Robin Hood in Movies and Television

This is the second half of a two-part series about the legendary medieval outlaw Robin Hood. In the first episode, my co-host Dr. Jennifer Paxton and I discussed the evidence for a historical basis for the legend. In this one, we look at how Robin Hood has been portrayed in film and television from the silent era to the present--and how each generation has gotten (in Jenny's words) "the Robin Hood that you need in your particular time."

Because there are so many films and television shows featuring Robin Hood, Jenny and I had to be very selective.  From the fifty films and eight episodes we chose the best, the most influential--and the worst. We consider them as entertainments, but because we are historians, we also discuss how the film makers and show runners dealt with the Middle Ages.  I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed recording it.

This episode includes sound clips from:
"The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938), including Erich Korngold's magnificent musical score for that movie
"The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" (1962)
"Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves" (1991)
"Oo-De-Lally," composed and sung by Roger Miller, from Walt Disney's Robin Hood (1973)
The television show "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1955-9): exit theme by Carl Sigman, sung by Dick James

The podcast's intro music is composed by the talented and generous Alexander Nakarada (https://alexandernakarada.bandcamp.com/album/collection-celtic-medieval).

If you are enjoying "'Tis But A Scratch: Fact & Fiction About the Middle Ages," please let friends, family, and students know about the podcast. Subscribing to the podcast doesn't cost anything and you will get a notification when a new episode is released. If you have the time and inclination, write a review. High ratings and good reviews will help new listeners find us.

Listen on Podurama https://podurama.com

Intro and exit music are by Alexander Nakarada

If you have questions, feel free to contact me at richard.abels54@gmail.com