History Film / TheAdventuresofRobinHood

* ExactWords: Robin manages to get ahead of the crowd chasing him in his initial escape by using this on guards at a gate. Having run ahead of the soldiers he tells the guards, who were far enough away they didn't hear him declare rebellion "Quick, lock the gate! There's a traitor in the court and he'll try to escape!". They, not knowing ''he'' is the traitor, agree and lock the gate behind him; unwittingly stalling the men trying to catch up and get Robin.

The film was originally intended as a vehicle for [[WTHCastingAgency James Cagney]], who had gained critical approval for playing Bottom the Weaver in Warners' 1935 production of Creator/WilliamShakespeare's ''Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream'' -- but when Cagney walked out on his Warners' contract, the project was retooled to accommodate rising Warners' star Creator/ErrolFlynn, who had in that same year made a huge impression as the swashbuckling lead of the [[{{Pirates}} pirate]] romance, ''Film/CaptainBlood''. Creator/OliviaDeHavilland, having appeared in both movies, was a natural for the part of Lady Marian. Korngold, too, had been associated with the same two films, as adaptor of Music/FelixMendelssohn's theatrical music for ''[[Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream Dream]]'' and as composer of a (mostly) original score for ''Film/CaptainBlood''. Creator/BasilRathbone, having displayed in ''Film/CaptainBlood'' as the evil pirate Levasseur a fine talent for fencing and sneering villainy, was tapped to play the part of Sir Guy of Gisbourne. When director William Keighley was determined by the Warner brothers to be too dilatory and measured in his approach to the film, he was replaced with yet another ''Film/CaptainBlood'' alumnus, hard-driving director Michael Curtiz.

* VillainBall: Guy of Gisbourne arrests Marian when he and John suspect her of conspiring with Robin...but crucially they ''don't'' think to also arrest her maid Bess, or at the very least put out an order that she's not to leave the castle. Bess is thus able to reach Much and warn him of their plot, and he in turn is able to ambush and kill Dickon, and get word to Robin and Richard.

* AnnoyingArrows: Averted as being hit by Robin's arrows is apparently instant death, justified of course by the fact that we are talking about ''RobinHood'' here...

* ArcherArchetype: Again, this is RobinHood, what'd you expect?

* AscendedExtra: In the original tales, Guy of Gisbourne is essentially a one-shot character as an assassin to kill Robin. Here, he is Prince John’s right-hand man with a long and personal feud with Robin Hood, with the Sheriff of Nottingham, Robin’s usual nemesis, pushed into the background as a supporting villain.

''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a 1938 Creator/WarnerBros {{Swashbuckler}} film, directed by Creator/MichaelCurtiz, William Keighley, and B. Reeves Eason, and starring Creator/ErrolFlynn, considered by many the definitive cinematic version of the Myth/RobinHood legend. The film won three [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Academy Awards]], for Best Art Direction (Carl Jules Weyl), Best Film Editing (Ralph Dawson), and Best Original Score (Music/ErichWolfgangKorngold).

Music/ErichWolfgangKorngold was initially reluctant to be associated with the "90% action picture"; however, the Warners were insistent, offering extremely generous payment for his services, and he at last agreed, leaving his native Austria just in time to escape its annexation by UsefulNotes/NaziGermany in March 1938. The Jewish Korngold was later [[DeadpanSnarker accustomed to say]], "Robin Hood saved my life." It is said that Warners provided a [[ShownTheirWork voluminous report on 12th century music]] to the composer, which he promptly dumped into the wastebasket (''but see'' RegionalRiff, ''below''); in the event, Korngold's lush Late Romantic score, characterized by [[Music/RichardWagner Wagnerian]] themes and {{leitmotif}}s, not only won the UsefulNotes/AcademyAward, but set a pattern for Film Music that has lasted down to the days of Music/JohnWilliams and Music/HansZimmer.

Dame Olivia de Havilland was the last living cast member. She died at age 104 on July 26th, 2020.

* FiveManBand: [[TheLeader Robin Hood]], who is leading the revolt against Prince John; [[TheLancer Will Scarlet]], Robin Hood's right-hand man; [[TheSmartGuy Friar Tuck]], who runs the SaintlyChurch; [[TheBigGuy Little John]], a BoisterousBruiser who beats Robin in a quarterstaff fight; and [[TheChick Lady Marian]].

Dame Olivia de Havilland was the last living cast member, at the age of 104. She died on July 26th, 2020.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/robinhood1938.jpg]]

* SimpleStaff: Little John makes excellent use of a plain wooden staff and suggests he bill Robin for the education.

* {{Flynning}}: Fred Cavens deliberately designed all the movements of the duels to be as large and visible as possible. This became the benchmark for cinematic {{sword fight}}s for a long time.

* BetaCouple: Much and Bess.

* TheEvilPrince: Again, Prince John.

* TheUsurper: Robin is entirely centered on defeating usurper Prince John.

* InTheHood: At least twice in the film, once when climbing up to Maid Marian's balcony and once when disguised as one of the "black canons," Robin appears wearing a hood rather than his iconic bycoket hat; on a third occasion, the archery tournament, he seems also to be wearing one under a brimmed peasant's hat. King Richard and his knights also wear hoods, when disguised as pilgrims, as an abbot and his monks, and as the "black canons." Bess wears one when traveling with Marian in the treasure caravan, and even Sir Guy when condemning Robin to death wears an outfit with one, though he never raises it over his head.

* RightfulKingReturns: Who says he "ought never to have left England." (Unlike the ''real'' [[UsefulNotes/RichardTheLionHeart Richard]], who liked England least of the Angevin domains yet at the same time only had to leave England because Philip of France had conquered the Angevin domain of Normandy. Indeed it was his war with Philip that was the ultimate reason he never returned to England: he died during it.)

-->I've called you here as freeborn Englishmen, loyal to our king. While he reigned over us, we lived in peace. But since Prince John has seized the regency, Guy of Gisbourne and the rest of his traitors have murdered and pillaged. You've all suffered from their cruelty - the ear loppings, the beatings, the blindings with hot irons, the burning of our farms and homes, the mistreatment of our women. It's time to put an end to this! Now, this forest is wide. It can shelter and clothe and feed a band of good, determined men - good swordsmen, good archers, good fighters. Men, if you're willing to fight for our people, I want you! Are you with me? Then kneel, and swear this oath: That you, the freemen of this forest, swear to despoil the rich only to give to the poor, to shelter the old and the helpless, to protect all women rich or poor, Norman or Saxon. Swear to fight for a free England. To protect her loyally until the return of our King and sovereign Richard the Lion Heart. AND SWEAR THE FIGHT TO THE DEATH AGAINST OUR OPPRESSORS!

* AffablyEvil: Prince John is a smiling, jolly, Prince of a fellow -- even while he is ordering a minion to stab Robin in the back.

* KnightTemplar: {{Implied}} since Prince John and his followers often get offended when accused of treachery, selfishness, and cruelty.
-->'''Robin:''' Now with the help of this sweet band of cutthroats, you'll try to grind a ransom for him out of every helpless Saxon. A ransom that'll be used not to release Richard, but to buy your way to the throne.\\
'''Sir Guy:''' ''(furious)'' Let me ram those words down his throat, Your Highness!

* {{Flynning}}: Fred Cavens deliberately designed all the movements of the duels to be as large and visible as possible. This is the benchmark for cinematic {{sword fight}}s, rarely equaled and never surpassed.

Shortly thereafter, King Richard has returned to England [[KingIncognito in disguise]]; he is recognized by the Bishop, who informs Prince John and Sir Guy. When Marian overhears their plot to send the disgraced former knight [[TheBrute Dickon Malbête]] to murder the king, she is detected by Sir Guy [[WhatAnIdiot trying]] to send a warning, arrested, and condemned to death, but her lady-waiting, Bess, warns Much, who [[LetsGetDangerous intercepts and kills Dickon]]. Meanwhile, Richard, in the guise of an abbot, has allowed himself to be captured by Robin.

* MOHSScaleOfViolenceHardness: It scores a 2.

* ArchEnemy: Robin Hood has Sir Guy of Gisburne, the thuggish knight who enforces Prince John's tyranny on Nottingham.

* BavarianFireDrill: Robin escapes from the banquet by telling a bunch of guards (who are apparently not up on current events) to block the door at all costs in a very authoritative manner and moving too quickly for them to get a good look at him. They dutifully hold back Gisborne and the other knights long enough for Robin and Will to ride off unimpeded.

* BlastingItOutOfTheirHands: Robin shoots Gisborne's weapon out of his hand at the start of the film.

* TheDragon: Guy of Gisborne, who must be defeated before Robin Hood can rescue Marian.

* DuelToTheDeath: A great one between Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne.

** Gisborne is entirely assured that his treasure caravan doesn't need to take the sensible precaution of scouting the surrounding woods because they're so well-armed... not fully grasping that Robin Hood is a GuileHero.

* VillainousBreakdown: Both Prince John and Guy of Gisborne experience this when King Richard reveals himself in front of him, with Robin following suit.

* VineSwing: Robin swings on a vine from a tree on one side of a forest path to a boulder on the other while taunting Guy of Gisborne after he and his Merry Men have defeated the group the corrupt knight was leading through the greenwood.

* TheAce: Robin, naturally.

* BackToBackBadasses: Friar Tuck and Little do this during the final battle.

* BlastingItOutOfTheirHands: Robin shoots Gisborne's sword out of his hand at the start of the film.

* DramaticUnmask: Though rather more a dramatic ''unhooding'', this happens twice in the film, when Richard reveals that he is the King to Robin and his men in the forest, and when Richard reveals that he is the King and Robin and his men reveal that they are ... Robin and his men at the coronation.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: For all his awesome moments throughout, Robin's slip that gives him away at the archery tournament was his stupid downfall. The Merry Men had even said earlier that they think the tournament is a trap, but Robin Hood [[IdiotBall ignored them]] and said, "[[{{Pride}} Well, what of it?]]"

* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: Of the main cast, only Prince John, the Sheriff, the Bishop, Will Scarlet, and Much are played by actual Englishmen, although King Richard and Sir Guy, both South Africans, and Robin, a Tasmanian, still speak received English. Maid Marian was of British parentage, though born in Tokyo and raised in California, and her maid Bess was from Northern Ireland. Little John and Friar Tuck remain thoroughly American, particularly the latter -- yet somehow this seems less disturbing than in other Mythology/RobinHood films. Sheer style, perhaps?