The Men of Sherwood Forest ** (1954) – Classic Movie Review 9457

Hammer Films cash in on the success of Disney’s 1952 The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952) – and why not ? – with Val Guest’s pleasant if very routine 1954 Eastmancolor version of Robin Hood, The Men of Sherwood Forest (1954). But its lighthearted tone is quite infectious, even though both the Eighties TV series with Michael Praed and the Seventies Robin and Marian film proved the legend stands up well to a dark interpretation.

America’s Don Taylor rather misses the target as Robin, though Reginald Beckwith is undoubted fun as Friar Tuck.

Allan Mackinnon’s script has Robin seeking out the lost plans to rescue King Richard (Patrick Holt), who is held captive in Germany, but bad guys betray him and he is captured. The Merrie Men and Lady Alys (Eileen Moore) come to the rescue of Robin, so that he in turn can rescue Richard.

Our own, our very own Leonard Sachs (fondly remembered as the MC from TV’s The Good Old Days) plays the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Richard Greene’s famous TV series The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955-59) followed soon after.

It is the first film of Douglas Wilmer, as Sir Nigel Saltire.

Also in the cast are David King Wood, Patrick Holt, John Van Eyssen, Douglas Wilmer, Harold Lang, Leslie Linder, Vera Pearce, John Stuart, Raymond Rollett, Leonard Sachs, Bernard Bresslaw, Jackie Lane, Ballard Berkeley, Wensley Pithey, Toke Townley, John Kerr, Howard Lang, Tom Bowman, Edward Hardwicke, Michael Godfrey, Robert Hunter, Dennis Wyndham, Peter Arne and Jack McNaughton.

The Men of Sherwood Forest is directed by Val Guest, runs 77 minutes, is made by Hammer Films, is released by Exclusive Films (1954) (UK) and Astor Pictures Corporation (1956) (US), is written by Allan MacKinnon, is shot in Eastmancolor by Walter Jimmy Harvey, is produced by Michael Carreras, is scored by Doreen Carwithen and designed by J Elder Wills.

It is shot at Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9457

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