Flynn & Fairbanks

The first Hollywood feature 'Robin Hood' came in 1922, a Douglas Fairbanks blockbuster. Originally Fairbanks was a reluctant star. He said that he didn’t want to play a ‘flat-footed Englishman’ wandering about a forest. In spite of this he - together with some huge silent era sets and mass sword fights - was a monumental success. It was the first film to feature Alan Hale Snr, who was to play Little John three times over 30 years. The second time Hale appeared was in the Errol Flynn classic.

'The Adventures of Robin Hood' was filmed in glorious Technicolor. It had an Oscar winning musical score by Erich Korngold and a cast to die for, headed by the legendary Errol Flynn. Even though it was made in 1938 it still appears in the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 movie thrills. In one scene Robin says to Prince John:

‘I’ll never rest until every Saxon in this shire can stand up free men and strike a blow for Richard and England…from this night on I’ll use every means in my power to fight you.’

Tough words at a time when Hitler was on the march across Europe. A plea from Hollywood to a potentially neutral America perhaps?

For some time Hollywood was preoccupied with the Second World War. But afterwards there was a flood of Robin Hood films, including Hale’s last appearance as Little John in 'Rogues of Sherwood Forest' (1950) and the oddly titled 'Son of Robin Hood' (1958), which actually turns out to be his daughter Deering Hood.

Click here to view clips of the Douglas Fairbanks and Errol Flynn films.