Entertainment Editor

Before we laughed with Mel Brooks and his version of Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993) or laughed at Kevin Costner and his version of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), there were several other Robin Hoods to come out of Hollywood.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has just released four of the classic Robin Hoods of years-gone-by to compliment the latest Robin Hood, by Ridley Scott and starring Russell Crowe.

Arguably the best Robin Hood is still Errol Fynn and The Adventures of Robin Hood, (1938) a Technicolor masterpiece that is still a lot of fun to watch today. Flynn’s Robin ranks No. 18 in the American Film Institute’s heroes in their top 100 heroes and villains list.

Of the four “new” DVD releases, probably The Bandit of Sherwood Forest (1946), with Cornel Wilde in the title role, comes closest to the 1938 classic.

Wilde actually plays the son of Robin Hood in another Technicolor tale that pits the merry men against evil English royalty. This time is it William of Pembroke, Regent of England, who has imprisoned the young King of England, and is attempting to repeal the Magna Carta. Robert of Huntington (Wilde) is joined by his father and the guys from the forest to save the boy king and England.

Adding to the Robin Hood legend is Prince of Thieves (1948). Jon Hall wears the familiar green costume, in a new tale that involves aiding Lady Marian and her brother, as they attempt to rescue Lady Chistabel, who is being forced to wed against her will. There is much evil play afoot, as the lady’s father ends up kidnapping Lady Marian as well. But it is all’s well that ends well, of course, with a big triple wedding in the finale.

John Derek is Robin Hood Jr. again in Rogues of Sherwood Forest (1950), another tale that has England suffering under villainous King John. Robin and company do battle again with the evil king and his followers, before once again winning the hand of Lady Marianne. Alan Hale, who played Little John in the 1938 version and as he did in the silent Douglas Fairbanks version, does so again one last time. This was his last film. Hale, of course, was the look-alike dad of Alan Hale Jr. of Gilligans Island fame.

The fourth DVD release is Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960), probably the least memorable of these four new releases. It stars Richard Greene, who played Robin Hood on TV in the 1950s. Greene isn’t quite robust enough to be a swashbuckler, but the film has some other good points including Peter Cushing as the Sheriff of Nottingham. Also look out for a young Oliver Reed, and James Bond’s Q (Desmond Llewelyn). This Robin Hood has our hero and his men trying to thwart a plot to assassinate the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The four DVDS have a suggested list price of  $14.94 each.