Raymond Russell
In 1957 a film director called Chris (Peter) Noble who knew my mother, asked if I wanted to be in the BBC Television series Robin Hood. The first day I arrived on the set in a kind of sack dress, that the under-financed prop department thought would make me look like a 14th Century village boy, I was a little scared. Richard Greene as Robin and Archie Duncan as Friar Tuck were really nice to all of the kids and I loved the adventure, until the director pointed to an enormous horse. Evidently the casting director had asked my mother if I could ride, obviously she said I was born in the saddle, even though I had never seen a horse except in cowboy movies. To make it worst there wasn't a proper saddle as we were meant to be village children in the Middle Ages."OK!" the second director shouted as I clung to the temperamental stallion. "All you horsemen…" OMG I thought, this monster is going to throw me in the first ditch."Gallop across that field as fast as you can, try to look scared as if you're running for your lives!" In my case that was absolutely true, I'll never know how I stayed on the beast, but at the end of the afternoon the director came over to me and said, "Well done son you acted truly terrified." I've never forgotten how to ride. I don't know if my childhood acting help me to be the author I am today, but I had a wonderful time.
nicky-5
For thomas-467the film you are looking for is Fellow Traveller starring Ron Silver. As the blacklisted writer remembers his betrayal to HUAC, he rewrites the series and turns one of the Merrie Men into a traitor (though I won't reveal which one!). It's excellent though not, I think available on DVD.One of the most entertaining things about the Adventures of Robin Hood is seeing Paul Eddington in, seemingly, dozens of episodes (he seems to be in the whole of one season) as different characters though I'm not sure if anyone would have spotted it at the time since he seems to alternate from Saxon to Norman each week. It must have been like appearing in weekly rep for him!
silverscreen888
"The Adventures of Robin Hood" was not a children's program, not even a young people's program. Consider its credits, if you doubt my assessment. Its directors included Daniel Birt, Robert Day, Don Chaffey, Terry Bishop, Terence Fisher, Arthur Crabtree, Peter Maxwell, Ralph Smart and Bernard Knowles, many known for TV and feature film work. The writing corps included some blacklisted Hollywood film writers as well as highly-competent British scenarists including in their numbers Milton Schlesinger, Ring Lardner Jr., Ralph Smart, John Dyson, John Cousins, Arthur Behr, Raymond Bowers, Eric Heath, Anne Rodney, Leslie Poynter. Paul Symonds, Sidney Wells, Ian Lartain, Ian McLellan Hunter and C.D. Phillips. The story sets up an historically false but dramatically useful opposition--the Saxons of England championing the cause of the imprisoned honest King Richard Coeur de Lion, set against his usurping, nefarious brother Prince John, who is in league with their Norman overlords and crooked sheriffs (out only to steal land and wealth and ready to enslave the populace for a brass farthing). The very fine continuing cast included handsome and able leading man Richard Greene, lovely Bernadette O'Farrell and later very good actress Patricia Driscoll as Maid Marian Fitzwalter; the splendid Shakespearean actor Alexander Gauge playing the definitive Friar Tuck, with Archie Duncan as Little John, Paul Eddington as Will Scarlet, Alan Wheatley as a marvelously subtle and villainous Sheriff of Nottingham, Victor Woolf as Derwent and Simone Lovell as the brave and helpful Maid Joan. Several fine actors played Prince John, including Donald Pleasance, Ian Hunter Robin's friend Sir Richard and Jill Esmond Queen Eleanor. Regular guests included Paul Eddington (doing double duty), Willoughby Gray, John Dearth, Arthur Skinner, Charles Stapley plus guest stars of the caliber of Edward Mulhare, and Leo McKern. Hannah Weinstein was executive producer, with the participation of Sidney Cole as line producer, Thelma Connell a associate and Richard Greene. Edwin Astley, Albert Elms and Sidney Keith Russell provided the music; Carl Sigman wrote the popular title song. The cinematography for the show, which ranged from hood to very good, was done by Gerald Gibbs, Ken Hodges and Michael Reed at various times. The production designer was Peter Proud, and the art directors Proud, John Blezard and Peter Mullins. Gabriel Toyne was in charge of duels and battles with Brenda Gardner in charge of wardrobe. So many people have happy memories of watching this show as young people, I believe they would be surprised how entertaining the and engrossing the show remain. The comedy was frequently very successful, the dialogue above average and the motivations of the characters extraordinarily clear. And, frequently, memorable. Because the show was about important matters to realists, the scenes deal with essentials; and this makes them more consistently interesting and rich than is usual in a television show. This is a much-loved television series, for many reasons; I was privileged to wait each week for its episodes when I was growing up. I have seen many since that time, and they are still enjoyable, as fiction and as good-spirited fun for discriminating viewers.
imxo
The first episodes of the Robin Hood series are now 50 years old, and they hold up fantastically well. And to see the list of actors who were in the series is something to behold: Donald Pleasance, Nigel Davenport, Edward Mulhare, Paul Eddington, et al.I suppose I was not the only young boy to be madly in love with Maid Marian, and even though it's going on 50 years now, I still remember being disappointed when Bernadette O' Farrell was replaced by Patricia Driscoll. In fact, I think it may have broken my heart. Now, however, I find that it's really Patricia Farrell that I prefer! Anyway, just yesterday I happened to see a DVD containing 3 of the Robin Hood episodes on the shelves of the "world's largest retailer" for the non-Prince Johnly sum of one dollar. I've just watched them all, and they are wonderful. Spoiler: Good triumphs over evil.
