The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series)

The Adventures of Robin Hood
Genre	Drama Adventure Folklore Period drama
Created by	Based on traditional legends
Starring	Richard Greene Bernadette O'Farrell Patricia Driscoll Alexander Gauge Archie Duncan Alan Wheatley John Arnatt
Opening theme	Edwin Astley
Ending theme	Carl Sigman sung by Dick James
Composers	Edwin Astley Albert Elms
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	4
No. of episodes	143 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer	Hannah Weinstein
Producer	Sidney Cole
Running time	25 minutes
Production company	Sapphire Films
Original release
Network	ATV London
Release	25 September 1955 (1955-09-25) ATV – 1 March 1959 (1959-03-01) ATV
Release	List of episodes
Release	List of episodes
Release	List of episodes
Release	List of episodes
Release	List of episodes
Release	List of episodes
Release	List of episodes

The Adventures of Robin Hood is a popular British television series comprising 143 half-hour, black and white episodes. It starred Richard Greene as the outlaw Robin Hood and Alan Wheatley as his nemesis, the Sheriff of Nottingham. The show aired weekly between 1955 and 1959 on ITV in London in the UK and on CBS in the US. The show followed the legendary character Robin Hood and his band of merry men in Sherwood Forest and the surrounding vicinity. While some episodes dramatised the traditional Robin Hood tales, most episodes were original dramas created by the show's writers and producers.

The programme was produced by Sapphire Films Ltd for ITC Entertainment, was filmed at Nettlefold Studios with some location work, and was the first of many big-budget shows commissioned by Lew Grade. In 1954, Grade was approached by American producer Hannah Weinstein to finance a series of 39 half hour episodes, at a budget of £10,000 an episode, of a series she wished to make called 'The Adventures of Robin Hood', for which she had already signed Richard Greene to the project as Robin Hood and been given the backing of US distribution company, Official Films Inc, who were confident of selling it to the US market. Grade was so impressed by her proposal that he agreed immediately to back the series, hoping to make large profits by selling programmes to the lucrative American market. In the UK, the series premiered on ATV London, on Sunday 25 September 1955 the US premiere was on Monday 26 September 1955 by CBS, ATV Midlands began the series on Friday 17 February 1956, the series had a staggered start across the other regions from 1956-1961 as the ITV regional stations came on-air for the first time in the UK. The series was shot on 35mm film to provide the best possible picture quality, and had fade-outs where US commercials were intended to slot in.

To mark the end of production on the series Mr and Mrs Fisher (Hannah Weinstein and her new husband John Fisher) and Richard Greene threw a final wrap party at The High Pine Club on 10 December 1958, cast members Alexander Gauge, Archie Duncan, Patricia Driscoll with husband Duncan Lamont, Paul Eddington, both Sheriffs Alan Wheatley and John Arnatt attended. Also there were producer Sidney Cole, Ken Hodges (lighting cameraman), Noel Rowland (camera operator), Pip Pearson (sound) and directors including Compton Bennett, Gordon Parry, Terry Bishop, Robert Day, Peter Seabourne and Anthony Squire and stuntman Rupert Evans.

Characters

• Robin Hood, a nobleman returned from the Crusades and forced into outlawry in Sherwood Forest. Played by Richard Greene.
• The Sheriff of Nottingham, Robin Hood's enemy who schemes to capture the outlaw. Played by Alan Wheatley.
• Little John, Robin Hood's trusted friend and his second in command. Played by Archie Duncan. Duncan was briefly replaced by Rufus Cruikshank for ten episodes after Duncan was injured when a horse bolted toward the spectators, mostly children, watching the location filming of the episode "Checkmate" on 20 April 1955, Archie Duncan grabbed the bridle stopping the horse but the cart it was pulling ran him over causing a fractured kneecap and cuts and bruises. He received the Queen's Commendation for Bravery Award and £1,360 in damages from Sapphire films.
• Maid Marian (Lady Marian Fitzwalter), a noblewoman and Robin Hood's lover. Played in series one and two by Bernadette O'Farrell and in series three and four by Patricia Driscoll.
• Friar Tuck, a member of Robin Hood's band. Played by Alexander Gauge.
• Will Scarlet, a member of Robin Hood's band. Played by Ronald Howard (2 episodes/Series 1) and Paul Eddington (Series 4).
• Alan-a-Dale, a member of Robin Hood's band. Played by Richard Coleman (3 episodes/Series 4).
• Derwent, a member of Robin's band. Played by Victor Woolf. Excepting Robin, this character was featured in the most episodes of the show, a total of 112.
• Prince John, the scheming friend of the Sheriff of Nottingham and brother of King Richard. Played by Donald Pleasence, Hubert Gregg, and Brian Haines.
• Joan, the barmaid at the Blue Boar Inn, a friend of Robin and his band. Played by Simone Lovell. (Helen Forrest also played Joan in two series 1 episodes)
• Sir Richard of the Lea, a friend of Robin and his band. Played by Ian Hunter.
• The Deputy Sheriff of Nottingham, (The Sheriff's replacement in series 4), played by John Arnatt.

The show had a number of performers appearing in minor roles. Jonathan Bailey, Richard O'Sullivan and Peter Asher all played Prince Arthur. Paul Eddington played many parts in series two and three. Patrick Troughton (who had played the title role in the BBC's 1953 version of Robin Hood) played a variety of roles in the show from series 2. On the distaff side, Jill Esmond played Queen Eleanor, Jane Asher played Prince Arthur's sister, and Anne Reid played Blue Boar barmaid Alison in two episodes in series 3 (a part originally played by Sylvia Kay in series 2). Joan Sims guest starred in one episode. Many soon-to-be-famous faces pop up, including Robert Shaw (Jaws), Edward Mulhare (The Ghost & Mrs. Muir and Knight Rider), Patrick Troughton (the second Doctor Who), Leo McKern (Rumpole Of The Bailey), Alfie Bass (The Army Game), Harry H. Corbett and Wilfrid Brambell (Steptoe and Son), Barbara Mullen (Dr Finlay's Casebook) and Michael Caine, who played a Norman soldier.

A number of actors appeared in supporting roles in most episodes these include: Victor Woolf, Willoughby Gray, John Drake, John Longden, Charles Stapley, John Dearth, Arthur Skinner, Paul Connell and Gabriel Toyne. Later Paul Hansard, Paul Eddington, Michael Lane, Edward Mulhare, Shaun O'Riordan, Morris Barry, Patrick Troughton, Wilfred Brambell, Nigel Davenport, Harry H. Corbett, Kevin Stoney, Ronald Hines and Max Faulkner, who also did stunt/double work, played supporting roles and Frank Maher later Patrick McGoohan's stunt double played many small non speaking parts. Throughout the four series stuntman Terry Yorke, who doubled for Richard Greene, also played many small roles.

Plot

Set in the 12th Century, during the reign of King Richard I, Richard Greene stars as Robin Hood, a nobleman forced into the life of an outlaw, dwelling in Sherwood Forest with a band of men who right the wrongs committed by the rich and powerful against the poor and defenseless. Robin Hood's enemy in the series is the Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Wheatley) who, with his cohorts, schemes to capture the outlaw by any means possible. Lady Marian Fitzwalter (Maid Marian), a young noblewoman and Robin Hood's lover, keeps him informed of the Sheriff of Nottingham's whereabouts and intentions. Episodes are punctuated with manly deeds of derring-do, tense escapes and pursuits, princely tournaments, the thundering hoofbeats of powerful steeds, the clattering of flashing swords, and the whizzing of fatally-placed arrows.

One strong point of the show was the seamless history lessons. The producers hired English historians as consultants, which was a great help in plotting. For example, in "A Year and A Day" (Series 2), a refugee peasant explains that, under English law, a peasant who escapes serfdom and lives in a city for "a year and a day" is a free man, given the man lives openly, not in hiding. When Robin Hood helps the peasant move about the city, the Sheriff invokes "the law of hue and cry", explaining that any man within hearing must drop his chores and help apprehend the felon. In "A Christmas Goose" (Season 3), a boy's goose nips a lord's horse so the lord is thrown. The lord condemns the goose to death - for his Christmas dinner. But Robin Hood counters that under English common law, an accused animal is entitled to a fair trial, the same as a human. While Robin Hood drags out the trial, Friar Tuck gets the cook drunk and switches geese. When the deception is revealed, the lord relents and pardons the goose.

Another strong point were the supporting characters, who were clever and likable. In "The Goldmaker's Return" (Season 2), Robin Hood is away in France on a mission. The Lady Marian, Little John and the other Merry Men carry the day without the star of the show ever showing his face.

Format

Each episode starts with a country scene of normal life in Old England during which an introductory poem in rhymed cadence is sung by a minstrel in Seasons 1 and 2 (not 3 and 4). The poem is a jestful abstract summary vignette of what can be expected in the episode. The episode then goes through its storyline. The end of the episode is followed by the theme song of Robin Hood for the series with the production credits given.

Episodes

Main article: List of The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series) episodes (including DVD release information).

143 episodes were filmed in four seasons.

Production details

Blacklisted writers

The Adventures of Robin Hood was produced by Hannah Weinstein, who had left-wing political views. Weinstein hired many blacklisted American writers to script episodes of the series: these included Ring Lardner Jr., Waldo Salt, Robert Lees and Adrian Scott. Howard Koch, who was also blacklisted, served for a while as the series' script editor. The blacklisted writers were credited under pseudonyms, to avoid the attention of studio executives.

(The sponsored prints of the first series, screened by CBS in the US on its first run, had no writer credits on their end title sequences, writers were only credited on sponsored prints from series 2 onward, only later non sponsored US re-run prints of series one have writer credits, some of which differ from writer credits on UK prints. As an example, Lawrence McClellan is credited as writer of "The Coming of Robin Hood" on US prints, for the UK the pseudonym used is Eric Heath.)

After the blacklist collapsed, Lardner said that the series' format allowed him "plenty of opportunities to comment on issues and institutions in Eisenhower-era America". In addition to the redistributive themes of a hero who robs from the rich and gives to the poor, many episodes in the programme's first two seasons included the threat that Robin and his band would be betrayed to the authorities by friends or loved ones, much as the blacklisted writers had been.

Filming

Whilst interiors were filmed at Nettlefold Studios, location shooting for the series took place on the nearby Wisley common, Wisley, Surrey and at the adjoining Foxwarren Park Estate, near Cobham, owned by Hannah Weinstein, horses used for filming were also stabled at Foxwarren house, which had a projection room for viewing daily film rushes and completed films. In 1956 a replica castle exterior, complete with drawbridge, was built in the grounds of the estate for filming of 'The Adventures of Sir Lancelot' series (it features prominently in title sequence for the colour episodes), this was used predominantly for castle scenes in series 3 & 4 of Robin Hood, it first appears as Chataeu Marmont in 'The Bandit of Brittany' during series 2, in place of the standing castle and village set on the backlot at Nettlefold studios used in series 1 & most of series 2.

As well as this, establishing shots and short film sequences were also shot at various medieval buildings in the UK including: Allington Castle in Suffolk, this was used to establish Fitzwalter Castle, Marian's home in the series, Painshill Park, near Cobham, Saltwood Castle in Hythe, Pencoed Castle near Magor in Monmouthshire. Three Northumberland sites - Alnwick Castle, Lindesfarne Castle and Warkworth Castle. As well as Bodiam Castle in East Sussex, Leith Hill near Dorking, Framlington Castle in Suffolk, Newar Priory near Ripley, Castle Mill in Dorking and Newark Mill amongst others were used through the series.

Crew

Directors of Photography ......................... Gerald Gibbs (series 1), Ken Hodges (series 1-4), Ernest Palmer (series 2), Michael Reed (series 2/3), Ian Craig (series 4)
Camera Operators ................................... Noel Rowland (series 1-4), Eric Williams (series 4)
Art Directors ............................................. Peter Proud (series 1), John Blezard (series 2-4), Peter Mullins (series 2/3)
Production Designer ................................. Peter Proud (series 2)
Art Supervisor ............................................... William Kellner (series 2)
Assistant Director .............................................. Christopher Noble
Sound .................................................... H.P. Pearson
Film Editors .....................................Bill Lewthwaite, Peter Seabourne, Harry Booth, Inman Hunter and Thelma Connell (series 1), Joan Warwick (series 2-4), David Hawkins (series 2), Lee Doig (series 3/4), Peter Rolfe Johnson (series 4), Richard Sidwell (series 4)
Dubbing Editors ..............................................Harry Booth and Michael Deeley (series 1), Freddie Cook (series 2)
Supervising Film Editors ..........................................Thelma Connell (series 1/2), Maurice Rootes (series 2)
Continuity ............................................. Joanna Busby/Barbara Thomas (series 1) Olga Marshall (series 2)
Make-Up Supervisor .............................. Walter Schneiderman
Hairdressers .......................................... Eileen Bates (series 1/2), Bill Griffiths (series 1), Betty Sheriff (series 2)
Wardrobe Supervisor ........................................... Brenda Gardner
Script Editors ....................................... Albert G. Ruben (series 1-3), Kathryn Dawes (series 2), Peggy Phillips (series 2/3), Raymond Bowers (series 4)
Production Supervisor/Manager ..................................George Mills (series 1), Harold Buck (series 1-4)
Assistant Producer ......................................John C. George
Production Associate ..................................Richard Greene (series 4)
Associate Producer .................................Thelma Connell (series 2-4)
Producer ........................................Sidney Cole (series 1-4) (credited as Associate Producer on series 1)
Executive Producer .................................Hannah Weinstein

Theme song

Carl Sigman wrote the words and music for the theme song which was sung by Dick James. The song is still fondly remembered:

Robin Hood! Robin Hood! Riding through the glen!
Robin Hood! Robin Hood! With his band of men!
Feared by the bad! Loved by the good!
Robin Hood! Robin Hood! Robin Hood!

He called the greatest archers to a tavern on the green!
They vowed to help the people of the king!
They handled all the trouble on the English country scene!
And still found plenty of time to sing!

[Chorus (1st paragraph) repeat]

In 1956 the theme song was released on Parlophone records by Dick James with Stephen James and his chums and Ron Goodwin's Orchestra and reached number 14 in the UK charts (78rpm single:R.4117/45rpm single:MSP6199), and by PYE records as a 78rpm single by Gary Miller with Tony Osbourne orchestra and the Beryl Stott chorus (PYE N.15020) and reached number 10 on the UK charts, versions by Frankie Lane (CBS Coronet), Nelson Riddle and his Orchestra (Capitol), Alan Dale (Coral), Joe Reisman's orchestra and chorus (RCA Victor) and Ronnie Ronaldo (Colombia) were also issued. These versions had the extended song with fives verses and the chorus six times.

This song was parodied by Monty Python's Flying Circus in their Dennis Moore sketch, which depicted a masked highwayman from the 18th century (more like the Scarlet Pimpernel) stealing lupins from the rich to give to the poor.

"Robin des Bois" was the theme recorded for the French TV market, sung in French, it can be heard on the 3rd series episode "Farewell To Tuck" released by Network on DVD. The series was first broadcast in France as "Aventures dans la Foret de Sherwood" in 1965 on ORTF. Other countries to broadcast the series include Canada in 1955 on CBLT, Toronto and CKCO, Ontario, Finland in 1964 on NORDEEZE, Holland in 1965/66 on AVRO and Germany between 1971 and 1974 on ARD.

First series episodes also exist with a variant downbeat instrumental end theme by Edwin Astley, it can be heard on the episode "The Highlander" released by Network DVD.

Artistic details

Art director Peter Proud, an expert at wartime camouflage, hit on the idea of putting many props on wheels to facilitate quick set changes, since one 26 minute episode was shot every four and a half days. The show boasted "140 set pieces (baronial fireplaces, staircases, stone walls, entrance halls, and the like)". There was some outdoor location filming, mainly involving horse-riding doubles and stuntmen, and without dialogue recording. Sets were designed from parchments and sketches from the British Museum, and modeled on castles of Harlech, Farleigh, and Framlingham. Some of the 100 soldiers who manned the battlements of Nottingham Castle were miniature toy soldiers.

Sponsorship

In the US the original CBS syndication prints had a few variants to the original UK prints, after the brief title sequence the US prints would repeat this sequence but with "Brought to You By" and after the arrow strikes the tree the sponsors name "Wildroot Cream-Oil" superimposed, "Johnson and Johnson" sponsored episodes had a voice-over over the opening titles "Richard Greene in The Adventures of Robin Hood" and over the repeated sequence "presented by" followed by the names of two Johnson and Johnson products, images of which would appear over the shot of the arrow in the tree, a commercial featuring one of the products would then be shown, the Wildroot Cream-Oil sponsored episodes would then feature an animated commercial showing a Robin Hood type figure with lanck hair and a dinosaur. A Minstrel song would then be sung at the beginning of each episode, over the episode title, providing a playful poetic synopsis in short prose of what could be expected to be seen. After the final fade to black a sequence featuring an actor playing the Minstrel would be shown as he sung these lyrics to the tune of "Early One Morning": "We'll have the merry time again with Robin and his merry men and the folk who'll bring him to you then ask for words with you." followed by a commercial for next weeks sponsor before the end titles would be shown, (Wildroot Cream Oil and Johnson and Johnson sponsored alternate episodes) the end credits start with the opening sequence, again, with Sandy Becker mentioning the sponsors name again, with the sponsors product appearing on screen through the end titles which are shown over the shot of the tree. This caption also appeared: "This film was flown to the USA via Pan American World Airways". The opening minstrel tunes were also sung to the tune of 'Early One Morning'. There were two sponsors of the CBS syndicated screenings, Wildroot Cream-Oil (a hair tonic company) and Johnson and Johnson (known in the UK for baby powder). The commercials involved "within" the episodes appeared originally on all three Seasons broadcast at 7.30pm(eastern standard time)/6.30pm(central standard time) Monday nights on CBS (not series 4).

Alternative title captions appear over the opening sequence on some US prints, instead of "Richard Greene in The Adventures of Robin Hood" they state "Richard Greene plays Robin Hood-The Adventures in Sherwood Forest".

Alternate US end credit titles crediting the series as "A Hannah Weinstein Production for Sapphire Films Limited",(and for later episodes from 1958 credited as "A Hannah Fisher Production") also exist.

In the UK, at the time, sponsorship of programmes was not allowed and each episode had one commercial break in the middle.

Influence

The series was an immediate hit on both sides of the Atlantic, drawing 32,000,000 viewers per week. Sapphire films were commissioned to make four other series by Lew Grade, The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (1956/57) (broadcast by NBC on Monday nights at 8.00pm), The Bucaneers (1956/57) (broadcast by CBS on Saturday nights at 7.30pm), Sword of Freedom (1957/58), and The Four Just Men (1958/59). ITC continued to make and sell TV series to the US until the late 1970s, including The Saint, The Prisoner, and Thunderbirds plus many more.

Merchandise

Products

Many licensed products and knockoffs were sold, including books, jigsaw puzzles, iron-on patches, toy bows and arrows, and more. Magazine Enterprises featured Richard Greene photos on three Robin Hood comic books. Robin and Marian made the cover of TV Guide in the Week of 12–18 May 1956.

DVD

In Region 1, Mill Creek Entertainment has released all 4 seasons on DVD. They have also released a complete series set featuring all 143 episodes of the series.

Alpha Video has released 22 single volume collections of the series, featuring various episodes.

In Region 2, Network DVD has released all 4 seasons on DVD in the UK.

Three DVD boxsets of the series have also been released in Germany by KNM Home Entertainment as "Die Abenteuer Von Robin Hood" with German language soundtracks in 2009.

DVD Name	Ep#	Release dates
		Region 1	Region 2
The Complete First Season	39	March 18, 2008	March 3, 2008
The Complete Second Season	39	October 14, 2008	December 1, 2008
The Complete Third Season	39	March 31, 2009	November 1, 2008
The Complete Fourth Season	26	August 25, 2009	January 24, 2005
The Complete Series	143	August 25, 2009	N/A

Film

In 1960 Sydney Cole and Richard Greene produced the feature film Sword of Sherwood Forest for Hammer Film productions(in association with Yeoman Films), Directed by Terence Fisher, written by Alan Hackney, director of photography was Ken Hodges and the film editor was Lee Doig , all TV series alumni. Richard Greene starred as Robin Hood with Peter Cushing as The Sheriff of Nottingham, Blonde haired Sarah Branch played Maid Marian with Nigel Green as Little John, Jack Gwillim as Archbishop Hubert Walter and Edward Pascoe as Edward - The Earl of Newark, Oliver Reed also had a small role. It was filmed in colour and in a widescreen process referred to as 'Megascope' on the opening titles.

External links

• The Adventures of Robin Hood at TV.com
• The Adventures of Robin Hood at IMDb
• The Adventures of Robin Hood: A Robin Hood Spotlight
• The Adventures of Robin Hood at epguides.com
• Download episodes of The Adventures of Robin Hood at the Internet Archive
• Fishko Files, WNYC, June 25, 2010.