Rogues of Sherwood Forest

1950's "Rogues of Sherwood Forest", another of Columbia's contributions to the Chivalry genre, is an okay entry, with a few definite 'pluses'; excellent Technicolor cinematography by Charles Lawton, crisp direction by Gordon Douglas, lush, elaborate (if somewhat generic) sets, and an above-average cast for a 'B' feature, including veteran screen 'villain' George Macready (" Gilda ") as King John, beautiful (and very busy) screen ingenue Diana Lynn, as King John's ward, Lady Marianne (no one even mentions 'Maid Marion' in this film), and especially Alan Hale, in his final film, playing Little John for the THIRD time (first, in support of Douglas Fairbanks in 1922's classic, " Robin Hood ", then Errol Flynn, in 1938's classic, " The Adventures of Robin Hood ", and here, serving John Derek). Hale, at 57, may sound a bit tired, but he still has that twinkle in his eye, and appears to be enjoying himself, immensely!As for John Derek...it's easy to see why he was cast as the son of Robin Hood; facially, he does resemble the youthful Errol Flynn, particularly when he smiles. However, Derek lacks Flynn's athletic grace (he is obviously doubled in every fight sequence), and he lacks Flynn's charismatic screen presence...and, honestly, he's a lousy actor, at least in costume epics (even ignoring his incongruous American accent).The plot is pretty straightforward; it's 1215 AD, Richard is dead, John is King, and, bitterly aware of the grumbling of the unhappy British nobility (wanting to continue the basic freedoms Richard had given), plans to import an army from Flanders to 'pacify' the population. Unfortunately, the Count of Flanders (a rather ineffectual Lowell Gilmore) wants a hefty fee (and later, Marianne, thus continuing the 'Guy of Gisbourne' tradition of lusting after Robin's woman). Surprisingly reluctant (for a moment), King John proclaims huge taxes (so the people will pay to bring in the army who will crush them...guess that's why they call these 'Dark Ages'...) Meanwhile, young Sir Robin of Huntington (Derek), son of the late 'Robin Hood' (no explanation given of how he passed away), recently returned with Little John from the Crusades, and having survived one murder attempt by King John (still holding a grudge against his father), declares himself against the injustices of the King. He and Little John are imprisoned, escape (with Marianne's aid), and recruit survivors of his father's old gang (Tuck, Alan-a-Dale...who, by the way, never appeared in the Flynn film...and Will Scarlet), and a band of new 'Merry Men', fighting King John's tyranny, and aiding the Barons in forcing him to accept the Magna Carta.There is a definite effort made in capturing the 'look' of the 1938 film (some shots are framed exactly the same), and there are fewer glitches than in some 'Robin Hood' productions (although some pretty obvious telephone poles appear in the background, during one riding sequence!) The major problems here are a rather uninvolving plot (Robin isn't really even a major player, in the central 'Magna Carta' plotline), a lack of romantic chemistry between Robin and Marianne (oh, how I miss Errol and Olivia!), the lack of a really impressive opponent (Gilmore's 'Count' simply isn't 'dangerous' enough, and a better villain, King John's crony, Sir Giles, played by Paul Cavanagh, is woefully underused, and never even faces Robin), and, most obviously, the nearly magical sparkle that a truly wonderful adventure film has. That thrill of bigger-than-life heroes, derring-do on a grand scale, romance that makes your heart sing..."Rogues of Sherwood Forest" simply never achieves that kind of magic.As Alan Hale says, in his very last words on a movie screen, "Everything Has Been Said, Everything Has Been Done..." He might well have been summing up the Flynn film against the Derek one!

This is an interesting and entertaining film in the mold of the 1952 film, Ivanhoe. As a collector of Robin Hood films I was intrigued with this film shot in stunning Technicolor. Although I enjoyed the film, the story, and the acting was not what I was expecting. The story is set in early 13th Century, England, has little historical value, and is mostly fantasy.The little truth in the story is that there was a King John I, (John Lackland) of England. Additionally, the Catholic Church through the Knights Templar assisted in the writing of the Magna Carta and the event signage took place at Runnymede west of London..The story is teachable to individuals that today’s laws were influenced by the Magna Carta and signed by a tyrannical king by strong persuasion of the barons at that time, a formation of a modern day republic. The theme of the story is a parallel to what is transpiring today in the USA under the present regime, oppression of the majority by a few.The re-mastered film is very well done with a clear, vivid image, and has a message. I would highly recommend this film as a witness bearer for today’s family that totalitarian government is not acceptable amongst free people.

It's been some time now since I bought the DVD "Rogues of Sherwood Forest," maybe even 2 years or more. Nonetheless, I've been asked to review it, and I've opted to do so. When I ordered this DVD, I did so because it was of John Derek acting in the Robin Hood role. I saw such a film as a child in the 1950s and it was possibly my favorite of all my childhood years. I was hoping this was at that movie, but it is not. It appears to be a sequel to the one I saw back then. Since I recall the original as a classic, this one turned out to be a disappointment for me. I'm not saying it was a bad video though. It was not. I enjoyed it some but it wasn't what I was seeking. I didn't find it nearly as enjoyable as I remember the original being, but I don't want to discourage anyone else from buying or seeing it. I did enjoy it. Furthermore, the handle "Unhappy Texan" doesn't aptly fit this DVD critique, That handle stems from a really bad experience I had during the 2013 Christmas season when a gift DVDs someone purchased for me from Amazon.com turned out to be a faulty recording, as was the replacement I got later.

Despite being the last of the "Old Hollywood" Robin Hood epics, no one is likely to claim that "Rogues" is a classic. Still, it remains good, undemanding fun for swashbuckling aficionados. John Derek makes a good-humoured, agile hero, son of the original outlaw, while George MacCready (as Prince John), Alan Cavanaugh and Lowell Gilmore essay a splendid trio of villains. Alan Hale Sr repeats his Little John from the Errol Flynn version but Diana Lynne can't really do much with an underwritten Maid Marianne. Ringing the changes, the plot centres on Robin's part in forcing Prince John to sign the Magna Carta. The action scenes are a bit slapdash, but there are a fair few, including an opening joust and a final duel that mixes swordplay on horseback and on foot.The DVD itself is a gem. I can't imagine this film has looked this good since it first hit movie screens back in 1950. The image is incredibly sharp, with deep blacks and vibrant colours. The audio is all that one could wish from a sixty-year-old source.Congratulations to Columbia on a first-class restoration - a great buy for Robin Hood lovers (Hoodies?) everywhere.

Read my review of Bandits of Sherwood forest. It applies to this word for word. Am I the only one who thinks Robin Hood should sound Brittish even if the actor isn't. Please respond.

not as good as the errol Flynn to the the story was quite good

I saw this film as a 12 year old and loved it, i now own it as an adult and still enjoy it, many thanks amazon

Very good film and acting by all. well worth purchasing it

love these old films,you cant beat them