The Adventures of Robin Hood

(Note: This review refers to the Blu-ray version of the DVD.)

You still can't beat Errol Flynn as the quintessential Robin Hood, the dashing gentleman robber-hero of old England battling the corrupt forces of the despotic Prince John with swashbuckling flair. Flynn's confidence and cocky charm makes for a perfect Robin Hood, and he's paired with luminous leading lady Olivia de Havilland as Maid Marian. The regal Basil Rathbone as the haughty aristocratic Sir Guy of Gisbourne and a smoothly conniving Claude Rains as the decadent Prince John are a pair so oily they inspire Robin to form a medieval guerrilla rebel outfit (he calls them his Merry Men) and to "steal from the rich and give to the poor" (a cliché coined by the film). Filmed in the rich hues of 1938 Technicolor, which seems to glow from within, directed by the quintessential Hollywood artisan Michael Curtiz (who gets co-director credit with William Keighley), and set to the rousing strains of Erich Wolfgang Korngold's Oscar-winning score, this is a celebration of studio filmmaking and old-fashioned craftsmanship at its most stirring.

Film historian Rudy Behlmer effortlessly packs a lot of history and backstory into his conversational commentary track, and joins in on the chorus of the accompanying hour-long "Welcome to Sherwood: The Story of the Adventures of Robin Hood," a well-made documentary on the landmark production (the most expensive film that Warner Bros. had produced to date). Also features the 1998 documentary "Glorious Technicolor," an excellent history of the development and use through the decades. The documentaries are presented in standard definition but the three accompanying cartoons (including the 1948 Bugs Bunny short "Rabbit Hood" and the great 1958 Daffy Duck/Porky Pig pairing "Robin Hood Daffy") are mastered, like the feature, in 1080p HD. And that's not all, folks: Among the wealth of bonus supplements (in standard definition) are home movies from the set of the film, outtakes, the audio-only "The Robin Hood Radio Show" from 1938 featuring the stars, Korngold piano sessions (also audio-only), and plenty of archival goodies.