Robin Hood: A Cinematic History of the English Outlaw and His Scottish Counterparts [Library Binding]

Scott Allen Nollen (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0786406437 | ISBN-13: 978-0786406432 | Publication Date: July 1999

From Errol Flynn to Kevin Costner to Daffy Duck, the bandit of Sherwood Forest has gone through a variety of incarnations on the way to becoming a cinematic staple. The historic Robin Hood-actually an amalgam of several outlaws of medieval England-was continually transformed by oral tradition to become the romantic and deadly archer-swordsman who "robbed from the rich to give to the poor." This image was reinforced by popular literature, song and, in the 20th century, cinema. This volume provides in-depth information on each film based on the immortal hero. In addition, other historical figures such as Scottish rebel-outlaws Rob Roy MacGregor and William Wallace are examined. Nollen also explores nontraditional representations of the legend, such as Frank Sinatra's Robin and the Seven Hoods and Westerns featuring the Robin Hood motif. A filmography is provided, including production information, and the text is highlighted by rare photographs, advertisements, and illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Informative...always readable...recommended. --Arba

Well written and researched...an absolute delight...a valuable addition. --Film & History

Traces the Sherwood Forest merry men in film, fact, and folklore...filled with interesting film trivia. --C&RL News --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Scott Allen Nollen is the audiovisual archivist at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library in West Branch, Iowa. He is also the author of twelve books on the history of film, literature and music, including McFarland's The Boys: The Cinematic World of Laurel and Hardy (1989) and Robert Louis Stevenson: Life, Literature and the Silver Screen (1994). He lives in Iowa City.

Product Details

• Library Binding: 269 pages
• Publisher: McFarland & Company (July 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786406437
• ISBN-13: 978-0786406432
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,374,365 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From literature to legend on the screen., August 5, 2004

By 

Howard Nicholas (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Robin Hood: A Cinematic History of the English Outlaw and His Scottish Counterparts (Library Binding)

As with his books on ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON and SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE, Nollen's ROBIN HOOD: A CINEMATIC HISTORY explores the transformation of a piece of literature into a motion picture, but here the author goes back 1,000 years to provide a look at how history becomes legend becomes literature becomes drama becomes film. The author does an impressive job of following the tale of Robin Hood over a huge period of time--the work of a proper historian who also knows film like the back of his hand. First, he provides a beautifully written, novelistic history of Britain at the time of the Norman conquest, then presents his choices for the "real" Robin Hood (with convincing arguments about William Wallace and Robert the Bruce), then moves into early plays and operas, novels and finally the films, including comprehensive sections on Douglas Fairbanks, Errol Flynn, Disney, Kevin Costner (heaven forbid!), Patrick Bergin, and the "Scottish Robin Hood" films--BRAVEHEART and ROB ROY. As always, a fabulous read with many great photos and frame enlargements. A beautifully bound hardcover book worth the price!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a nice academic introduction, June 24, 2001

By 

Jonathan Lapin "fletcher rabbit" (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Robin Hood: A Cinematic History of the English Outlaw and His Scottish Counterparts (Library Binding)

robin hood is really best appreciated viscerally, not intellectually. but this book manages to do a nice job of combining the two by analyzing the character thru his cinematic history.

delving into the fairbanks and flynn versions is to be expected, but nollen also explores the legend from viewing several other works, many of which might not be known to you. he also does a fine job of tying in the scottish counterparts (rob roy, et al) and explaining their impact on the popular conception of robin.

all in all, a fine book of film criticism, and a nice addition to the robin hood bookshelf.

5.0 out of 5 stars Good cinematic review, October 11, 2009

By 

Stephen Fuller (St Cloud, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Robin Hood: A Cinematic History of the English Outlaw and His Scottish Counterparts (Paperback)

This book gives a well-written summary of the Robin Hood legend and all of the research that has been done on it. It also ties in the William Wallace, Rob Roy and Ivanhoe legends with the Robin Hood story, and gives an interesting synopsis of each.
The chronicling of cinematic details on the various cinemas created throughout the 20th century is very useful and thorough. OK, so the author didn't like the Kevin Costner version - that's very obvious. But overall, this is a very useful compendium for serious Robin Hood buffs like myself.