Ready to have your swash re-buckled? Well, most of the gang from Captain Blood return for this glorious technicolor definitive version of Robin Hood. Director Michael Curtiz, Flynn, de Havilland, Basil Rathbone (as Guy of Gisbourne) and throw in Claude Rains (who also appears in Curtiz's most famous film, Casablanca), Eugene Pallette (of the inimitable croaky voice) and Una O'Connor (of the nobody-would-want-to-imitate screechy voice, as seen in Bride of Frankenstein and The Invisible Man (ooh, another Claude Rains connection), but dialing it down a little to play Marian's lady-in-waiting, Bess). I think of this as ridiculously anachronistic, but having seen Robin Hood butchered by Kevin Costner, I appreciate it more. And I would guess that de Havilland (who, if anything, is even more bewitching in this one - it's the eyes, I tell you)'s outfits are period-appropriate just because they look more demure than you'd expect in a Hollywood epic where she's the love interest. Granted, Eugene Pallette's Friar Tuck has an American accent that he doesn't even attempt to hide, but other than that, all the leads are English (even if the countryside doesn't look very English). And Flynn is wonderfully athletic and dashing, Rathbone is also dashing, and a little bit tragic, but a very worthy sword-fighting opponent, and Rains manages to be gloriously camp at the same time as oily and evil, and all despite a ridiculous bright-red wig. This version includes: the log-bridge fight with Little John; getting Friar Tuck to carry him across the river; the archery contest that is a trap to lure Robin out with the promise of a prize from Maid Marian (as seen in the Disney animated version); and interrupting Prince John's coronation with King Richard along in disguise. Top entertainment, but definitely don't watch this if you're a sensitive vegetarian. Or suspicious of the claim that Richard the Lionhearted was actually a good and well-loved monarch.
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