Robin Hood (1922)
Directed by Allan Dwan

Action / Adventure / History
aka: Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood

Film Review

Abstract picture representing Robin Hood (1922)
One of the most expensive films made in the silent era, Douglas Fairbanks' lavish production of Robin Hood not only cemented the legendary actor's reputation as the most iconic of swashbuckling screen heroes but also raised the bar massively for all subsequent Hollywood adventure films of this kind.  Robin Hood was the Star Wars of its day, and easily one of the best screen accounts of the exploits of the green-stockinged bandit and his merry men, matched only by Michael Curtiz's The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938).  The film cost around 1.4 million dollars to make (an astronomical sum at the time), most of which seems to have been spent on one of the grandest sets ever constructed for a film, that of King Richard's imposing medieval castle.  At one point Fairbanks was so concerned about the expense of this set that he considered pulling the plug on the whole project.

Yet it is the expense and care that has gone into the Cathedral-sized sets that make this such a visually stunning piece of cinema, not just a static backdrop but an essential part of the fabric of the film.  The towering castle sets and equally impressive recreation of Sherwood Forest give Fairbanks ample space to show off his unrivalled athleticism, leaping in and out of trees one minute, abseiling up a rising drawbridge the next.  With his elastic heels and seemingly boundless energy Fairbanks brings an astonishing pace and dynamism to the film, so that watching it is actually quite an exhausting experience, albeit pleasurably so. 

After a relatively slow first half, which develops the hero's back story in far greater depth than most Robin Hood films, the pace picks up with a vengeance in the second half as Robin and his motley crew go to war against Prince John and the even more despicably evil Sir Guy of Gisbourne.  Fairbanks dominates the proceedings from start to finish, portraying Robin less as a man and more as a human whirlwind that demolishes everything in its path.  Although the characters are far less fleshed out than in later Robin Hood films, this one triumphs over all the others in at least one respect: its sheer non-stop entertainment value.
© James Travers 2014
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.

Film Synopsis

In late 12th century England, King Richard sets out for the Crusades with his devoted knight champion, Robert, Earl of Huntingdon.  The king's younger brother John wastes no time usurping the throne and becomes a tyrannical despot, bringing a plague of misery and suffering to a once contented land.  When he hears of this, Huntingdon begs the king to let him return to England but Richard refuses and has him imprisoned for cowardice.  Undeterred, Huntingdon escapes and is soon back in Nottingham where, under the name Robin Hood, he fights back against John's evil regime.  With a band of merry outlaws living in Sherwood Forest, Robin steals from the rich and gives to the poor, but after rescuing his beloved Marian from John's castle he is himself captured and sentenced to death...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.


Film Credits

  • Director: Allan Dwan
  • Script: Kenneth Davenport, Edward Knoblock, Allan Dwan, Lotta Woods, Douglas Fairbanks (story)
  • Cinematographer: Arthur Edeson, Charles Richardson
  • Music: John Scott
  • Cast: Douglas Fairbanks (Earl of Huntingdon, a.k.a. Robin Hood), Wallace Beery (Richard the Lion-Hearted), Sam De Grasse (Prince John), Enid Bennett (Lady Marian Fitzwalter), Paul Dickey (Sir Guy of Gisbourne), William Lowery (The High Sheriff of Nottingham), Roy Coulson (The King's Jester), Billie Bennett (Lady Marian's Serving Woman), Merrill McCormick (Henchman to Prince John), Wilson Benge (Henchman to Prince John), Willard Louis (Friar Tuck), Alan Hale (Little John), Bud Geary (Will Scarlett), Lloyd Talman (Allan-a-Dale), Frank Austin (Friar), Ted Billings (Peasant), Ann Doran (Page to Richard), Louise Emmons (Villager), Robert Florey (Taxpaying Peasant), Dale Fuller (Peasant)
  • Country: USA
  • Language: English
  • Support: Black and White / Silent
  • Runtime: 133 min
  • Aka: Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood

The very best of French film comedy
sb-img-7
Thanks to comedy giants such as Louis de Funès, Fernandel, Bourvil and Pierre Richard, French cinema abounds with comedy classics of the first rank.
The best of Japanese cinema
sb-img-21
The cinema of Japan is noteworthy for its purity, subtlety and visual impact. The films of Ozu, Mizoguchi and Kurosawa are sublime masterpieces of film poetry.
The best of American film noir
sb-img-9
In the 1940s, the shadowy, skewed visual style of 1920s German expressionism was taken up by directors of American thrillers and psychological dramas, creating that distinctive film noir look.
The greatest French Films of all time
sb-img-4
With so many great films to choose from, it's nigh on impossible to compile a short-list of the best 15 French films of all time - but here's our feeble attempt to do just that.
The best French Films of the 1920s
sb-img-3
In the 1920s French cinema was at its most varied and stylish - witness the achievements of Abel Gance, Marcel L'Herbier, Jean Epstein and Jacques Feyder.
 

Other things to look at


Copyright © filmsdefrance.com 1998-2024
All rights reserved



All content on this page is protected by copyright