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THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD

UK / ITV Network-ITC-Sapphire / 143x30m-e / 1956-60 /Black and White

Executive Producer:Hannah Weinstein/ Music:Dick James

"Robin Hood, Robin Hood, riding through the Glen, Robin Hood, Robin Hood, with his band of men"

Period action adventure series. Exploits of Robin Hood and his merry men as they try to outwit the evil Sheriff of Nottingham. Throughout the shows run various of the characters were played by several actors, in fact Paul Eddington pops up a number of times in different roles.

Blessed with a cracking theme tune by Dick James shis shot on film black and white adventure series helped start a trend in 1950 TV in the UK, this was a purely family, sanatised version of the famous legend of the outlaw from the 12th century doing battle against the evil sheriff of Nottingham.

As with most of these ITC series filming was done at Nettlefield Studios, many of the sets were constructed on wheels to make the changes on the quick filming show easier.

Interestingly many of the scriptwriters on the show were black listed Hollywood screenwriters who had fled the McCarthy witch hunts. They were, however, forced to write their scripts under pseudonyms. The legendary Lindsay Anderson directed several episodes of the show too.

One aspect of the show that is quite amazing is the way that many of the regular characters changed faces at some point, for instance Will Scarlett was played by both Ronald Howard and Paul Eddington (Eddington in fact crops a number of times in different roles throughout the course of the series).

The show's many imitators (most of which, it must be said, were made by the same company) included the Sir Lancelot, William Tell, The Buccaneers and the Scarlet Pimpernel.

cast
Richard Greene as Robin Hood
Alexander Gauge as Friar Tuck
Alan Wheatley as The Sheriff of Nottingham
Archie Duncan as Little John(1)
Rufus Cruickshank as Little John(2)
Bernadette O'Farrell as Maid Marion(1)
Patricia Driscoll as Maid Marion(2)
Paul Eddington as Will Scarlett(1)
Ronald Howard as Will Scarlett(2)
Hubert Gregg as Prince John(1)
Brian Haines as Prince John (2)
Donald Pleasance as Prince John(3)
Peter Asher as Prince Arthur (1)
Richard O'Sullivan as Prince Arthur(2)
Jonathan Bailey as Prince Arthur(3)


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