The Adventures Of Robin Hood!

The Adventures of Robin Hood starring Errol Flynn collection I have, is one of those sets that takes full advantage of the format to offer up a wide array of interesting, enlightening and entertaining extras. There's a whole faux-afternoon of film-going experience with a trailer, a cartoon, a newsreel, and a short film. There's background on the creation of the movie, the 1922 Robin Hood movie with Douglas Fairbanks, and a delightfully detailed commentary. There are two classic cartoons with Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck both lampooning the Robin Hood story. There's a Flynn trailer library and features on the invention of Technicolor and more. 

A great tasty collection not even mentioning a colorful presentation of this classic adventure story. Errol Flynn as Robin and Basil Rathbone as Guy of Gisborne might just be the finest hero-villain casting in the history of film. They are perfect in their roles and their swordfight is easily in my all-time top ten list of favorite movie moments. I've long had a still of the classic duel, which is tucked away in a box right now, but has historically been in my office.

Vic Prezio

Original Cover by Lansky and Eng

All this Robin Hood thinking got me to remembering one of the earliest Classics Illustrated volumes I ever owned featuring the adventures of the outlaw from Sherwood. It's a solid comic adventure with a lush cover image by Vic Prezio clearly inspired by Errol Flynn's definitive version from the movie. And some sturdy artwork and storytelling inside by writer Evelyn Goodman and artists Louis Zansky and Fred Eng. If you've never sampled Classic Illustrated before, this is a good one to begin with.

If ever there was an actor who brought the zeitgeist of the "superhero" to the big screen it was Flynn, a larger-than-life personality who could play the bejeezus out of any large role he was given. And Robin Hood, star of many a comic book, and the inspiration for such hardcase "superheroes" as Green Arrow and Hawkeye the Marksman is certainly a larger-than-life role. And it's hard to take your eyes of off Olivia De Haviland as she saunters through the movie in one beautiful outfit after another. Claude Rains is on hand for some prime villainy as well. Alan Hale plays Littler John a role he amazingly performed three times in three different decades on film. 

This is a must-see classic movie, if only for the orgy of colors provided by refined Technicolor of the era. 

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Robin Hood!

I picked up a few months back a wonderful DVD of Errol Flynn's The Adventures of Robin Hood. It's one of those DVD sets that takes full advantage of the format to offer up a wide array of interesting, enlightening and entertaining extras. There's a whole faux-afternoon of film-going experience with a trailer, a cartoon, a newsreel, and a short film. There's background on the creation of the movie, the 1922Robin Hood movie with Douglas Fairbanks, and a delightfully detailed commentary. There are two classic cartoons with Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck both lampooning the Robin Hood story. There's a Flynn trailer library and features on the invention of Technicolor. A great tasty collection not even mentioning a colorful presentation of this classic adventure story. Errol Flynn as Robin and Basil Rathbone as Guy of Gisborne might just be the finest hero-villain casting in the history of film. They are perfect in their roles and their swordfight is in my all-time top ten list of fave movie moments. I've long had a still of the classic duel which is tucked away in a box right now, but has historically been in my office.

At the same time I picked this flick up I got hold of a Border's reproduction of Howard Pyle's classic The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood. It's a pretty little book. All this Robin Hood thinking got me to remembering one of the earliest Classics Illustrated volumes I ever owned featuring the adventures of the outlaw from Sherwood. It's a solid comic adventure with a lush cover image clearly inspired by Errol Flynn's definitive version from the movie and some worthwhile artwork and storytelling inside. If you've never sampled Classic Illustrated before, this is a good one to begin with.

Now I'm hankering to see more Flynn. I've got Captain Blood and The Sea Hawk on VHS, but I'd love to see if there are quality DVD verisons with some great features out there. If ever there was an actor who brought the zeitgeist of the "superhero" to the big screen it was Flynn, a larger-than-life personality who could play the bejeezus out of any large role he was given. And Robin Hood, star of many a comic book, and the inspiration for such hardcase "superheroes" as Green Arrow and Hawkeye the Marksman is certainly a larger-than-life role.

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