The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Director: Michael Curtiz, William Keighley
Starring: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone

Synopsis:
While King Richard is held hostage in Austria, his brother John and the Norman nobles abuse the Saxon masses, but the Saxons have a champion in the form of the outlaw Robin Hood, who assembles his Merry Men to fight against Norman tyranny.

Impressions:
This movie plays a lot like a Captain Blood reunion. It is perhaps the definitive Robin Hood movie. There's lots of good swashbuckling action with Flynn in top form. The villainous triad of Prince John (Claude Rains), Guy of Gisborne (Basil Rathbone) and the Sheriff of Nottingham (Melville Cooper) are a delight. If you're familiar with Mel Brooks' Robin Hood: Men in Tights, more of the parody comes from this movie than Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. This is an iconic film. Watch it.

If you like Flynn and swashbuckling, this is the Robin Hood for you.

Rating:
Watch It