It is a performances centric movie

Good movie but grossly overrated

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

A swashbuckling adventure story filmed in shocking Technicolour - where every hue and shade seems to be saturated to the max - THE BANDIT OF SHERWOOD FOREST is one of those Hollywood romps where a studio backlot attempts to stand in for merry olde England. It's all completely preposterous of course, and the Slovakian-born Cornel Wilde (playing the son of Robin Hood) is probably the least convincing British screen hero of them all.With the original Robin Hood story mined out by Hollywood producers, THE BANDIT OF SHERWOOD FOREST takes to the next generation for its story of derring do and good vs. evil. Wilde's Robert must contend with an evil 'Regent' (THE BODY SNATCHER's Henry Daniell, once again typecast as a hammy villain) while romancing a beautiful lady (Anita Louise).The expected swashbuckling scenes up and down staircases are present here, along with trick shots and archery scenes, but it all feels very familiar and more than a little passe. THE BANDIT OF SHERWOOD FOREST feels very much like a second-tier production and those glorious colours are the best thing it has going for it.

The Bandit of Sherwood Forest is directed by George Sherman and Henry Levin and collectively written by Wilfrid H. Pettitt, Melvin Levy and Paul A. Castleton. It stars Cornel Wilde, Anita Louise, Jill Esmond, Edgar Buchanan, Henry Daniel, George Macready and Russell Hicks. Music is by Hugo Fridehofer and cinematography is shared between Tony Gaudio, William Snyder and George B. Meehan. A wonderful spin on the Robin Hood legend finds Robin Hood (Hicks) enlisting the help of his son, Robert (Wilde), in stopping the nefarious members of the Regency who seek to basically abolish the Magna Carta. What follows in narrative trajectory terms is the usual array of fights and face-offs, with bow and arrows skills supplementing the swordplay. There is of course some simmering passions whilst loyalty and camaraderie is never ever far away. There's such a sense of fun about the picture, like everyone is enjoying playing in a costume adventure. The Technicolor is luscious and the set design and art direction is impressive given the modest budget allocated the production by Columbia. The draw card is Wilde, a one time Olympic standard fencer, he convinces as a swashbuckler and has charm in abundance. Not all the costuming strikes as period reflective, neither does one or two character accents, but it matters not one jot. A sometimes rousing, often engaging, swashbuckling adventure, The Bandit of Sherwood Forest is one of the better "Hood" movies out there. 8/10

Hot off the heels of his starring role as Chopin in A SONG TO REMEMBER, actor CORNEL WILDE was actually a fine choice to play the swashbuckling title role since he was an athlete of Olympian proportions. ANITA LOUISE, originally considered for the Maid Marian role in Flynn's film version, plays the lovely Lady Catherine.It's strictly Saturday matinée stuff from Columbia, splashed with gorgeous Technicolor scenery but unfortunately a script that is only occasionally interesting enough to warrant the royal treatment given the production values and costumes.Interestingly, Tony Gaudio photographed it (he did Errol's ROBIN HOOD) and all of it looks like it was filmed yesterday in the brightest of hues. JILL ESMOND, RUSSELL HICKS (as Robin Hood), LLOYD CORRIGAN, GEORGE MACREADY, EDGAR BUCHANAN (as Friar Tuck) and reliable villain HENRY DANIELL (wickedly plotting the death of a boy King) are all satisfactory in supporting roles. Only really miscast actor seems to be JOHN ABBOT as Will Scarlett.It works on a certain level as a zestful Robin Hood film, but is really nothing special despite spirited performances by CORNEL WILDE and ANITA LOUISE as the leads.For an entertaining hour and twenty minutes, it's well worth watching but it's directed without any particular style by George Sherman.

This is the one where Columbia decided to re-do Warner Brothers' ROBIN HOOD [1938]. But there was a problem. That one ended- like World War II- with Robin vanquishing England's enemies; now boring old peace had broken out again and both Richard the Lionheart and Robin were nearing the colostomy bag stage. Hell -Robin hada been doing sumpin all those years? Heck yes! He had done what every returned American GI did -he procreated! He had a son -Bob Hood [Cornel Wilde] who looked more Czechoslovakian than English but no matter. Same dab hand with a bow a blow and a beauty, same mindless sense of humour -a pea from the pod you might say; except he couldn't be pea green like colostomy-quivering Robin, but grey. Grey Bob was allowed green underwear, though.So much for his hose -but what about foes? History was singularly unhelpful, because in spite of green Robin & his Geriatrics' heroics the dreaded King John succeeded King Dick and died in his bed. So -what do do? Well. Columbia's script department came up with the despotic Regent [Henry Danielle] who could have been any one of a number shadowy XII century characters, and -straight from an American child-actor catalogue- a boy King [Maurice Tauzin] who had to be prevented from signing anything.So, Bob with a cause still needed to get his paws on a broad. Enter a bleach blonde cut-price Betty Grable with a voice to die from, Lady Catherine Maitland [Anita Louise] and this technicolor 1940 period Valhalla was complete. This movie is unique for raising awareness of [1] medieval colour blindness -because in spite of having red lips that would halt freeway traffic, and a bombshell hairdon't, Anita Louise manages to pass herself off as the Prioress of Buxton -and [2] the little-known practice of becoming muscular on half female prison rations -which Bob did before putting paid to the evil Regent.Generally the supporting players, Jill Esmond [Queen Mother] looking older than 38, but back in movies after being deserted with a new-born baby in 1940 by Laurence Olivier for Vivien Leigh, Lloyd Corrigan [Sheriff of Nottingham] and George Macready [Fitz-Herbert], helped make this the kind of movie which made -not only kids but adults- leave the cinema feeling braver, stronger and more righteous.