Miss Robin Hood

Anyone who likes this film needs their bumps felt. The huge cast can't save it. Corny,arch ,incoherent and the cartoon japes unfunny.

The children mug it up and shout out like they have Tourettes Syndrome and we are meant to be amused .Mr Pastry who though hilarious when you are 6, plays it straight and the rest of a large cast fail to bring any spark to the screen. It would have been kinder to let it stay where it belonged as a staple of Saturday morning pictures. As i expect it was along with all the hundreds of Enid Blyton ,Lord Snooty and the gang, comics.

An Ealing reject and it looks it.

Charming it is but the comedy's scarce. Just about all of this film leaves you wondering what went on. The plot is patchy to say the least, and the film doesn't seem to have the cohesion of other early British comedies you find these stars in. It came across as a complete mish-mash of experimentalism and surrealism, leaving you thinking everyone involved in it was on an illegal substance. Looking at what the director went on to do in his career, this film can be forgiven for being an example of early directorial teeth-cutting.

Margaret Rutherford was well cast, but it felt the director somewhat smothered her talents and over did the 'dotty' approach (and where did all the kids come from giving you that 'St.Trinians' feel in the last 5 minutes?). Richard Hearne left me wishing they had cast someone, not only with a personality, but with a skill for improving a lacklustre dialogue - Alastair Sim could have really done something to improve this film. And Sid James waddling along always moaning about his 'KNITTING'? - I ask you!. As for the Police? They would have been better cast in The Wizard of Oz as the Wicked Witch's bodyguard.

For individual talent, this film was interesting for observing what the cast can do on screen as an alternative to how you have normally seen them. As a film on the whole, it's pretty bad. I would say it's a cross between anything made by Fritz Lang and whoever came up with On The Buses. It just leaves you feeling slightly uncomfortable.

Get it just for the library, and leave it there.

An entertaining film, with some splendid moments, but it would be very interesting to see who it was aimed at. Ealing's 'Hue and Cry' is perhaps the greatest film in this post-war nostalgic genre of kids-film-for-adults; this is a long way short of that, although using the same conceit of a timid writer of a kids' thriller story having to turn detective himself. Unlike 'Hue and Cry' the crime isn't really a crime, and the danger is more perceived than real. And again unlike 'Hue and Cry', this film isn't quite sure whether it is appealing to children or to adults. Margaret Rutherford is strangely creepy as Miss Honey, and the fantasy elements of the story misfire. The best sequences are the realistic adult world, of Henry Wrigley's family and his relationship with his wife, two daughters and Michael Medwin as a wet boyfriend of the elder daughter (improving himself through learning the encyclopedia), his work-life with his two assistants, or his lunchtime conversations with Dora Bryan as a friendly barmaid. The Oz-like message, that the lives we have are better than our fantasies or dreams, is certainly reinforced by the comparative failure to motivate Miss Honey's subversive, childlike view. Still, good fun, with several good comic moments.

Curiously Richard Hearndall's wife gets no credit, but the lady looks extremely similar to Thora Hird. Most odd...Apparently an actress called Fanny Rowe. Were they related?

It has its moments, but 'Miss Robin Hood' is mostly underwhelming.

Margaret Rutherford (Miss Honey) and Richard Hearne (Henry) are both good, while it's cool to see James Robertson Justice and Reg Varney, pre-'On The Buses' of course, involved in their respective roles; albeit very minorly in Varney's case.

The cinematography is impressive given the year this was released, but I just don't feel like the plot meshes all that well - it feels forcibly thrown together, without much logic. I guess they focused more on the comedy, which I can respect.

Despite the short run time, I was happy to see the film end. Not for me.