Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960)

Marian. Catch!

Sword of Sherwood Forest is directed by Terence Fisher and written by Alan Hackney. It stars Richard Greene, Sarah Branch, Peter Cushing, Richard Pasco, Nigel Green, Oliver Reed and Niall MacGinnis. Music is by Alun Hoddinott and cinematography by Ken Hodges.

One of Hammer Films’ Robin Hood movies that reinvents the legend with some lively swashbuckling glee. Plot is kind of incidental, this really is about some good honest family entertainment involving sword fights, bow and arrow skills, political machinations and some costume malarkey. There’s a good story here, based around a dastardly assassination plot that Robin and his merry men get dragged into, this part of the pic is well written and directed with assuredness by Fisher, one of Hammer’s greatest directors.

Richard Greene reprises the role of Robin that he played in the popular TV show The Adventures of Robin Hood, and whilst he is unlikely to be at the top of anyone’s favourite Robin Hood portrayal lists, he’s comfortable in the tights and engages heroically enough in all the right places. Cushing is the class act on show as the evil Sheriff of Nottingham, and Branch is fetching as Marian, though the sparks never fly between herself and Greene.

Sadly there’s irritants that stop the film pushing through the forest to breathe fresh air with the best of the other Hood outings. So much focus is spent on Robin the man, his merry men barely get a look in to impact on proceedings. Which when you have Nigel Green as Little John amounts to a crime of a wasted opportunity. The choreography for all the fight scenes is adequate enough, but it lacks dynamism, while Oliver Reed may be enjoying himself greatly, but he adopts an accent that I don’t think has been invented yet!

Still, lots of fun here regardless. 7/10