Swashbuckling in Satin: The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

            It's cold and gloomy, at least where I am, and the perfect weather for some film escapism. Think bright colors, shiny costumes, sweeping landscapes, and a beloved storyline with even more beloved stars - in short, The Adventures of Robin Hood.

            At this point in their careers, Olivia de Havilland and Errol Flynn were quickly-rising stars. This was their third movie together after the successive hits Captain Blood and The Charge of The Light Brigade. Olivia was 22 years old, making $500 a week (equal to $10,000 now), and gaining control over her on-screen persona. Robin Hood was a chance for her trademark witty heroine to shine through, helped along by her best screen partner Errol Flynn.

            The movie follows the classic story of Robin Hood as he swordfights his way across Sherwood Forest, takes down the tyrannical Prince John, and wins the heart of the clever and gorgeous Maid Marian. The well-known tale already had a film adaptation from 1922 starring Errol Flynn's swordfighting predecessor, Douglas Fairbanks, but Warner Brothers made sure to go above and beyond with their 1938 version. They pulled out all the stops: a $2 million budget (the largest-ever for the studio at that point), newly-perfected 3-strip Technicolor, costumes of low practicality and high shimmer by Milo Anderson, and a lovely soundtrack by Austrian composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Scenes were filmed on location at parks around California, as well as Sherwood Lake (named for its role in the 1922 movie).
            One of the many things to love about The Adventures of Robin Hood is its portrayal of Maid Marian. In many versions, (looking at you, Disney) her role as "Robin's pretty love interest" is the only dimension to her character. But in this one, Robin falls for Marian not only for her beauty (and Olivia de Havilland is luminous in this movie) but because she's a smart strategist and a better spy - from her position inside the castle, she can watch Robin's enemies and send him messages about their plans, not to mention orchestrating his escape from prison.

            Robin Hood and its leading actors provided inspiration for countless other films - the swordfights in The Princess Bride, the lightsaber choreography in Star Wars, Flynn Rider from Tangled, and the list goes on! No wonder it remains as funny, colorful, and entertaining as it did nearly 85 years ago, and the perfect rainy-day watch.

 

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