Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood

Last updated

Robin Hood
Douglas Fairbanks Robin Hood 1922 film poster.jpg
Directed by Allan Dwan
Written byDouglas Fairbanks
Produced byDouglas Fairbanks
StarringDouglas Fairbanks
Wallace Beery
Sam De Grasse
Enid Bennett
Alan Hale
Cinematography Arthur Edeson & Charles Richardson
Edited by William Nolan
Music by Victor Schertzinger
Production
company
Douglas Fairbanks Pictures
Distributed by United Artists
Release date
October 18, 1922 (1922-10-18)
Running time
127 minutes
11 reels (10,680 feet (3,260 m))
CountryUnited States
Languages Silent film
English intertitles
Budget$930,000 [1]
Box office$2,500,000 (US/Canada) [2]

Robin Hood is a 1922 silent adventure film starring Douglas Fairbanks and Wallace Beery. It was the first motion picture ever to have a Hollywood premiere, held at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre on October 18, 1922. The movie's full title, under which it was copyrighted, is Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood. It was one of the most expensive films of the 1920s, with a budget estimated at about one million dollars. [3] The film was a smash hit and generally received favorable reviews.

Contents

Plot

The full film (public domain)

The opening has the dashing Earl of Huntingdon besting his bitter enemy, Sir Guy of Gisbourne, in a joust. Huntingdon then joins King Richard the Lion-Hearted, who is going off to fight in the Crusades and has left his brother, Prince John, as regent. The prince soon emerges as a cruel, treacherous tyrant. Goaded on by Sir Guy, he usurps Richard's throne. When Huntingdon receives a message from Lady Marian Fitzwalter, his love interest, telling him of all that has transpired, he requests permission to return to England. King Richard assumes that the Earl has turned coward and denies him permission. The Earl seeks to leave in spite of this, but is ambushed by Sir Guy and imprisoned as a deserter. Upon escaping from his confines, he returns to England, endangering his life and honor, to oppose Prince John and restore King Richard's throne. He finds his friends and himself outlawed and Marian apparently dead.

Huntingdon returns to Nottingham and adopts the name of Robin Hood, acrobatic champion of the oppressed. Leading a band that steals from the rich to give to the poor, including Friar Tuck, Little John, Will Scarlet, and Allan-a-Dale, he labors to set things right through swashbuckling feats and makes life miserable for Prince John and his cohort, the high sheriff of Nottingham. After rescuing Marian from Prince John's prison and defeating Sir Guy in a final conflict, Robin is captured. The timely reappearance of King Richard returns him to Marian and foils the efforts of Prince John.

Cast

Wallace Beery played King Richard the Lion-Hearted again the following year in a sequel called Richard the Lion-Hearted .

Alan Hale, Sr., made such an impression as Little John in this film that he reprised the role 16 years later in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) opposite Errol Flynn, then played the character again in Rogues of Sherwood Forest in 1950, 28 years after his initial performance in the original Fairbanks film.

Production

Robin and Marian Fairbanks Robin Hood giving Marian a dagger.jpg
Robin and Marian

A huge castle set and an entire 12th-century village of Nottingham were constructed at the Pickford-Fairbanks Studio in Hollywood. Some sets were designed by architect Lloyd Wright. Director Allan Dwan later recalled that Fairbanks was so overwhelmed by the scale of the sets that he considered cancelling production at one point. The castle was largely built of wood, wire, and plaster. [4] The exceptions were the concrete floor and the (wood-covered) steel drawbridge. [4]

The story was adapted for the screen by Fairbanks (as "Elton Thomas"), Kenneth Davenport, Edward Knoblock, Allan Dwan, and Lotta Woods, and was produced by Fairbanks for his own production company, Douglas Fairbanks Pictures Corporation, and distributed by United Artists, a company owned by Fairbanks, his wife Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, and D. W. Griffith. This swashbuckling adventure was based on the legendary tale of the medieval hero, Robin Hood, and was the first production to present many of the elements of the legend that became familiar to movie audiences in later versions, although an earlier treatment had been filmed a decade before in the woods around Fort Lee, New Jersey, featuring even more flamboyant costumes than the Fairbanks version.

Score

At its premiere, Robin Hood was accompanied by an orchestral score especially commissioned by Fairbanks and composed by Victor Schertzinger. That score has also been adapted and conducted live by U.S. composer Gillian Anderson. Though the film has received many live and recorded scores since its first release, perhaps the two most significant are further orchestral scores written in 2007 by American composer and conductor John Scott, and in 2016 by eminent British silent film musician Neil Brand.

Reception

Wallace Beery, Enid Bennett, and Douglas Fairbanks listen to a recent invention only widely broadcasting for the previous three years: a radio. Douglas Fairbanks, Enid Bennett, and Wallace Beery listening to radio.png
Wallace Beery, Enid Bennett, and Douglas Fairbanks listen to a recent invention only widely broadcasting for the previous three years: a radio.
Fairbanks as Robin Hood on the cover of Photoplay, illustrated by J. Knowles Hare Douglas Fairbanks, Photoplay January 1923.jpg
Fairbanks as Robin Hood on the cover of Photoplay, illustrated by J. Knowles Hare

Robin Hood generally received favorable reviews. It received an aggregate score of 100% and an average rating of 8.4/10 from Rotten Tomatoes based on 10 reviews. [5] Combustible Celluloid's Jeffrey M. Anderson rated the movie 4 stars out of 4, concluding "Director Allan Dwan had worked with Fairbanks on several two-reelers, and would go on to direct his last silent film, The Iron Mask (1929). Dwan would continue working, making "B" pictures up until the 1960s, and finishing up with something like 500 films on his resume before he died. But Robin Hood is his masterpiece.". [6]

Fairbanks biographer Jeffrey Vance evaluated the film in 2008 as follows: "Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood is the most important legacy of the rich life and career of Douglas Fairbanks. The towering sets are long gone, and the characters have been reimagined and reinterpreted, but the foundation the film was built upon—and the culture it created—exists to this day....The creation of Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood consumed nearly a year of his life, and the experience established the matrix for all of his subsequent silent film productions. Indeed, it was the first of his productions to be fully realized in every respect." [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>The Adventures of Robin Hood</i> 1938 film by Michael Curtiz

The Adventures of Robin Hood is a 1938 American Technicolor epic swashbuckler film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and stars Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, Claude Rains, Patric Knowles, Eugene Pallette, and Alan Hale. The film is particularly noted for its Academy Award-winning score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold.

<i>Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves</i> 1991 film

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is a 1991 American action adventure film based on the English folk tale of Robin Hood that originated in the 12th century. Directed by Kevin Reynolds and written by Pen Densham and John Watson, the film stars Kevin Costner as Robin Hood, Morgan Freeman as Azeem, Christian Slater as Will Scarlett, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Marian, and Alan Rickman as the Sheriff of Nottingham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guy of Gisbourne</span> English folklore character from Robin Hood

Sir Guy of Gisbourne is a character from the Robin Hood legends of English folklore. He first appears in "Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne", where he is an assassin who attempts to kill Robin Hood but is killed by him. In later depictions, he has become a romantic rival to Robin Hood for Maid Marian's love.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maid Marian</span> Love interest of the legendary outlaw Robin Hood in English folklore

Maid Marian is the heroine of the Robin Hood legend in English folklore, often taken to be his lover. She is not mentioned in the early, medieval versions of the legend, but was the subject of at least two plays by 1600. Her history and circumstances are obscure, but she commanded high respect in Robin’s circle for her courage and independence as well as her beauty and loyalty. For this reason, she is celebrated by feminist commentators as one of the early strong female characters in English literature.

<i>The Story of Robin Hood</i> (film) 1952 film by Ken Annakin

The Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men is a 1952 action-adventure film produced by RKO-Walt Disney British Productions, based on the Robin Hood legend, made in Technicolor and filmed in Buckinghamshire, England. It was written by Lawrence Edward Watkin and directed by Ken Annakin. It is the second of Disney's complete live-action films, after Treasure Island (1950), and the first of four films Annakin directed for Disney.

Will Scarlet is a prominent member of Robin Hood's Merry Men. He is present in the earliest ballads along with Little John and Much the Miller's Son.

<i>Robin Hood</i> (1991 British film) 1991 British film

Robin Hood is a 1991 British adventure film directed by John Irvin, executive produced by John McTiernan, and starring Patrick Bergin, Uma Thurman, Jürgen Prochnow, Jeroen Krabbé, and Edward Fox. Although originally intended for a theatrical release in the United States and South America, the film instead premiered on television, on the Fox network in those territories a month before the release of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. It was released in cinemas in several countries in Europe and elsewhere, including Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

<i>Rogues of Sherwood Forest</i> 1950 film by Gordon Douglas

Rogues of Sherwood Forest is a 1950 Technicolor adventure film from Columbia Pictures, directed by Gordon Douglas, and starring John Derek as Robin, the Earl of Huntingdon, the son of Robin Hood, Diana Lynn as Lady Marianne, and Alan Hale, Sr. in his third Robin Hood film role as Little John during a 28-year period; he'd played the part opposite Douglas Fairbanks in 1922 and Errol Flynn in 1938, one of the longest periods over which a film actor played the same major character. It was also Hale's final film before his death. Rogues of Sherwood Forest was written by George Bruce and Ralph Gilbert Bettison. The supporting cast features George Macready as King John, Billy House as Friar Tuck and John Dehner in an early appearance as Sir Baldric, billed fourteenth in the cast list.

<i>Richard the Lion-Hearted</i> (1923 film) 1923 film by Chester Withey

Richard the Lion-Hearted is a 1923 American silent historical adventure film directed by Chester Withey and starring Wallace Beery, Charles K. Gerrard and Kathleen Clifford. It is the sequel to Robin Hood, with Beery returning as Richard the Lion-Hearted. The film was written by Frank E. Woods and based on the 1825 Sir Walter Scott novel The Talisman.

<i>The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood</i> 1984 film by Ray Austin

The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood is a 1984 American made-for-television action comedy film directed by Ray Austin and starring George Segal, Morgan Fairchild, Roddy McDowall, Janet Suzman and Tom Baker. It is a parody of the Robin Hood story.

The Legend of Robin Hood was a 1975 BBC television serial that told the story of the life of Robin Hood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cultural depictions of Richard I of England</span>

Richard I of England has been depicted many times in romantic fiction and popular culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cultural depictions of John, King of England</span>

John of England has been portrayed many times in fiction, generally reflecting the overwhelmingly negative view of his reputation.

<i>The Outlaws of Sherwood</i>

The Outlaws of Sherwood is a retelling of the legend of Robin Hood by Robin McKinley. In McKinley's afterword, she says, "The retellings through the centuries have echoed concurrent preoccupations." The story includes both the traditional Robin Hood characters — Little John, Much, Friar Tuck, Marian and Alan-a-dale — and characters of McKinley's own invention. Notably, three of the most important characters are women, all of whom escape marriage to prospective spouses chosen by their fathers.

The Sheriff of Nottingham is the main antagonist in the legend of Robin Hood. He is generally depicted as an unjust tyrant who mistreats the local people of Nottinghamshire, subjecting them to unaffordable taxes. Robin Hood fights against him, stealing from the rich, and the Sheriff, in order to give to the poor; it is this characteristic for which Robin Hood is best known. The Sheriff is considered the archenemy of Robin Hood, as he is the most recurring enemy of the well-known outlaw.

Robin Hood is a comic opera by Reginald De Koven (music), Harry B. Smith (lyrics) and Clement Scott. The story is based on the Robin Hood legend, during the reign of King Richard I. The opera was composed in Chicago, Illinois during the winter of 1888-1889.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaisey, Sheriff of Nottingham</span> Soap opera character

The Sheriff of Nottingham is the main antagonist of the 2006 BBC television series, Robin Hood. Keith Allen's portrayal was described by The Hollywood Reporter as "very camp in the Alan Rickman tradition of sardonic villains," referring to Rickman's role as the Sheriff in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Sarcastic and with a dark sense of humour, he has many catch phrases, including "La di da di da!" and "A clue: no". He also has an explosive temper, usually triggered by Robin's interference or the repeated failures of Guy of Gisbourne and other minions. He has many insults for his servants when they fail him, including "blithering oafs", "incompetent fools" and "idiotic buffoons".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robin Hood (DC Comics)</span> Comics character

Robin Hood is a fictional character appearing in media published by DC Comics, based on the legendary character of the same name. The character debuted in New Adventure Comics vol. 1 #23, and was created by Sven Elven.

References

  1. ↑ Balio, Tino (2009). United Artists: The Company Built by the Stars. University of Wisconsin Press. ISBN   978-0-299-23004-3.p39
  2. ↑ Variety list of box office champions for 1922
  3. ↑ "Robin Hood (1922) - IMDb" – via www.imdb.com.
  4. 1 2 Davenport, Delbert E (September 1922). "Castles of Plaster and Steel". Scientific American. 127 (3): 176–177. Bibcode:1922SciAm.127..176D. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0922-176 . Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Robin Hood". rottentomatoes.com. October 18, 1922. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  6. ↑ Anderson, Jeffrey. Combustible Celluloid film review
  7. ↑ Vance, Jeffrey. Douglas Fairbanks. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2008. p.125 ISBN   978-0-520-25667-5.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Robin Hood (1922 film) at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.