This picture, colorized by Duriez, was taken from the silent film Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood. This was not the first Robin Hood film, as the story first appeared on screen in 1908, in Robin Hood and his Merry Men. The Fairbanks film, which has the full title of Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood (the title is copyrighted, incidentally), was first full-length Robin Hood film. It was also the first movie to have a Hollywood premiere, which happened on October 18, 1922 at Grauman’s Egyptian Theater. It introduced elements of the story which would become familiar as it was told time and time again.
This early film had a budget of approximately one million dollars, which made it one of the most expensive movies of the 1920s. Part of that expense was incurred by the set: a huge castle which was, according to some, the largest structure built for a silent film, as well as the entire village of 12th century Nottingham. The structures were constructed at the Pickford-Fairbanks Studio.
A Playground For Robin Hood
An aerial shot of the castle on the set. Source: (Wikimedia).
Fairbanks bought the old Jesse Hampton lot to construct his studio, which was in a deserted area with hundreds of empty acres which would serve for the film’s outdoor settings, including Sherwood Forest. The studio served as a fitting backdrop for Fairbanks’ leaps, dives, climbs, handsprings, pole vaulting, and, of course, sword fights. The director worked to ensure that the set included elements to make Fairbanks’ stunts even more impressive. He had trampolines, a long, hidden slide for an escape scene, secret passageways, and acrobat perches.
Fairbanks’ production company, Douglas Fairbanks Picture Corporation, produced the film, and it was distributed by United Artists (the company he had helped to form). Fairbanks was also responsible for adapting the story for the screen, as “"Elton Thomas" along with Kenneth Davenport, Edward Knoblock, Allan Dwan, and Lotta Woods.
It Takes Awhile For Robin Hood To Show Up
Source: (Classic Movie Hub).
The film was loosely based on the 1632 ballad by Martin Parker; in the ballad, the earl of Huntingdon is presented as Robin Hood. It was not close to historical reality, with the exception of the existence of an Earl of Huntingdon, and the fact that Richard the Lionheart’s brother John plotted against him while Richard was off fighting the Third Crusade. The film opens with the Earl of Huntingdon winning in a joust against Sir Guy of Gisbourne. When Richard the Lionheart leaves to fight in the Crusades, Huntingdon joins him and Prince John acts as regent. Prince John’s treacherousness emerges, and Sir Guy convinces him to usurp the throne. Lady Marian Fitzwalter sends Huntingdon a message about what has happened in England and Huntingdon asks to return to England. King Richard denies permission and Huntingdon leaves anyway; he is captured by Sir Guy and imprisoned as a deserter. He escapes and returns to England, where he finds that he and his friends have been outlawed. Lady Marian is presumed dead. The first part of the film is dedicated to establishing Huntingdon’s character and the character of Robin Hood appears more than an hour into the film.
The Acrobatic Hero Robin Hood
With Lady Marian. Source: (IMDb).
After returning to Nottingham, he becomes Robin Hood. He engages in acrobatic feats to help the oppressed, leading a group who steals from the rich to give to the poor. He engages in acrobatic swashbuckling adventures to right the wrongs and bring misery to Prince John and the High Sherriff of Nottingham. He frees Marian from prison, defeats Sir Guy one last time, and is captured. King Richard returns just in time to foil Prince John and return Robin Hood to Marian.
A Huge Success
The movie was a commercial success, making a profit of more than two million dollars; it also had favorable reviews. The exuberance of Robin Hood was captured by an actor who was so much like his character. When it premiered in New York, Fairbanks stood on a roof with a bow and arrow, which he shot. It went in a window and pierced a tailor’s behind (Fairbanks offered to pay the man $5,000).
Fairbanks' Legacy
Source: (The Classical Source).
In 2008, Jeffrey Vance, Fairbanks’ biography wrote that "Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood is the most important legacy of the rich life and career of Douglas Fairbanks. The towering sets are long gone, and the characters have been reimagined and reinterpreted, but the foundation the film was built upon—and the culture it created—exists to this day....The creation of Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood consumed nearly a year of his life, and the experience established the matrix for all of his subsequent silent film productions. Indeed, it was the first of his productions to be fully realized in every respect."
Fairbanks, whose final film was The Private Life of Don Juan (1934), died from a heart attack in 1939 at the age of 56.
