The Rogues of Sherwood Forest

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Decked out with leftover sets and stock footage from 1946's Bandit of Sherwood Forest, Columbia's Rogues of Sherwood Forest stars John Derek as the son of legendary do-gooder Robin Hood. When King John (George Macready) revives his old cycle of taxation and repression, Robin Jr. summons forth his father's Merry Men and inaugurates a rebel movement. Aiding the younger Robin in his fight for rights is Lady Marianne (Diana Lynn), who exhibits a lot more leg and decolletage than was customary in 13th-century England. Prominent among the Merry Men is Little John, played by Alan Hale Sr., who'd previously essayed the same role in the 1922 and 1938 filmizations of Robin Hood. Attractively lensed in Technicolor, Rogues of Sherwood Forest seems far more expensive and ambitious than it really was. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard)
• Subtitle: Eng

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       John Derek - Robin Earl of Huntington
       Diana Lynn - Lady Marianne
       George Macready - King John
       Paul Cavanagh - Sir Giles
       Lowell Gilmore - Count of Flanders
       Billy House - Friar Tuck
       Lester Matthews - Alan-A-Dale
       Wilton Graff - Baron Fitzwalter
       Don Randolph - Archbishop Stephen Langton
       John Dehner - Sir Baldric
       Gavin Muir - Baron Alfred
       Tim Huntley - Baron Chandos
       Paul Collins - Arthur
       Campbell Copelin - Officer
       Paul Bradley - Court official
       Billy Bevan - Will Scarlett
       Olaf Hytten - Charcoal burner
       James Logan - Officer
       Symona Boniface - Charcoal Burner's Wife
       Patrick Aherne - Trooper
       Nelson Leigh - Merton
       Byron Poindexter - Man
       Alan Hale - Little John
       Valentine Perkins - Milk maid
       Matthew Boulton - Abbot
       Colin Keith - Johnston - Munster

• Director:

  Gordon M. Douglas

• Producer:

  Fred M. Packard

• Screenwriter:

  George Bruce

• Screen Story:

  Ralph Gilbert Bettinson

• Cinematographer:

  Charles Lawton

• Composer (Music Score):

  Heinz Roemheld

• Musical Direction/Supervision:

  Morris W. Stoloff

• Composer (Music Score):

  Arthur Morton

• Editor:

  Gene Havlick

• Art Director:

  Harold H. MacArthur

REVIEW:

• Only diehard Robin Hood completists really need bother with Rogues of Sherwood Forest, a handsomely mounted but rather attempt entry in the canon. Technically, Rogues isn't even technically a real Robin Hood story, as it deals not with the original champion of the oppressed but with his similarly-named and similarly-inclined son. But the difference between father and son, and indeed between the plot of the original and the plot of this one, is so minor as to be inconsequential. And that's one of the big problems with Rogues: there's just very little that's new here, and what is new is of no improvement on the many versions that came before it. This is especially true of our Robin, John Derek, who may be an extremely handsome hero but is as bland and uninteresting as it's possible to be. He makes for a dull lead, which in turns drags down much of the film. Much the same is true of the equally attractive but only slightly-more-interesting Diana Lynn as his love interest. Fortunately, Alan Hale is back on hand as Little John, adding much-needed zest, warmth and humor, and the rest of the supporting cast is also able. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi