more time with Richard than any other I've seen, but his subplot failed to capture my interest. It was a pleasure to see Alan Hale as Little John (he would reprise the role in Adventures, and again in Rogues of Sherwood Forest), but was disappointed that he and the other Merry Men receive little introduction.
KEVIN: I definitely did not enjoy Robin Hood as much as Zorro, and of all the versions of Robin Hood that I've seen, I think I enjoyed this one the least. The real problem was that it took far too long to really get going. Huntingdon (as he is known in this version) doesn't become Robin Hood until two-thirds into the film. Up to that point I had a lot of trouble staying awake. However, the moment Robin Hood comes into the story that bares his name, everything is fantastic. Fairbanks inhabits the character as well as any I've seen, leaping and bounding and fighting bad guys at every turn. That's what I wanted to see! Also, this is the only version I've seen that chronicles Prince John's takeover within the narrative, as the film starts with King Richard (Wallace Beery) leaving for the Crusades. That's something I've never seen before. I guess I can forgive the film's shortcomings, as this was the earliest production of the legend I've seen and there was much room and many chances for improvement in the years to come.
Last film viewed: Mark of Zorro (1920). Last film chronologically: Nosferatu (1922). Next film: Safety Last (1923).
The Movie Odyssey is an exhaustive, chronological project where we watch as many milestone films as possible, starting with D.W. Griffith's Intolerance in 1916 and working our way through, year by year, one film at a time. We also write a short review for each film before we watch the next, never reading the other's review before we finish our own. In this project, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of the time period, the films of the era, and each film in context, while at the same time just watching a lot of great movies, most of which we never would have watched otherwise.
