Robin Hood (1912) Reviewed

The first depiction of Robin Hood on screen occurred in 1912 in the short film Robin Hood. Filmed in Fort Lee, New Jersey with a runtime of 30 minutes, it amounts to little more than a pantomime with its simplistic plot, cartoonish characters, and rudimentary fight choreography (which one might suspect was limited to instructions on the order of, "Just wave your sword about and try not to hurt anyone"). Cinematography was still in its relative infancy, but there is nothing remotely innovative or adventurous on display here. The camera is stationary in every scene, indoors or outdoors, as if the viewer is attending a play, except a play would flow more naturally and be easier to follow. The acting is exaggerated, the pacing is awkward, the scene changes are jarring, and the action sequences are laughable. In one static scene, Robin Hood's merry men hastily arrange an ambush for their pursuers by holding up tree branches and lying down behind them in an open field. I doubt it would fool a blindfolded man, let alone a mounted man-at-arms, but the ambush succeeds, there's a general kerfuffle of pulling soldiers off their horses, and soon their antagonists are all tied to trees. All of the conflict in this version of Robin Hood's adventures is caused by Guy de Gisbourne's unrequited lust for Maid Marian and her father's disapproval of Marian and Robin's dalliances. So much does he disapprove of Robin that he informs Guy that if he can apprehend Robin, he is more than welcome to his daughter. Fights and flights ensue. The characters are all caricatures, and the revelation that the unknown personage is King Richard the Lion-Hearted is clumsy and anticlimactic. Fortunately, the legend of Robin Hood is too powerful to be consigned to oblivion by this half-hearted effort. The only value this film holds is historical. It was the first, and may well be the worst (or one of the worst). At least it is short.

Writing: Poor
Directing: Poor
Acting: Poor
Cinematography: Poor
Stunts: Poor
Swordplay: Terrible
Panache: Poor

Overall Rating: Poor
Swashbuckling Rank: Terrible/Poor

Written by: Eustace Hale Ball
Directed by: Étienne Arnaud
Performed by: Robert Frazer, Barbara Tennant, Alec B. Francis, Lamar Johnstone, Arthur Hollingsworth, et al.

The Bandit of Sherwood Forest (1946) Reviewed

The Bandit of Sherwood Forest (1946) is a passable and largely forgettable tale in the history of Robin Hood's various modern-concocted progeny, which, in this case, is Robert of Nottingham (played by Cornel Wilde). Early in the film, the master plan is revealed. The King's Regent, William of Pembroke (Henry Daniell), is plotting the assassination of the young King Henry III (Maurice Tauzin) and his own ascension to the throne, which will culminate in the destruction of the Magna Carta and anything else that stands in the way of his assumption of absolute power. The threat of autocratic rule was painfully fresh in the memories of those who survived the Second World War, and this is by far the most powerful and memorable scene in the film. Unfortunately, the film devolves rapidly into a series of standard genre clichés conveyed with generic adequacy (except for Henry Daniell's outlandish scenery-chewing that may have directly inspired Henry Polic's Sheriff of Nottingham in When Things Were Rotten and Edgar Buchanan's wiley prospector take on Friar Tuck). The only surprise is the quality of Cornel's fencing (which wouldn't surprise those who know that Cornel once turned down a place in the U.S. Olympic fencing team), but it is, alas, compromised by its brevity. Other action scenes are rendered less effective by being shrouded in darkness. What could have been a rousing swashbuckling parable against tyranny is instead a hasty romp through the usual Robin Hood wardrobe and sets.

[Slightly edited on 15 March 2025.]

Writing: Mediocre
Directing: Mediocre
Acting: Mediocre
Cinematography: Mediocre/Fair
Stunts: Fair
Swordplay: Good
Panache: Mediocre

Overall Rating: Mediocre
Swashbuckling Rank: Fair

Written by: Wilfrid H. Pettitt and Melvin Levy
Based on: Son of Robin Hood by Paul A. Castleton
Directed by: Henry Levin and George Sherman
Performed by: Cornel Wilde, Anita Louise, Jill Esmond, Henry Daniell, Russell Hicks, Edgar Buchanan, George Macready, Maurice Tauzin, et al.

Haphazard Chandelier-Swinging in 2025

I admit I am disappointed that I have been unable to fulfill my Theoretical Swashbuckling goals at the beginning and middle of 2024, but I shall strive to achieve them however long it takes in this topsy-turvy world (even if it means continuing the blog in an alternate format such as physical zine, podcast, or video). In this era, until further notice, I am abandoning my self-imposed blogging quota, but I shall continue to blog as circumstances permit. In addition to the lists of goals mentioned above, I am adding several more.

1. Discuss GURPS Robin Hood.
2. Find, watch, and review more Robin Hood movies.
3. Research, play, and review Robin Hood board games.
4. Reread Robin Hood and books written about the subject.

The Black Arrow (1948) Reviewed

The Black Arrow (1948) is an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's novel of romance and revenge set in England during the Wars of the Roses. It begins with the unexpected return of Sir Richard Shelton (Louis Hayward) to his father's castle and his discovery of his father's murder. Conspiracies abound, mysterious assassinations occur, and underground movements are revealed. In the midst of it all, he meets Joanna Sedley (Janet Blair), the daughter of the man accused of killing Sir Richard's father.

Despite the shadowy plots of both the powerful and the rebellious, the film is fairly straightforward, the pace is brisk, and the action scenes—although not staggering in their scope or execution—are adequately enjoyable. It is not a big budget blockbuster by any means, but it is reasonably entertaining as a swashbuckling flick if one can forgive its brevity and the inordinately western folksiness of Edgar Buchanan's portrayal of Lawless, the archer with the black arrows.

Writing: Fair
Directing: Good
Acting: Good
Cinematography: Good
Stunts: Good
Swordplay: Fair
Panache: Good

Overall Rating: Good
Swashbuckling Rank: Good

Written by: Richard Schayer, David P. Sheppard, and Tom Seller
Based on: The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson
Directed by: Gordon Douglas
Performed by: Louis Hayward, Janet Blair, George Macready, Edgar Buchanan, et al.

Talk Like a Pirate in the Year of Our Lord Twenty Hundred and Twenty-Four

Looking astern from this here vessel on the sea of Time, it appears I failed to chart the Isle of International Talk Like a Pirate Day in the Year of Our Lord Twenty Hundred and Twenty-Three, so I'll be observing that elusive land with twice the jollity this year.

Arrrrrrrr!

Ongoing Chandelier-Swinging in 2024

Although the task of fulfilling the objectives listed in "Swinging from Chandeliers into 2024" is far from complete, I feel compelled to add to them.

1. Add All for Me Grog to How to Create a Swashbuckler.
2. Play Swashbuckler by Yaquinto Publications.
3. Possibly compile lists of swashbuckling games.
4. Research swashbuckling arcade games.
5. Review animated adaptations of classic swashbuckling characters and stories.
6. Explore the parameters of the genre.

Theoretical Swashbuckling Celebrates 10th Anniversary

This year—starting this past January the 7th, to be precise—is the tenth anniversary of Theoretical Swashbuckling. If you are a reader, thank you for reading. If you have ever commented, thank you for commenting. If you have any questions or requests, please let me know. I know there have been a few requests over the years I have not yet fulfilled (such as a review of Swashbuckler, the game by Yaquinto Publications), but I will strive to fulfill them eventually. And if you are a registered follower of this blog, thank you for embarking on the voyage.

The Prisoner of Zenda (1952) Reviewed

I postponed watching the 1952 remake of the 1937 adaptation of The Prisoner of Zenda (q.v.) because I felt that watching them back-to-back would compromise my objectivity. After all, the 1937 version is itself but one of many film adaptations of the novel by Anthony Hope, and they all deserve to be judged fairly on their own merits. So, I gave myself 13 years to ensure impartiality. (Thirteen years was not a predetermined amount of time. I just happened to think recently, "I never got around to watching that version of The Prisoner of Zenda with Stewart Granger... I guess there's no time like the present!")

So, I watched the version starring Stewart Granger as Rudolf Rassendyll and King Rudolf V, Deborah Kerr as Princess Flavia, and James Mason as Rupert of Hentzau. As this version is a mostly scene-for-scene direct adaptation of the 1937 film, but in color, I'll avoid repeating the essential background I described in the previous review and concentrate on the differences.

Despite the similarities, or possibly because of the limitations imposed by such a close adaptation, the 1952 film lacks the verve of its predecessor. It's a good film, but it seems sleepy and resigned in comparison. Granger is fine, but lacks edge. Mason has a very keen edge, but his character is shallow. Everything about the film is acceptable, but nothing really gets the blood rushing the way a great swashbuckler can. The entire cast is acceptable, with one exception: Deborah Kerr. Kerr's Princess Flavia is subtle, powerful, and utterly believable. With such a performance, I think she could have carried an entire film centered on Princess Flavia, and I think I would have preferred it.

The Prisoner of Zenda (1952) is solidly good, but it is no match for the 1937 film.

Writing: Good
Directing: Good
Acting: Good (Deborah Kerr: Great)
Cinematography: Good
Stunts: Good
Swordplay: Good
Panache: Good

Overall Rating: Good
Swashbuckling Rank: Good

Written by: John L. Balderston, Noel Langley, Edward E. Rose, Wells Root, and Donald Ogden Stewart
Based on: The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope
Directed by: Richard Thorpe
Performed by: Stewart Granger, Deborah Kerr, James Mason, Louis Calhern, Jane Greer, Lewis Stone, Robert Douglas, et al.

Swashbuckling Thought of the Day 2024-05-31

Yes, I am taking liberty with temporal reality by setting the date of this article as 31 May 2024 when I am composing it on 1 June 2024, but I intended to post it yesterday, so I am travelling back in time and posting it yesterday. Because the subject of today's (yesterday's) thought is Renegade Nell.

When I last wrote about Renegade Nell, I mentioned my uncertainty as to whether it could be classified as swashbuckling three episodes into the series. After finishing the series, I can confidently state that I am still uncertain. If I were to assign it a more accurate category, it would probably be something like "folkloric superhero tall tale" or "swashbuckling fairytale" or "period action fantasy." Stunts are plentiful, and heroic regard for the downtrodden is a major theme, but magic is very prominent and swordplay is scarce. I found it enjoyable as its own thing, but it didn't quite scratch the swashbuckling itch. As I mentioned before, though, it is still far superior to this version of Zorro.

Swashbuckling Thought of the Day 2024-04-18

I have watched three episodes of Renegade Nell, a fantasy adventure on Disney+ about a highwaywoman with supernatural abilities in England in 1705, and I am not sure if it qualifies as belonging to the swashbuckling genre, but I am sure about three things: it has the spirit of a good swashbuckling tale; I'll continue to watch it; and it's far, far better than this year's version of Zorro (q.v.).

Bonus: It stars Louisa Harland, who played Orla McCool in Derry Girls.