Tales of Robin Hood

For the attraction, see The Tales of Robin Hood.

Tales of Robin Hood is a 1951 American film directed by James Tinling. Former RKO contract player Robert Clarke stars as Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest, with former Paramount contractee Mary Hatcher as Maid Marian.

Plot

Before a Saxon earl dies at the hands of a Norman assassin (Keith Richards), he bids his friend Will (Whit Bissell) to take the earl's young son into Sherwood Forest. The boy becomes a man, in the person of Robin Hood (Robert Clarke). The Lord of Clairmont (Paul Cavanagh) sends the assassin to capture Robin. An archery contest is held to bring Robin out into the open; Robin arrives in disguise and wins the tournament easily. Clairmont's ward, Maid Marian (Mary Hatcher) is captured by bandits, but rescued by Robin and his men. Clairmont's men raid Robin's camp and take Marian back, only to have Robin and his men storm the castle to reclaim Marian.

Production

The project was conceived as a pilot for a television series, produced by Hal Roach, Jr. in partnership with Robert L. Lippert. Roach was interested in television production while Lippert was interested in feature films for theaters. Their plan was to produce 12 hourlong feature films for theaters, compiled from half-hour TV productions. Only two feature films resulted from this arrangement: Tales of Robin Hood and the military comedy As You Were. Lippert canceled the arrangement when the Screen Actors Guild, the Screen Writers Guild, and the American Federation of Musicians demanded extra compensation for the films being shown on television as well as in theaters.[1]

Filming for Tales of Robin Hood began July 1, 1951,[2] with a release date of December 21, 1951.[3]

The screenplay was by Leroy H. Zehren, a specialist in adventure stories; he also wrote for Adventures of Superman. The episodic nature of the 59-minute feature film betrays its origin as a few TV half-hours strung together.

Reception

Motion Picture Herald rated the film as suitable "for the lower half"[4] of a double-feature program: "With slight variations, this presents the slightly worn and vey familiar Robin Hood yarn, with the accent on the type of action and dialogue that appeals to the younger set."

Tales of Robin Hood's release was timely, in that Walt Disney was about to release his British-made, live-action Technicolor feature The Story of Robin Hood while Columbia Pictures reissued its 1946 Technicolor feature The Bandit of Sherwood Forest.[5]

Aftermath

Hal Roach, Jr. rushed the Tales of Robin Hood TV series into distribution while Lippert's feature film was still in release. Lippert stopped short of a lawsuit but "launched a formal protest against Hal Roach, Jr."[6]

Tales of Robin Hood was director James Tinling's last feature-film assignment, but the Hal Roach studio retained him to direct three of its television series.

Although Tales of Robin Hood began playing on local television stations in 1953, it remained in theatrical circulation as late as 1956, when dealers of Robin Hood shoes hosted a free show of Tales of Robin Hood in Fort Smith, Arkansas.[7]

Cast

See also

References

  1. ^ Motion Picture Daily, "Lippert Cancels Films for Video", July 13, 1951, p. 5.
  2. ^ Thomas F. Brady, New York Times, "Power's Role Goes to Contract Actor", June 4, 1951.
  3. ^ Jay Allen, Film Bulletin, Dec. 3, 1951, p. 9.
  4. ^ The Exhibitor, Jan. 16, 1952, p. 3221.
  5. ^ Variety, Mar. 19, 1952, p. 18.
  6. ^ Film Bulletin, May 5, 1952, p. 12.
  7. ^ Motion Picture Herald, Sept. 1, 1956, p. 32.
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