Sherwood Forester

Issue 10 - April 2006

Easter is upon us and it is with great pleasure that we bring you our 10th edition of the Sherwood Forester.  Our cover image shows a glass featuring Will Scarlet(t) which is the subject of one of our main articles this month from the pen of Steve Winders.  Our thanks go to Ralph Cooper for supplying the image from his collection.  

Steve Winders is back again with a look at the two Will Scarlet's portrayed in 'The Adventures of Robin Hood'.

The time is early 1960s, the place – somewhere in central Europe… Meadows on the outskirts of town,  a hot summer day… Two girls – sisters – are walking along the path on the edge of a field.  What are they doing – picking wild flowers?  Sharing secrets?  Playing some game only they can understand?  Their mother is sitting on a rug spread on the grass nearby.  She looks up from the magazine she is reading, and calls out to them, “Girls, it’s time to go home – or you’ll miss “Robin Hood”!  Mad scramble… 

Later that day:  the two sisters are sitting on the balcony on a warm summer evening; powerful sweet smell of night scented stocks their mother had planted in window boxes.  The sisters are going over every scene, trying to remember every detail of today’s episode.  Remembering, and dreaming…

I was the older of those two sisters, age - eleven.  The younger one (nine) has forgotten most of this.  For me,  “The Adventures” series was a lot more than just the favourite TV programme of my childhood – it became a part of my private fantasy world, and a perfect place of escape.  Robin was in the centre of that world, of course – strong, reassuring, with a warm, friendly smile – and with sensitivity and emotional intensity of a Romantic hero.

Yes, I did see Robin as “the man of my dreams”, straight out of the pages of the books I enjoyed reading – a Byronic character with dark good looks.  But he was also an inspiration; he had the kind of personality that I admired most, and hoped to acquire myself one day - an idealist with courage and integrity, intelligent, knowledgeable, eloquent, with curiosity, wit, and a sense of irony.

I somehow always knew that most scenes in Sherwood Forest, the outlaw camp, and the streets of Nottingham were filmed in the studio.  And I liked the theatrical, make-believe “feel” of those scenes – it was a fantasy world, after all.  It still seems a remarkably convincing, self-contained world, although now I can see that continuity was not perfect.  Unfortunately, I also notice the frequent - and very obvious - use of “doubles”, particularly in the later episodes.  And I do not mean just the stuntmen in the fighting and riding scenes; often, when we see Robin from a distance, it is not Richard Greene at all, but his “double”, Max Faulkner!

I believe that the script writing has stood the test of time.  The dialogue is just as witty and intelligent as I remember it.  In fact, it seems even better – there are many nuances and allusions that only now, as an adult, I can understand and appreciate.

What about the hero?  Do I see him differently now?  I did not notice before how he changed in the course of the series - and not just in appearance.  It seems to me that Richard Greene gradually adopted a different approach to the role, and introduced some subtle, but significant changes in Robin’s personality.  In the beginning, he played Robin as a character in the Romantic, swashbuckling tradition - a dispossessed aristocrat, returning from wars in faraway lands to claim his inheritance.  Still youthful-looking, but already a veteran, he appeared restless, or impatient at times.   Later on in the series Robin begins to resemble a Resistance leader in occupied Europe during WW2 – a confident and experienced leader, treated by his men with respect and affection; but also – showing signs of weariness, and of approaching middle age.

When I watch him now, battling on, with the final victory always far away, and always uncertain, I see him as a tragic optimist – someone who finds happiness and a purpose in life when fighting for a good cause in a difficult, perhaps even hopeless situation.  And he is an inspiration to me – again.  (A. F.) 

Steve Winders examines the two portrayals of Will Scarlet in ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’.

‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’ regularly featured Friar Tuck and Little John, from the old legends as Robin’s trusty lieutenants throughout the four series of the programme. However, another traditional member of his band, Will Scarlet, appeared in only two episodes of the first series before returning to finally become a regular in the fourth.

For his first two appearances Will was played by Ronald Howard. The son of the famous British film star Leslie Howard, Ronald’s film career had begun in 1941, when he played a small part in his father’s ‘Pimpernel Smith’, a clever updating of the ‘Scarlet Pimpernel’ scenario from the French Revolution to pre war Nazi Germany. Since then he had worked in the theatre and appeared in several films including ‘Now Barrabbas’ in 1949, which also starred Richard Greene. He starred as Sherlock Holmes in a 1954 television series, filmed predominantly in France, but sadly not shown on British television.

Ron Howard in 'Will Scarlett

Will o’ Winchester, as played by Ronald Howard is introduced in an episode appropriately entitled ‘Will Scarlet’. He is a vain, colourfully dressed character, well spoken and with a keen intelligence and ready wit, but with a fatal eye for the ladies. He meets Robin and Little John in the Blue Boar Inn and quickly engages in a sword fight with Robin, who has made some disparaging comments about his flamboyant clothes. Will reveals himself to be an expert swordsman, as he and Robin are well matched.

When a group of the Sheriff’s men arrive and try to overpower Robin and Little John, he sides with the outlaws and the soldiers are sent running for their lives. The episode then follows Will to Nottingham, where he is soon spotted by the Sheriff’s men. He hides in the market and posing as a draper, accompanies a young lady called Olivia back to her home. 

Unfortunately Olivia is the Sheriff’s girl friend and he soon arrives on a visit. Hiding under Olivia’s bed, Will overhears the Sheriff proudly telling her that he is going to meet a senior French nobleman, the Duc De Chambertin. As soon as he has uttered this name, the Sheriff realises that there is someone under the bed and stabs at Will with his sword. Emerging from his precarious hiding place, Will fences with the Sheriff, who calls out to his men for help. For once they arrive almost immediately, but Will narrowly escapes and seeks sanctuary in a church, where Friar Tuck is ministering. 

The Sheriff tries to arrest Will, but Tuck heeds his cry for sanctuary and apparently persuades the Sheriff to allow him to leave the country under escort and wearing sackcloth for his crimes. The Sheriff’s agreement is only a pretence however, as he is concerned that Will has overheard his reference to a meeting with the Duc De Chambertin. The proposed meeting is to arrange a secret alliance between Prince John and King Philip of France to seize the throne of England. The Sheriff tells his lieutenant that he will arrange to have Will murdered at sea.

On the way to the coast, Will and his guards are waylaid by Robin, who is concerned for his safety. When Will mentions the Duc De Chambertin, Robin realises the significance of the meeting and the danger that Will must be in, so he and Little John put on the guard’s uniforms and accompany him to the coast.

Will is safely delivered to a sea captain, but Robin suspects that all is still not well and in his disguise discovers that this captain has been paid to slit Will’s throat. He and Little John rescue him before he reaches the ship and the grateful Will joins Robin’s band. He is given the name ‘Will Scarlet’ in memory of the bright clothes he wore.

This eventful episode benefits considerably from the humorous performance of Ronald Howard as Will. His calculated flattery of every girl he encounters reveals a sophisticated wit, which is matched by his disregard for danger and his hatred of shabby clothes and a hard life in the forest. When Friar Tuck intercedes on his behalf, he says that he would rather hang than wear sackcloth, before immediately realising that this is exactly the choice he faces! Howard’s voice carries a convincing disdain for all discomfort and his timing and tone in delivering witty responses is excellent. The episode also contains many action scenes, including several sword fights and chases. Howard performs most convincingly in all of these, actually leaping right over a peasant and his cart to escape the Sheriff’s men in a scene which was definitely not carried out by a stuntman. Clearly he was well cast in this role which provided him with the opportunity to play to his strengths as an actor.

Ronald Howard’s second and final appearance as Will Scarlet came in the very next episode of the series, in a story titled ‘The Deserted Castle’. In ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’ it is not usually easy to identify the correct running order for episodes and it is certain that several were actually originally screened in a wrong order. However, ‘The Deserted Castle’ is definitely the episode which follows ‘Will Scarlet’, because it concludes the storyline about the Duc De Chambertin begun in that episode and all early listings show it as the next broadcast episode too.

In this story, the Queen Mother calls on Robin and Marian’s help to prevent the meeting between the Sheriff and the Duc, referred to in the previous story. To this end, some of Robin’s men capture De Chambertin and his party, who are then ‘rescued’ by Will Scarlet and some of the other outlaws, posing as Sheriff’s men. Will says that he is to take the Duc to a ruined castle nearby for a secret rendezvous with the Sheriff. First of all he takes De Chambertin’s bodyguard, who has been slightly wounded in the encounter, to the Blue Boar Inn and asks Joan to give him lodgings for a few days while he recovers. Unfortunately, just after he leaves a group of the Sheriff’s men arrive and discover the trick. They take the bodyguard straight to the Sheriff, who quickly realises which castle the meeting is taking place in and mobilises his men to attack.

Will Scarlet and De Chambertin reach the castle and Scarlet introduces Robin as the Sheriff of Nottingham. As the group enter, Will follows on behind and as the scene changes to the interior of the castle, Robin and the others walk into the foreground while Will goes through a door at the back of the set. Close observation reveals that this Will is a ‘stand in’ and the character plays no further part in the episode. 

Ron Howard in 'The Deserted Castle'

The story continues with Robin and Friar Tuck insulting the French envoys in several ways. They refer to King Philip as merely ‘Philip’ and state that English knights and soldiers are each worth ten French! They present a proposal to De Chambertin, which requires the French King to provide most of the men and resources for a joint army to seize the throne for John, believing that he will reject it out of hand. However, much to Robin’s surprise, De Chambertin agrees to the proposals and signs the agreement.

Meanwhile the Sheriff’s men arrive and surround the castle. When one of Robin’s men informs him of this, Robin uses his wits to inform the Frenchmen that the besieging army are the people rebelling against Prince John. De Chambertin has finally had enough and tears up the agreement, believing that Prince John must have no control over the people.

At this point, Queen Eleanor, the Queen Mother, enters the proceedings and offers her protection to the embarrassed French envoys, if they will put themselves in her hands. They willingly agree and she goes out of the castle under a flag of truce to parley with the Sheriff, who is also embarrassed to see her, in the light of his attempted treachery. The Queen Mother insinuates that she knows all about his part in the treachery and orders the Sheriff and his men to escort her back to London. When the Sheriff asks who will take the French envoys to their ship, she replies that this will be done by someone whose loyalty to King Richard is unquestioned. We all know who that is!

In this episode, Will Scarlet plays a smaller part than in his first. He only features in the first half of the story and Ronald Howard was obviously not employed for the last part of the filming, which explains why a stand in was briefly used when the action moves to the inside of the castle. Despite this, he makes a significant contribution to the events of the story and is the dominant character in all his scenes, except the final one, when he introduces the French envoys to Robin. Posing as the Sheriff’s assistant, allows him to dress in more flamboyant clothes, in keeping with his character’s image and no other regular member of the outlaws except Robin could have performed the impersonation credibly. In the short Blue Boar scene, Will again reveals his philandering nature, when he flirts with Joan, as he did in the previous episode.

As played by Ronald Howard, Scarlet is a clearly defined and consistent character. His two appearances show that he had great potential and could have contributed as much to the success of the programme as the other regulars. Exactly why the character was not retained beyond these episodes is not known, but it is most likely that the producers had no intention of retaining Will Scarlet as a regular and that Howard, like many others was engaged as a guest star, staying for two episodes because they were so closely connected. The series was produced on an extremely tight budget and the introduction of another regular character would have stretched it significantly. It would also have meant a reduction in appearances for other regular characters, who had played an important part in establishing the programme, notably Little John and Friar Tuck, to make room for Scarlet. Furthermore, I believe that it is unlikely that Ronald Howard would have been prepared to accept a continuing supporting role in a television series at that time. He had recently completed a starring role in the ‘Sherlock Holmes’ series and was also making regular film appearances. His guest appearances as Will Scarlet provided a showcase for his talents, but as a series regular, his role could not be so large and significant every week. As Robin Hood, Richard Greene was necessarily the star and there were other important characters who needed to be featured prominently. 

Many reference sources claim that Brian Alexis played Will Scarlet in series three, but this is incorrect. He played a character called Will in the episode ‘Marian’s Prize’, but is clearly referred to as Will Dimmock by Marian in the story. Several other actors played members of Robin’s band who were simply called Will, during the programme’s long run. They were John Dearth, Arthur Skinner and Charles Stapley in the first series, Shaun O’Riordan and Tony Thawnton in the second series and David Hart in the third. With the exception of John Dearth in ‘Ladies of Sherwood’, whose ‘Will’ was a well spoken and intelligent character, with a sardonic wit, none of the others bore any similarity to Howard’s ‘Will Scarlet’ and obviously are not intended to be that character. In most episode listings ‘Ladies of Sherwood’ comes immediately before Howard’s introduction and if they are in correct chronological order at this point, then Dearth’s ‘Will’ is not Scarlet either. However if his appearance had come a few episodes later, there could possibly be room for debate. 

The next definite appearance of Will Scarlet came in the episode ‘The Ladykiller’ in season four. This time he was played by Paul Eddington, an actor who had appeared regularly in the series since season two, but taking a wide variety of roles. Now Will finally did become a regular member of the band and ‘The Ladykiller’ serves as a reintroduction to the character.

This is clearly supposed to be the same Will we met in season one, although his name is now spelt ‘Scarlett’ in the credits. The story begins with Robin and Derwent aiming to shoot a deer in the forest. However they are beaten to it by another archer, whose whistling arrow only succeeds in scaring the creature off. From their cover they see this archer fall into the hands of two foresters and Robin recognises him as Will o’ Winchester. His extravagant costume is reminiscent of that worn by Ronald Howard, but he is clean shaven, whereas Howard wore a moustache and goatee beard. Robin and Derwent chase off the foresters and greet Will as an old friend. At this point, Maud, Will’s latest girl friend, emerges from the undergrowth. She is the daughter of the Lord De Sarigny and Robin is obliged to offer her the shelter of his camp for the night as it is too late for them to return home. 

Paul Eddington in 'The Lady Killer'

Back at camp next morning, Will shows Robin and his men the new crossbow he used to fire at the deer. It is a most sophisticated weapon, with a range far in excess of Robin’s longbow.     

Robin offers to escort Maud back to her father, but Will insists that he should. Unfortunately, De Sarigny has already reported Maud’s absence to the Sheriff, who realises that she is in the company of Will Scarlett. As a result, Will is arrested by the Sheriff’s men as soon as he returns to De Sarigny.

When the Sheriff informs Will that his crimes are quite enough to merit the death penalty, Will offers to show him how to use the new crossbow, in exchange for his life and the Sheriff agrees. Luckily, Marian is visiting the castle and realises what has happened, so she informs Robin. She tells him where the crossbow demonstration is to take place and he decides to go alone to affect a rescue, as the field is too close to Nottingham to be safe for a large number of men to reach unseen.

When Will shows the Sheriff how to use the crossbow, the Sheriff’s test of its performance is to use Will as the target! He makes him run across open ground and fires when he is the required distance away. Will hears the whistle that the arrow makes and throws himself to the ground in the nick of time. The Sheriff then rides up to ensure Will does not escape, but Robin emerges from nearby woods and threatens the Sheriff’s life. Leaving Will pointing his bow and arrow at the Sheriff, he rides up to the Sheriff’s men and forces them to hand over the crossbow.

Releasing the Sheriff, Robin and Will head for the safety of the forest and Will rejoins the outlaw band.    

The presentation of Will Scarlett in this episode is entirely consistent with the way that the character was portrayed in series one. Even his speech patterns are the same. He is a well spoken intelligent dandy, whose weaknesses are women and his misguided trust in the word of other people. His bargain with the Sheriff in this episode recalls the way he trusted the Sheriff to provide him with a safe escort to the coast in the character’s first appearance. Paul Eddington gives a convincing performance as Will, evoking the disdainful tone of Ronald Howard in his portrayal. Perhaps because he was the first actor to play the part and obviously brought elements of himself into Scarlet, Howard seems slightly more assured in the role. Eddington was obliged to echo Howard’s interpretation and while he did this most successfully, he was following an actor who had grasped the essential character of Will immediately and made a strong impression in the part.

Paul Eddington was a fine actor however and indeed managed to add a subtle element of his own, even in his first appearance. One of his particular strengths was his ability to portray the discomfort of humiliation in a humorous way. When the Sheriff breaks his word and obliges Will to be a running target, Eddington’s crestfallen expression instantly punctures the confident carefree image he has shown until now. It creates both humour and tension. When Ronald Howard’s Scarlet was forced to wear sackcloth in his first episode, he expressed the appropriate disgust in his words, but never conveyed the humiliation that the character must have felt in his expression and movement.

After his first appearance, Paul Eddington’s Scarlett effectively became Robin’s right hand man for the next few episodes. For some reason, Friar Tuck and Little John were absent from the early episodes of series four and Scarlett filled a real void. He played a significant part in ‘Six Strings to His Bow’, in which Robin meets Sir Alan a’ Dale, ‘The Devil You Don’t Know’, which introduces the new Deputy Sheriff of Nottingham and ‘The Loaf’, which marks the return of Friar Tuck. In these stories, Eddington maintained his character’s dandified image, despite toning down his attire for forest life and he drew humour from the simplest premises, by his skill at conveying facial expression. When called upon to perform a courageous act he would invariably react with an appropriate grimace.

Paul Eddington in 'Goodbye Little John'

In the adventure ‘Goodbye Little John’, Robin’s lieutenant returns to Sherwood and becomes jealous of the position that Will seems to have assumed in the band. When Will manages to beat him in a wrestling bout, John storms out of the camp angrily, later deciding to leave the band despite Robin’s reassurances that he is still his second in command. Robin explains that Will has more to say when it comes to planning, but John is better at putting the plans into action.

This does not satisfy John, who believes that if anything were to happen to Robin, then Scarlett would probably be elected leader and he could not accept his leadership. The wily Deputy Sheriff hears about Little John’s departure and gives him a free pardon, in an attempt to break up Robin’s men. However Little John realises that his freedom means accepting the unjust world of Prince John’s authority and tears up the pardon. He wants to be an outlaw while evil reigns. The incident has caused John to reflect on why he is a member of Robin’s band and he returns with Robin and Will to Sherwood, happy with his position and reconciled with Will.

This story was perhaps inevitable, given the arrival of Will Scarlett. The way that Will is portrayed by Paul Eddington, as a capable and intelligent, but sometimes reluctant hero, gives the story credibility. He is indeed much more thoughtful and reflective than Little John, who is too impetuous, but John is braver and would not hesitate to put his life at extreme risk if a situation required it. In Ronald Howard’s interpretation, Will was also rather reckless, particularly when young women were involved, but after his reintroduction in ‘The Ladykiller’, Paul Eddington toned this element down considerably. He also toned down Will’s arrogance and conceit. In ‘The Ladykiller’, when Will has been captured by the Sheriff, the outlaws think long and hard before they finally decide to rescue him. By ‘Goodbye Little John’, he has become so popular that John becomes jealous of him.

Paul Eddington played Will Scarlett for twenty three of the twenty six programmes in the series, missing only the two before his introduction and the final show ‘Trapped’. In some episodes he made only brief appearances, but he played a significant part in many of the others. In ‘The Loaf’, he disguises as one of the Sheriff’s men in order to trick his guards into releasing grain from his store. In ‘The Parting Guest’, when the visiting Duncan of Stonykirk has outstayed his welcome in Sherwood, Robin tries to persuade Will to woo Duncan’s girlfriend, who has followed him from Scotland, in an attempt to hasten his departure. Concerned by Duncan’s prowess as a fighter, Will refuses and cleverly manages to persuade Robin to take on the task. In the episodes which feature Sir Alan a’ Dale, he forms a humorous partnership with Alan, making it a great pity that this character appears only three times in the series.

In his autobiography ‘So Far, So Good’, Paul Eddington says that after his introduction as Will, the long serving supporting cast members complained to the producers that their parts were being reduced and as a consequence he found his own part lessened in later episodes. This may also explain why Alan a’ Dale made so few appearances. Both Friar Tuck and Little John are completely absent from the early episodes of the series, so it is perhaps no surprise that they were displeased. The programme was run on a famously tight budget and presumably even regular staff were paid by appearances. The employment of Paul Eddington as a series regular may itself have been partly for economic reasons, for it is extremely doubtful that he would command a salary as high as the well established Alexander Gauge and Archie Duncan.

The producers may also have considered that the arrival of a new regular member of the outlaw band could open the door to new dramatic possibilities and help to give a new lease of life to the programme. Over the 117 episodes of the first three series a huge range of themes had been explored through the small regular cast and viewers had grown to know these well drawn characters so well that their reactions to any situation were quite predictable. If this was indeed their intention, the objections of the long serving cast members obviously in prompted a change of heart, but Paul Eddington remained as Will and despite the reduction in his role, he continued to make a strong impression as Will Scarlett. In fact the fourth series brought two new cast members, for the Deputy Sheriff was significantly different from his superior and his evil machinations provided the plots for many successful episodes.

Ironically, given the star quality of Ronald Howard, it was Paul Eddington who went on to become a major star after ‘Robin Hood’, thanks to the opportunities provided by television. Howard continued to feature in films and to make guest appearances in other television shows on both sides of the Atlantic. He even played Robin Hood in an episode of a series called ‘Richard the Lionheart’, made by the Danziger Brothers in 1962! However he never achieved the success that his performances as Will Scarlet suggested he was capable of. Eddington forged a successful stage and television career, making increasing use of his talent for comedy. He became famous as a regular character in the internationally successful B.B.C. comedy series ‘The Good Life’, before starring in another B.B.C. comedy hit, ‘Yes Minister’, later going on to play ‘Yes Prime Minister’. His three years on ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’, where he played a vast range of parts before taking on the role of Will Scarlett, helped him to hone his skills as a television actor. It gave him valuable experience in performing comedy and was crucial to the huge success he would enjoy in the future.

Steve Winders

“I think California is the most romantic place I’ve ever seen.  There are wonderful places to go hunting I can think of.  When you get high up in the Sierras with only the trees, sky and wild animals about you, why – that’s what I call romance!  You are on your own up there.  When you get a big buck or a wild turkey or catch the biggest fish and cook it over a camp fire it’s one of the greatest thrills than can come to a person.

On a hunting trip I took in the Arizona mountains, we slept on the ground wrapped in blankets.  It was ten below zero and our hair froze.  One night after we had spent considerable time oiling our high boots, they froze and we had an awful time thawing them out before we could put them on the next morning.

You feel when you’re up in the mountains that it’s the only life to lead.  You hate to leave and come back to work.  You are able to get your perspective up there and it’s a wonderful feeling.  Things that seem so important here become very unimportant when you can lie on your back and look as far as you can see and barely make out the tip of a pine tree.”

Richard Greene, 1939 (Modern Screen magazine)