Customer Reviews

Robin Hood: A Cinematic History of the English Outlaw and His Scottish Counterparts

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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!

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.

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.

There are several theories and much speculation about whether there was a real Robin Hood or a combination of heroes and characters that compose Robin Hood. Understanding these theories help to understand the cinematic robin hoods.
The first half of this book is not the cinematic Robin Hood but a tight and cohesive history of great Brittan with an emphasis on the origin of the Robin Hood legends.
The second half of the book that covers the Cinema does just that. Not only does it cover the actors that play Robin, but all the people and props that go in to making the legend.
Contents tell it all:
Part I: Robin Hood in History
1. Sad Stories of the Death of Kings (1166-1276)
a. Early Outlaws of England
b. The End of Norman Rule
c. Richard the Lionheart
d. King John
e. Robert Hod, Outlaw, and Other Rebels
2. Was Robin Hood a Scot? (1066-1329)
a. The Hammer of the Scots
b. Sir William Wallace
c. Robert the Bruce, King of Scots
d. Wallace, Bruce and Robin Hood
3. English Rebels and Hoods (1322-1450)

Part II: Robin Hood in the Story and Song
4. From Minsterel's Yeoman to Playwright's Aristocrat (1400-1700)
5. Robin Returns to Scotland
a. The making of an Outlaw
6. Storybook Outlaws (1771-1900)
a. Fascination with Tradition
i. The Scottish Chiefs
ii. Rob Roy
iii. Ivanhoe

Part III: Robin Hood on the Screen
7. Shadow of Sherwood: Early Silent Films (1908-1913)
8. No Heavy Footed Englishman: Robin Hood (1922)
9. Fluent Treason: The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
10. A round of Robins: Variations on a Legend (1946-1954)
11. Low-Budget Brigands: The Hammer Hoods (1957-1973)
12. The Chairman of the board as the Prince of Thieves: Robin and the Seven Hoods (1964)
13. The Revised Robin: Robin and Marian (1976)
14. Beverly Hills or Barnesdale? 91991)
15. Robin's Caledonian Renaissance (1995)
16. Wither the Greenwood?

The Adventures of Robin Hood: The Complete Series

There are several theories and much speculation about whether there was a real Robin Hood or a combination of heroes and characters that compose Robin Hood. Understanding these theories help to understand the cinematic robin hoods.
The first half of this book is not the cinematic Robin Hood but a tight and cohesive history of great Brittan with an emphasis on the origin of the Robin Hood legends.
The second half of the book that covers the Cinema does just that. Not only does it cover the actors that play Robin, but all the people and props that go in to making the legend.
Contents tell it all:
Part I: Robin Hood in History
1. Sad Stories of the Death of Kings (1166-1276)
a. Early Outlaws of England
b. The End of Norman Rule
c. Richard the Lionheart
d. King John
e. Robert Hod, Outlaw, and Other Rebels
2. Was Robin Hood a Scot? (1066-1329)
a. The Hammer of the Scots
b. Sir William Wallace
c. Robert the Bruce, King of Scots
d. Wallace, Bruce and Robin Hood
3. English Rebels and Hoods (1322-1450)

Part II: Robin Hood in the Story and Song
4. From Minsterel's Yeoman to Playwright's Aristocrat (1400-1700)
5. Robin Returns to Scotland
a. The making of an Outlaw
6. Storybook Outlaws (1771-1900)
a. Fascination with Tradition
i. The Scottish Chiefs
ii. Rob Roy
iii. Ivanhoe

Part III: Robin Hood on the Screen
7. Shadow of Sherwood: Early Silent Films (1908-1913)
8. No Heavy Footed Englishman: Robin Hood (1922)
9. Fluent Treason: The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
10. A round of Robins: Variations on a Legend (1946-1954)
11. Low-Budget Brigands: The Hammer Hoods (1957-1973)
12. The Chairman of the board as the Prince of Thieves: Robin and the Seven Hoods (1964)
13. The Revised Robin: Robin and Marian (1976)
14. Beverly Hills or Barnesdale? 91991)
15. Robin's Caledonian Renaissance (1995)
16. Wither the Greenwood?
The Adventures of Robin Hood: The Complete Series