Adventures Of Robin Hood (1938)

When King Richard (Ian Hunter) is away on the Crusades in the Holy Land, his brother Prince John (Claude Rains) usurps his throne and begins a tyranny of terror against the Saxon citizens. A Saxon nobleman (Errol Flynn) takes it upon himself to fight against the Norman oppressors until the return of the King. Directed by Michael Curtiz who replaced the original director William Keighley (apparently Hal Wallis didn't care for his direction) though both men received directorial credit. The direction is seamless, you can't detect any change in tone by the switch in directors. What can one say about the most beloved and enduring adventure film of its era other than sheer perfection? The stunning three strip Technicolor images of Tony Gaudio and Sol Polito (shockingly not even Oscar nominated), the glorious score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, the Oscar winning art direction of Carl Jules Weyl, the vivid costumes by Milo Anderson and Ralph Dawson's razor sharp editing are all flawless! And what a cast! Though not the first actor to play the character, Errol Flynn is the definitive Robin Hood and every actor who came after suffered in comparison. No lovelier Maid Marian than Olivia De Havilland, superb villainy in Claude Rains and Basil Rathbone and the supporting cast of character actors are the best! Am I gushing too much? Sorry but I can't find anything to nitpick! With Patric Knowles, Eugene Pallette, Alan Hale, Una O'Connor, Montagu Love, Herbert Mundin and Melville Cooper.