THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN
HOOD
(Two-Disc Special Edition)
Undoubtedly,
1938’s THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD ($27) is one of the greatest
action movies of all time. Produced in glorious Technicolor, THE
ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD has been the yardstick by which swashbuckling
action movies have been measured for well over sixty years. With its
mixture of action, spectacle, romance and humor, THE ADVENTURES OF
ROBIN HOOD is about as close to perfect entertainment, as any film
produced during Hollywood’s golden age. Additionally, THE ADVENTURES
OF ROBIN HOOD has had its cinematic reputation cemented by some of the
most rousing cinematic swordplay of its era. This renowned cinematic
classic also features legendary stars in its leading roles, as well as the
support of some of the best character actors the day.
Adapted
from the English legends, THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD tells of the
12th Century Saxon noble Sir Robin of Locksley (Errol Flynn), who is
forced to turn outlaw when King Richard the Lion Heart (Ian Hunter) is
kidnapped while returning from The Crusades, thus allowing his brother
Prince John (Claude Rains) to usurp his throne. Backed by the Norman
nobles, including Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Basil Rathbone), Prince John
begins a reign of terror against the Saxon people that begins with
extolling hues taxes, then maiming and killing anyone who can’t pay or
dare complain.
Driven
off into Sherwood Forrest, Sir Robin becomes known as Robin Hood, leader
of those poor Saxons who still loyal to King Richard, but are forced into
a life of thievery by Prince John and his followers. With his "Merry
Men" behind him, Robin Hood begins robbing from the rich and giving
to the poor. Of course, in the midst of his rebellion against Prince John
and the Normans, Robin still manages to find time to romance King Richard’s
ward- the lovely Maid Marian (Olivia de Havilland). The fine cast of THE
ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD also features Patric Knowles, Eugene Pallette,
Alan Hale, Melville Cooper, Una O'Connor and Montagu Love.
Warner
Home Video has done a truly wonderful job with their two-disc special
edition release of THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, which offers the
film in marvelous looking 1.37:1 transfer. Having seen countless video and
broadcast incarnations of THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, I can
honestly say that this is the absolute finest home presentation of this
classic film. In fact, it is quite possible that this presentation
produces a clarity and depth of detail not even seen the original IB
Technicolor prints. Speaking of Technicolor, the DVD shows the kind of
dazzling hues that made the process famous, and the colors are certainly
stronger and far more stable than I’ve ever seen in any video
incarnation of the film. The DVD offers up a luscious visual palette that
will satiate any Technicolor junkie.
The
film elements utilized to create the new transfer have been digitally fine
tuned and massaged to the point that only the most minor of print flaws
remains. A grain structure is noticeable at various points throughout the
presentation, but it helps to maintain a very film-like look for THE
ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD. There are a couple of sequences where the
grain is a bit more prevalent, but considering the vintage photographic
film stocks and the amount of light required to shoot in three-strip
Technicolor, it is easily overlooked. Additionally, there are a few shots
that appear mildly soft, but even these are fairly inconsequential. Blacks
are perfectly rendered, whites appear crisp and contrast is excellent.
Shadow detail is very good, with the film’s day-for-night sequences
looking exemplary. Digital compression artifacts always maintain a low
profile.
THE
ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD features a surprisingly capable Dolby Digital
monaural soundtrack. Recordings of this vintage are notoriously lacking in
fidelity, but for its age THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD is
remarkably solid, despite the inherent technological limitations. Erich
Wolfgang Korngold’s Academy Award winning score sounds quite pleasant
when amplified and the music remains free from serious distortions.
Dialogue is very cleanly rendered and always maintains full
intelligibility. Additionally, most traces of background hiss and other
audible anomalies have been cleaned up in the mastering process. French
and Spanish language tracks have also been provided on the DVD, in
addition to English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Music
underscores the basic interactive menus, which allow one access to the
standard scene selection and set up features, as well as the nice
complement of supplemental materials that have been spread across this
two-disc Special Edition. On disc one, there is a running audio commentary
featuring film historian Rudy Behlmer. This is a highly informative audio
track that explores the nitty-gritty of the production, as well as the
legend of Robin Hood. On a separate music only track, one will find a fine
presentation of Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s score. Also on disc one is Warner
Night At The Movies 1938, which recreates the full motion picture
experience. Hosted by Leonard Maltin, this cool little feature offers a
trailer, newsreels, a musical short subject and a cartoon from the year
1938, along with the feature presentation. A cast & crew listing, plus
an Errol Flynn trailer gallery close out disc one.
On
disc two, one will find some substantial supplemental programs. Up first
we have Glorious Technicolor, a sixty-minute program
narrated by Angela Lansbury that looks at the history of the Technicolor
process, as well as offering interviews with various cinematographers,
plus a few stars of the Technicolor era. Welcome to Sherwood: The
Story of The Adventures of Robin Hood runs several minutes shy of
an hour, but the program, featuring historian Rudy Behlmer, offers a
detailed account of the making of this classic film. Next up are two
terrific Looney Tunes cartoons with a Robin Hood theme- Rabbit Hood
and Robin Hood Daffy. Robin Hood Through the Ages
is a seven-minute program with Rudy Behlmer discussing various film
productions of Robin Hood, with a comparison of the 1938 Errol Flynn and
1922 Douglas Fairbanks versions. A Journey to Sherwood Forest
offers a thirteen-minute look behind-the-scenes, via various home movies
shot during the production of THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD. From
The Cutting Room offers various outtakes and alternate takes from
the movie, in addition to Breakdowns of 1938- twelve minutes
of Warner players flubbing their lines. The Audio Vault
features the National Radio Broadcast of Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s score
with Basil Rathbone narrating the story, plus a Korngold piano session of
his various compositions. Finally, Splitting the Arrow Galleries
is an amalgam of stills and artwork from the film.
THE
ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD is indeed one of the greatest swashbuckling
action movies of all time, in addition to being a tried and true silver
screen classic. Warner has done a fabulous job with the DVD, producing a
home presentation that outshines everything that has preceded it by a very
wide margin. The quality of the presentation alone makes this a must own
DVD, with the added benefit of the supplements, its acquisition is a
no-brainer. Absolutely recommended.
Undoubtedly,
1938’s THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD ($27) is one of the greatest
action movies of all time. Produced in glorious Technicolor, THE
ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD has been the yardstick by which swashbuckling
action movies have been measured for well over sixty years. With its
mixture of action, spectacle, romance and humor, THE ADVENTURES OF
ROBIN HOOD is about as close to perfect entertainment, as any film
produced during Hollywood’s golden age. Additionally, THE ADVENTURES
OF ROBIN HOOD has had its cinematic reputation cemented by some of the
most rousing cinematic swordplay of its era. This renowned cinematic
classic also features legendary stars in its leading roles, as well as the
support of some of the best character actors the day.
Adapted
from the English legends, THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD tells of the
12th Century Saxon noble Sir Robin of Locksley (Errol Flynn), who is
forced to turn outlaw when King Richard the Lion Heart (Ian Hunter) is
kidnapped while returning from The Crusades, thus allowing his brother
Prince John (Claude Rains) to usurp his throne. Backed by the Norman
nobles, including Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Basil Rathbone), Prince John
begins a reign of terror against the Saxon people that begins with
extolling hues taxes, then maiming and killing anyone who can’t pay or
dare complain.
Driven
off into Sherwood Forrest, Sir Robin becomes known as Robin Hood, leader
of those poor Saxons who still loyal to King Richard, but are forced into
a life of thievery by Prince John and his followers. With his "Merry
Men" behind him, Robin Hood begins robbing from the rich and giving
to the poor. Of course, in the midst of his rebellion against Prince John
and the Normans, Robin still manages to find time to romance King Richard’s
ward- the lovely Maid Marian (Olivia de Havilland). The fine cast of THE
ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD also features Patric Knowles, Eugene Pallette,
Alan Hale, Melville Cooper, Una O'Connor and Montagu Love.
Warner
Home Video has done a truly wonderful job with their two-disc special
edition release of THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, which offers the
film in marvelous looking 1.37:1 transfer. Having seen countless video and
broadcast incarnations of THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, I can
honestly say that this is the absolute finest home presentation of this
classic film. In fact, it is quite possible that this presentation
produces a clarity and depth of detail not even seen the original IB
Technicolor prints. Speaking of Technicolor, the DVD shows the kind of
dazzling hues that made the process famous, and the colors are certainly
stronger and far more stable than I’ve ever seen in any video
incarnation of the film. The DVD offers up a luscious visual palette that
will satiate any Technicolor junkie.
The
film elements utilized to create the new transfer have been digitally fine
tuned and massaged to the point that only the most minor of print flaws
remains. A grain structure is noticeable at various points throughout the
presentation, but it helps to maintain a very film-like look for THE
ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD. There are a couple of sequences where the
grain is a bit more prevalent, but considering the vintage photographic
film stocks and the amount of light required to shoot in three-strip
Technicolor, it is easily overlooked. Additionally, there are a few shots
that appear mildly soft, but even these are fairly inconsequential. Blacks
are perfectly rendered, whites appear crisp and contrast is excellent.
Shadow detail is very good, with the film’s day-for-night sequences
looking exemplary. Digital compression artifacts always maintain a low
profile.
THE
ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD features a surprisingly capable Dolby Digital
monaural soundtrack. Recordings of this vintage are notoriously lacking in
fidelity, but for its age THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD is
remarkably solid, despite the inherent technological limitations. Erich
Wolfgang Korngold’s Academy Award winning score sounds quite pleasant
when amplified and the music remains free from serious distortions.
Dialogue is very cleanly rendered and always maintains full
intelligibility. Additionally, most traces of background hiss and other
audible anomalies have been cleaned up in the mastering process. French
and Spanish language tracks have also been provided on the DVD, in
addition to English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Music
underscores the basic interactive menus, which allow one access to the
standard scene selection and set up features, as well as the nice
complement of supplemental materials that have been spread across this
two-disc Special Edition. On disc one, there is a running audio commentary
featuring film historian Rudy Behlmer. This is a highly informative audio
track that explores the nitty-gritty of the production, as well as the
legend of Robin Hood. On a separate music only track, one will find a fine
presentation of Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s score. Also on disc one is Warner
Night At The Movies 1938, which recreates the full motion picture
experience. Hosted by Leonard Maltin, this cool little feature offers a
trailer, newsreels, a musical short subject and a cartoon from the year
1938, along with the feature presentation. A cast & crew listing, plus
an Errol Flynn trailer gallery close out disc one.
On
disc two, one will find some substantial supplemental programs. Up first
we have Glorious Technicolor, a sixty-minute program
narrated by Angela Lansbury that looks at the history of the Technicolor
process, as well as offering interviews with various cinematographers,
plus a few stars of the Technicolor era. Welcome to Sherwood: The
Story of The Adventures of Robin Hood runs several minutes shy of
an hour, but the program, featuring historian Rudy Behlmer, offers a
detailed account of the making of this classic film. Next up are two
terrific Looney Tunes cartoons with a Robin Hood theme- Rabbit Hood
and Robin Hood Daffy. Robin Hood Through the Ages
is a seven-minute program with Rudy Behlmer discussing various film
productions of Robin Hood, with a comparison of the 1938 Errol Flynn and
1922 Douglas Fairbanks versions. A Journey to Sherwood Forest
offers a thirteen-minute look behind-the-scenes, via various home movies
shot during the production of THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD. From
The Cutting Room offers various outtakes and alternate takes from
the movie, in addition to Breakdowns of 1938- twelve minutes
of Warner players flubbing their lines. The Audio Vault
features the National Radio Broadcast of Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s score
with Basil Rathbone narrating the story, plus a Korngold piano session of
his various compositions. Finally, Splitting the Arrow Galleries
is an amalgam of stills and artwork from the film.
THE
ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD is indeed one of the greatest swashbuckling
action movies of all time, in addition to being a tried and true silver
screen classic. Warner has done a fabulous job with the DVD, producing a
home presentation that outshines everything that has preceded it by a very
wide margin. The quality of the presentation alone makes this a must own
DVD, with the added benefit of the supplements, its acquisition is a
no-brainer. Absolutely recommended.