Young Robin Hood

This childrens book is titled, Young Robin Hood written by G. Manville Fenn and published by Henry Altemus Co. It contains twenty three illustrations and is dated from about 1906.

To see the full text click on: http://www.fullbooks.com/Young-Robin-Hood.html

Robin & Marian found in a Broom Cupboard!

Yet another Robin Hood discovery has recently been reported in the local papers. This time it is an extremely valuable Victorian painting depicting Robin and Maid Marian which was found by a cleaner in the broom cupboard of a Sussex workings men’s club.

The oil-on-canvas painting was discovered during a spring-clean of the 'unnamed' Sussex club and has been estimated by Bonhams auction house to be worth between £5,000 -£7,000. It measures 114.5 x 86.5cm (45 1/16 x 34 1/16in).

In the right hand corner of the painting is the monograph of Thomas Heaphy and the date 1866. Thomas Frank Heaphy was born on 2nd April 1813, son of the first president of the Society of British Artists, also called Thomas (1775-1835). Thomas visited Italy with his father in 1831 and developed an interest in Italian religious paintings and portraiture. He also published eight articles in the ‘Art Journal’ on the ‘origin of the likeness of Christ.’ Between the years 1859-1862 he exhibited a series of portraits of peasant women at the Royal Academy. He died in London on the 7th of August 1873.

This is one of the best 'Robin Hood' paintings I have ever seen. The more you look at it-the more you see. Notice the May blossom, Marian's bare feet and rosy cheeks, Robin's 'cross-bow', the attentive hound, Marian's set of keys and the opened chest filled with treasure. Wonderful!

Ivanhoe Postcard from 1906

Siegmund Hildesheimer & Co were originally based in Manchester during the mid 1800's. By 1881till the early 1900's they were also working from London, printing various types of greeting cards.

Some of their out-put was unusual and often unique, including this colourful postcard (1906)with illustrations of some of the characters from Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe (1819).

Robin Hood in the Blitz

This extremely rare miniature paperback book with 32 pages is titled Robin Hood . It was published by Raphael Tuck & Sons Ltd as one of the Tuck’s Better Little Book series in the early 1940's. The book measures 6.5cm x 9.4cm. These little books were published during World War II when there was a severe paper shortage. They were referred to as Air Raid Books or Blitz Books and were designed for children and adults to slip into their pockets for reading in the air-raid shelter. They were published by several different companies.

These books are scarce as they were ephemeral by nature.

If you remember these books or still own one, please get in touch at disneysrobin@googlemail.com

He Clasped the Dainty Page Close

As we approach St Valentines Day, I thought I would share with you one of my favorite Robin Hood illustrations. It is by Greg Hildebrandt and is titled He Clasped the Dainty Page Close.

I think it is absolutely beautiful. Many more of his stunning pictures can be seen in Unicorn's re-print of Mc Spadden's Robin Hood published in 1989 and at http://www.spiderwebart.com/

The Hildebrandt brothers are well known in the world of Fantasy and Science Fiction art. Greg and Tim were twins, born in Detroit, Michigan USA in 1939 and both became professional artists in 1959. Their combined work includes the first Star Wars poster, Black Sabbath’s Mob Rules Album, illustrations for The Lord of the Rings and countless comics. Sadly Tim passed away in June 2006.

Peanut Butter Glasses

Above can be seen three extremely rare, peanut butter glasses, out of a set of 8 from the classic 1950’s TV series The Adventures of Robin Hood. They were manufactured by Federal Glass in Canada and depict Richard Greene as Robin Hood, Patricia Driscoll as Maid Marian and Alan Wheatley as the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Playbill For The Theatre Royal in Drury Lane

This amazing double-page Playbill is possibly dated Monday 7th February 1859. It is advertising a performance of Robin Hood or Harlequin Friar Tuck and the Merry Men of Sherwood Forest at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, London. Robin Hood is played by a Mr. William Templeton in a glade in Sherwood Forest along with one hundred ladies of the ballet!

Time Bandits

Above is a still from the movie Time Bandits (1981) showing John Cleese as Robin Hood.

On the back of the success of Life of Brian producer Terry Gilliam was joined once again, by his former Monty Python colleagues John Cleese (above) and Michael Palin. This production, sponsored again by Handmade Films, is a dazzling fantasy ride through selected historical periods in European history. Which included an array of international stars, including Sir Ralph Richardson, Sean Connery and Ian Holm.

In a brief scene set in 13th century Sherwood Forest, we see John Cleese as an eccentric upper-class Robin Hood, known to his outlaw band as 'the boss.' He runs his outlaw camp like a twisted Victorian charity organisation, where individuals are given handouts but simultaneously abused by his men. John Cleese recalled:

"I was sent the script, pointed at Robin Hood, and read the stage directions-to be played like the Duke of Kent-and I thought it was very funny, and said I would love to do it. I enjoyed doing Time Bandits enormously, despite the fact that Terry made me shave my beard off. I did it in the morning of the shooting, seven a.m. in the forest."

Lyceum Theatre, September 1918

In this week of Remembrance for all our brave service men and women, I thought it would be appropriate to show this particular program from the Lyceum Theatre dated September 8th 1918. It reads:

LYCEUM THEATRE
HOME OF THE LYCEUM PLAYERS
FOR THE ALLIED BLIND SOLDIERS AND SAILORS
ROBIN HOOD IS PRESENTED IN THIS THEATRE

FOR THEIR PERMANENT BENEFIT
Thanks to All For Their Support and Patronage
NEW LYCEUM PLAYERS ALL STAR STOCK CAST OPENS SEPT. 8, 1918

FOR THE UNFORTUNATE BLIND OF THE GREAT WAR.
"ROBIN HOOD" IS PRESENTED BY THIS CAST AS A METHOD WHEREBY THOSE SAME BLIND MAY KNOW THAT THEIR SACRIFICE IS NOT FORGOTTEN.

Ronald Reagan Badge

Another example of how the medieval legend of Robin Hood remains continually open to fresh interpretation.

The Robin Hood Window 1862

This is a stunning chromolithograph image of a stained glass window depicting Robin Hood’s death from an ambitious work, which attempted to show the major art objects exhibited at the London World Fair from 1st May to the 1st November 1862.

This major work of chromolithography was expensively and laboriously produced by a consortium of artists and artisans. Some of the plates had to be printed over a dozen times with different colors, gold, or silver. The book was called "Masterpieces of Industrial Art & Sculpture at the International Exhibition, 1862. Chromo-lithographed by and under the Direction of W. R. Tymms, A. Warren, and G. Macculloch". The book was printed by Day and Son in 1863.

Robin Hood T-Shirt

Robin Hood has been one of the most enduring heroes of popular culture ever since his deeds were first celebrated in medieval English ballads. The steady flow of books and films about this 'noble outlaw' in recent years demonstrates the legend's continuing appeal throughout the world and its astonishing amenability to fresh interpretation.

Classic Comics Robin Hood #7

This image of a short-haired, clean-shaven 'Richard Todd' type Robin Hood, comes from what is commonly known as the 'Golden Age' of comics.

Robin Hood was published in December 1942 as the 7th edition of Albert Lewis Kanter's Classic Comics, later to be known as Classics Illustrated. It was drawn and inked by Lewis Zansky.

This long series, created in October 1941, featured adaptions of thirty-four literary novels including Robinson Crusoe, The Three Musketeers, Moby Dick and Ivanhoe. They were originally printed by Elliot Publishing Co but after the fourth issue in 1942 Kanter formed the Gilberton Company, Inc. Publication of the series finished in 1971.

The Famous Battle Between Robin Hood And The Curtal Fryer

Shown above is the Broadside version of The Famous Battle between Robin Hood and the Curtal Fryer. To a new Northern Tune. This copy is held at the Bodleian Library in Oxford and was printed for F. Coles, T. Vere and W. Gilbertson in about 1660.

The Chronicles of Robin Hood

Above is an evocative illustration by C. Walter Hodges from The Chronicles of Robin Hood written by Rosemary Sutcliff. This picture does not appear in my edition of her novel from 1955, although his wonderful work can be seen right through the book. But there is full page copy of it, in The World of Literature, a collection of excerpts from classic novels and poems, printed in 1958, as part of the children’s ‘World of…..’ encyclopedias by Odhams Ltd of Watford.

Underneath the illustration, it has, “Take their weapons away lads, but don’t hurt them overmuch!”

Errol Flynn & Basil Rathbone

Warner Bros.'s The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) is often quoted as being the best cinematic adaption of the legend ever made. It is without doubt as masterpiece from the golden age of Hollywood. Its final cost was $2,033,000 by the time it was previewed on May 14th 1938 in Pomona, California. On April 11th a second preview was held in Los Angeles and a third followed at Warner's Hollywood theater, two weeks later. It was a triumph in every department.

Errol Leslie Flynn's natural acting talent and disregard for authority combined to create cinema's definitive characterization of the medieval outlaw. A role originally designed for James Cagney!

I am sure I am not alone, when I say that Disney's Story of Robin Hood (1952) stands up just as strongly. In fact as far as the script is concerned, Disney's adaption is more faithful to the ancient medieval legend. A tribute to the extensive research carried out before a single frame of film was shot and the writing skills of Lawrence E. Watkin. Also the rich array of talented British production staff, actors and the lush English countryside could not fail to provide Walt Disney with the Robin Hood film he wanted.

During the planning stages of The Story of Robin Hood, it is doubtful whether Disney watched a screening of the Warner Brothers 1938 version. But he no doubt, would have been familiar with the stunning climactic scene between Flynn and Basil Rathbone as Guy of Gisborne in Nottingham Castle.

Michael Curtiz created one of cinema's most memorable images, by throwing huge shadows of the duelists against the rugged stone pillars on the castle set. The movements of Flynn and Rathbone were then elegantly blended with the shadows by cameraman Sol Polito.

Basil Rathbone was at that time the most expensive free-lance actor in Hollywood and had played a whole host of villains, including Mr Murdstone in David Copperfield (1935) and Pontius Pilate in The Last Days of Pompeii (1935). But this part as Robin's arch enemy - Sir Guy of Gisborne - gave the Shakespearean actor and accomplished fencer, the finest role of his long career.

Robin Hood And His Adventures

A book-cover illustration for Robin Hood and his Adventures by G.A. Davis HC. The novel was published in 1911.

Errol Flynn's Robin Hood Statue

In late 1937 the directors of The Adventures of Robin Hood, Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, presented Errol Flynn with this statue, for all his hard work on the phenomenally successful movie. A European master artist had been instructed by the film’s producers to create this Art-Deco figurine in the likeness of Flynn in his starring role. It stands 30 inches tall from the top of the wooden bow, to the bottom of the Italian Swirled marble base and weighs approximately 30-35 pounds.

It spent many years in Errol Flynn’s holiday home in New Hampshire in the U.S.A.

Happy Easter

A very happy Easter to Neil, Christian and all my readers. Thank you so much for your input and I look forward to hearing from you all very soon.

The image above is an advert from Easter 1959 for Robin Hood Shoes!

Fairbanks's Robin Hood (1922)

A still from the 1922 Douglas Fairbanks version of Robin Hood, showing the awe-inspiring castle set.