Robin Hood (1922 film)
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| Robin Hood | |
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| Directed by | Allan Dwan |
| Produced by | Douglas Fairbanks |
| Written by | Douglas Fairbanks |
| Starring | Douglas Fairbanks Enid Bennett Sam De Grasse Wallace Beery |
| Music by | Victor Schertzinger |
| Cinematography | Arthur Edeson & Charles Richardson |
| Editing by | William Nolan |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
| Release date(s) | October 18, 1922 |
| Running time | 127 min. |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | Silent film English intertitles |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Robin Hood (1922) was the first motion picture ever to make a Hollywood premiere, held at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre on October 18, 1922. Its full title, under which it was copyrighted, is Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood, as shown in the illustration at right.
This swashbuckler adventure was based on the legendary tale of the Medieval hero, Robin Hood. It was the first production to present many of the elements of the legend that became familiar to movie audiences in later versions. One of the most expensive movies of the 1920s, an entire 12th century village of Nottingham was constructed. The story was adapted for the screen by Fairbanks (as "Elton Thomas"), Kenneth Davenport, Edward Knoblock, Allan Dwan and Lotta Woods. It was produced by Fairbanks for his own production company, Douglas Fairbanks Pictures Corporation. It would be distributed by United Artists, a company owned by Fairbanks, his wife Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin and D.W. Griffith.
[edit] Primary cast
- Enid Bennett : Lady Marian Fitzwalter
- Sam De Grasse : Prince John
- Wallace Beery : King Richard the Lion-Hearted
- Paul Dickey : Sir Guy of Gisbourne
- William Lowery : The High Sheriff of Nottingham
- Willard Louis : Friar Tuck
- Alan Hale : The Squire/Little John
- Bud Geary : Will Scarlett
- Lloyd Talman : Allan-a-Dale
- Douglas Fairbanks : Earl of Huntingdon/Robin Hood
[edit] Plot summary
The opening has the dashing Earl of Huntingdon (played by Fairbanks) besting his bitter enemy, Sir Guy of Gisbourne (played by Paul Dickey), in a joust. Huntingdon then joins King Richard the Lion-Hearted (played by Wallace Beery) who is going off to fight in the Crusades and has left his brother, Prince John (played by Sam De Grasse), as regent. The prince soon emerges as a cruel, treacherous tyrant. Goaded on by Sir Guy, he usurps Richard's throne. When Huntingdon receives a message from his paramour, Lady Marian Fitzwalter (played by Enid Bennett), telling him of all that has transpired, he returns to England, endangering his life and honor, to oppose Prince John and restore King Richard's throne. He finds himself, and his friends, outlawed, and Marian apparently dead.
Huntingdon returns to Nottingham and adopts the name of Robin Hood, acrobatic champion of the oppressed. Leading a band that steals from the rich to give to the poor, including Friar Tuck (played by Willard Louis), Little John (played by Alan Hale, Sr.), Will Scarlett (played by Bud Geary) and Allan-a-Dale (played by Lloyd Talman), he labors to set things right through swashbuckling feats and makes life miserable for Prince John and his cohorts, Sir Guy and the Sheriff of Nottingham (played by William Lowery). After rescuing Marian from Prince John's prison, Robin is captured. The timely reappearance of King Richard returns him to Marian and foils the efforts of Prince John.
The budget for the film is estimated at approximately one million dollars. Some sets were designed by Lloyd Wright.
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