The Son of Robin Hood

And neither is the beginning or the middle as the story of Robin Hood gets the AT SWORDS' POINT treatment, with a bunch of little-known actors -- except for George Couloris, David Farrar and Marius Goring -- under the direction of George Sherman, who spent most of his career, properly, directing B westerns.

June Laverick, a pretty young blonde, plays the daughter of Robin Hood, who spends most of her time hiding behind David 'Al' Hedison, who pretends to be her -- him -- that is, Robin Hood's son, leading Robin's old and graying Merry Men. The whole thing is directed with little of the silliness that attended AT SWORDS' POINT, but the whole thing is handsomely shot in wide screen. Unhappily, the prints were definitely not Technicolor, but have aged poorly, casting a gloomy and pink sheen over the entire proceedings. The score is also a nice variation on Korngold's score for the Errol Flynn version. You can skip this one.

Back when I was a lad the Son Of Robin Hood played as the second feature to some other Fox film on a double bill. Occasionally those second features were something worthwhile even better than the A film they accompanied. This film was definitely not in that category.

It's been some 20 years since the Merry Men got disbanded and they're now middle-aged and somewhat gone to seed. But with the death of King John there's a plot afoot to steal the throne by an evil duke played by David Farrar. The rightful heir Marius Goring has been imprisoned by Farrar, but Goring has a brother in David Hedison who will set things right in the Douglas Fairbanks/Errol Flynn tradition, not.

You have to have a certain elan to do swashbucklers. Either you have it or you don't. David Hedison best known for being the Captain of the Seaview on the TV series Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea just ain't got it. Also his American speech pattern with the British cast sounds jarringly out of place. What worked for Clark Gable in Mutiny On The Bounty doesn't work for Hedison. Then again Mutiny On The Bounty was a much better film, like light years better.

Added to that none of the historical characters vying for the throne ever existed. Including Robin Hood or in this case the late Robin Hood. Turns out he died some ten years than the events of this film and he left a daughter June Laverick. She does fill out that Lincoln green suit all right. But she's a girl and those aged Merry Men ain't about to come out of retirement for her.

They do for Hedison though as the faux son of Robin Hood and of course the inevitable does happen.

Maybe the worst Robin Hood film ever done.

Robin Hood is dead but his merry men need a new hero to take on the baton and save England.

This is a nonsensical but nevertheless at times mildly entertaining adventure. It looks low budget and the script is average to say the least. On the plus side the acting is passable and to be honest the cast at least look like they are enjoying themselves. David Hedison makes for a good looking hero as he takes on the mantle of Robin Hoods son.

The fight scenes are a bit clumsy and it all becomes a bit repetitive but it just about manages to hold your attention till the predictable end. This is a film that doesn't take itself seriously which is just as well.

The Son of Robin Hood is a very average adventure but a good natured one. This is a watchable film but you'll forgot it ten minutes after seeing it.

The earliest reviewer on this title claims that there are no actors of any reputation in this film.Well what about George Colouris of Mercury Theatre fame,or David Farrar leading man of the 40s and 50s,Marius Goring distinguished stage and screen actor,Jack Lambert and Russell Napier who played countless military types and policemen,not to mention George Woodbridge.They like many actors before and since had to make a living and so appeared in this rubbish.Actors as distinguished as them would end up in sex comedies 10 years later.This film is probably the worst Robin Hood film ever made and as such is rather enjoyable.Just watching June Laverick shooting down all and sundry gave me a huge laugh

Absolutely, ridiculous tale of Robin Hood's alleged son who is really a girl....don't get too confused.....it confused me at first....tale concerns Robin Hood's offspring who was expected to be a man, who comes back to England to fight, not the Sheriff of Nottingham, but a bird named "DeRoche"......Al Hedison inherits the role of Robin Hood's son as it appears RH did not have a true son.....ridiculous acting, poorly staged action battles and acting worse than "Plan Nine from Outer Space".....in one instance a group of Deroche's men try to corner the men of Sherwood and Robin Hood's daughter shoots an arrow in a man in a tree who was a spotter for DeRoche.....man falls out of tree and no where are the 25 men of DeRoche after the shooting!!!! Cardboard castle walls among the other ditties....want more - son of Robin Hood gets invited to DeRoche's castle and soon starts bedding DaRoche's girlfriend!!!! Whew!!! No recognizable actors of any renown.....Robin Hood's men (25 years older!!!!) wipe out the bad guys along with Hedison......this total production by 1959 standards could not have cost more than $100,000 to make.....where was Peter Cushing in this film???? Go figure.......