The Men of Sherwood Forest
| Men of Sherwood Forest | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Val Guest |
| Written by | Allan MacKinnon |
| Produced by | Michael Carreras |
| Starring | Don Taylor Reginald Beckwith Eileen Moore John Van Eyssen |
| Cinematography | Walter J. Harvey Len Harris |
| Edited by | James Needs |
| Music by | Doreen Carwithen |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Exclusive Films Astor Pictures (US) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 77 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Men of Sherwood Forest is a 1954 British historical adventure film directed by Val Guest and starring Don Taylor, Reginald Beckwith, Eileen Moore, Douglas Wilmer, John Van Eyssen and David King-Wood. The film follows the exploits of Robin Hood and his Merry Men.[1] It was written by Allan MacKinnon and the score was by Doreen Carwithen.[2] This was Hammer's first color feature, and Michael Carreras was so pleased with it, he filmed Break in the Circle in color as his next project. Hammer followed it up with two other Robin Hood films later on. Filming began in May 1954, the film was trade shown on Oct. 27, 1954, and released in UK on Dec. 6, 1954.[3]
Plot
In 1194, on his return from the Third Crusade, Richard the Lionheart is taken prisoner in Germany. Disguised as a troubadour, Robin Hood builds a plan to rescue him from this tight spot but is captured. His Merry Men then have to fulfil a double mission: find Robin Hood and save the King.
Cast
- Don Taylor as Robin Hood
- Reginald Beckwith as Friar Tuck
- Eileen Moore as Lady Alys
- David King-Wood as Sir Guy Belton
- Douglas Wilmer as Sir Nigel Saltire
- Harold Lang as Hubert
- Ballard Berkeley as Walter
- Patrick Holt as King Richard
- Wensley Pithey as Hugo
- Leslie Linder as Little John
- John Van Eyssen as Will Scarlett
- Leonard Sachs as Sheriff of Nottingham
- Raymond Rollett as Abbot St. Jude
- Toke Townley as Father David
- Vera Pearce as Elvira
- John Kerr as Brian of Eskdale
- John Stuart as Moraine
- Bernard Bresslaw as Garth
- Edward Hardwicke as Outlaw
- Jack May as Villager
Production
Produced by Hammer Films, it was shot at the company's Bray Studios with sets designed by the art director J. Elder Wills. Exteriors were shot at Bodiam Castle in Sussex.
Val Guest called it "a merry romp, it was a send-up of all the Robin Hood things... It was a fun picture, but nothing really riveting or historical."[4]
Critical reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "This unassuming addition to the Robin Hood saga is in the real Sherwood tradition. Don Taylor makes a good-natured Robin Hood, and the tone of the film generally is genial, although Friar Tuck's rollicking joviality is at times played up at the expense of the action."[5]
David Parkinson noted in the Radio Times "a cheap and cheerful Hammer outing to Sherwood, with production values on a par with the infamously parsimonious ITV series starring Richard Greene", concluding "Val Guest directs with little feel for the boisterous action, but it's a tolerable frolic all the same."[6]
TV Guide wrote that "this low-budget swashbuckler is good fun for the undiscriminating".[7]
In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "good", writing: "Good romp, in even lighter vein than usual."[8]
See also
References
- ^ "The Men of Sherwood Forest". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
- ^ "Men of Sherwood Forest". BFI. Archived from the original on 16 January 2009.
- ^ Johnson, Tom (1996). Hammer Films: An Exhaustive Filmography. North Carolina: McFarland. p. 41. ISBN 0-7864-0034-X.
- ^ Fowler, Roy (1988). "Interview with Val Guest". British Entertainment History Project.
- ^ "The Men of Sherwood Forest". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 21 (240): 179. 1 January 1954. ProQuest 1305810751.
- ^ David Parkinson. "Men of Sherwood Forest". RadioTimes.
- ^ "Men Of Sherwood Forest". TV Guide. Archived from the original on 5 November 2014.
- ^ Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 346. ISBN 0-7134-1874-5.