Sherwood Forester

Issue 13

April 2007

A warm welcome to spring and our thirteenth issue.  I cannot deny I am writing this opening piece with the sun shining through the patio doors urging me to finish and demanding that I get into the garden and cut the grass for the first time this year!

We have a terrific issue for you this time with another article from our old friend Steve Winders and a new series starting which looks at the writers.

Our cover image comes from a "three dimensional" board game spotted by Lucy on eBay.  But did any of our readers have this game when they were young?  Was it purchased as a birthday or Christmas present?  Let us know.  We have further images of the game in the memorabilia section to remind you.

Oh, and before I forget, when you've finished reading this issue, have another look into the attics and garages - I'm sure you'll find something from the past, a reminder of when Richard Greene and the other cast members were on the television the first time around.  We're sure you would love to share them with the rest of us.

Enjoy.

Mike

Introducing a new series of articles from Anna and Lucy.  Looking at the story behind the series, the writers.  In this issue we cover Ring Lardner Jr and Ian McLellan Hunter.

More from "The Ladies of Sherwood". 

More Hood Links

Following his ‘Hood Links' article in Issue 7 of ‘Sherwood Forester’, Steve Winders has  discovered more actors’ links between ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’ and other film and  television versions of the legend.

For my previous article I found twenty actors from our television series ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’ who also appeared in films about the character. Since then I have discovered from our member ‘Clement of the Glen’ that Hal Osmond, who played Midge the miller in Disney’s 1952 film ‘The Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men’ also made four appearances in the television series. He played a character called Anselm in ‘Errand of Mercy’ and the King’s Commissioner in ‘Trial by Battle’ in the first series. He played Master Ricardo in ‘The Path of True Love’ in the second series and a spinner in the episode ‘Lincoln Green’ in the third series. I have also discovered from my own researches that David Davies, who played Sir Hartley in ‘A Race Against Time’ and Baron Onslow in ‘Sybella’ in the fourth series of ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’ had played a forester in the Disney film, which starred Richard Todd as Robin. This takes the number of actors from this film who later appeared in the television ‘Adventures of Robin Hood’ up to seven. The others, mentioned in my previous article were Archie Duncan, James Hayter, Patrick Barr, Hubert Gregg and Bill Owen. 

Another of our members ‘Rusty Pearl’ drew my attention to the fact that John Harvey, who features as chief henchman to the villainous Sir Roger in Hammer’s 1967 film ‘A Challenge for Robin Hood’ also played the Sheriff of Nottingham’s chief henchman Lieutenant Howard in two episodes of series three of ‘The Adventures’. These were ‘The Lottery’ and ‘The Minstrel’. Harvey also appeared as Sir George Woodley in the episode ‘The Doctor’ in the same series. While checking the cast of this film, which starred Barrie Ingham as Robin, I also noticed two more cast members who featured in ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’. William Squire, who appeared in the episode ‘The Byzantine Treasure’ in series one as Vef, features as Sir John De Courtney in the film and Norman Mitchell, who played the Earl of Steyne in the episode ‘Sybella’ in series four appears in ‘Challenge’ as a dray driver. This takes the number of actors from ‘A Challenge for Robin Hood’ who had appeared in the television series up to six. John Arnatt and Alfie Bass were mentioned in my last article.

A search through the full cast of Hammer’s 1954 film ‘Men of Sherwood Forest’ which starred Don Taylor as Robin, revealed no less than eight cast members, who later appeared in the television ‘Adventures’. Douglas Wilmer, Leonard Sachs and Bernard Bresslaw were identified in my previous article, but I have since discovered that Reginald Beckwith, who played Friar Tuck in the film, appeared as Sir Louis in the third series episode ‘Elixir of Youth’. John Stuart, who played a character called Moraine in the film, made two appearances in the first series. He played Stationarius in ‘The Byzantine Treasure’ and Pinot in ‘The Deserted Castle’. Ballard Berkeley, who played Walter in the film also made two appearances in ‘The Adventures’, featuring as the Count De Waldern in the first series episode ‘Queen Eleanor’ and as Tybalt in the third series episode ‘Roman Gold’. Howard Lang played a town crier in ‘Men of Sherwood Forest’ and then appeared as a tavern landlord in the second series episode ‘Isabella’. Finally Robert Hunter, who played an outlaw in the film, went on to play a villager in ‘The Healing Hand’ episode in the third series. It is perhaps not surprising that this film included more actors from ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’ than any other, because it was made only a year before the first series began and was also made in England.   

Another film made in England during the run of the television series was ‘Son of Robin Hood’, which was actually about Robin’s daughter Deering, played by June Laverick. In addition to Humphrey Lestocq, who was identified in the previous article, this 1958 film featured Jack Lambert as Will Scarlett. Lambert played a character called Bart in the episode ‘Too Many Robins’ in series three. ‘Son of Robin Hood’ also included the appropriately named Noel Hood as the Prioress. She had previously played an old woman in the second series episode ‘Isabella’. Finally, Alistair Hunter, who made two appearances in the television series, as an armourer in the season one episode ‘Checkmate’ and as a monk in the series two episode ‘The Trap’, played a woodsman in ‘Son of Robin Hood’.

In my ‘Hood Links’ article I identified five members of the cast of Hammer’s 1961  film ‘Sword of Sherwood Forest’ who appeared in the series. Richard Greene reprised his role as Robin and the film also included Nigel Green, Desmond Llewellyn, Richard Pasco and Brian Rawlinson. I have subsequently discovered that Charles Lamb, who played a minor character called Old Bowyer in the film made two appearances in the series. He played an informer in the first series episode ‘The Jongleur’ and a character called Ben Bradley in the third series episode ‘An Apple for the Archer’.

Our series was not the first version of the ‘Robin Hood’ legend made for television. There was a B.B.C. serial made in 1953 which starred Patrick Troughton as Robin. I reported in my last article that he went on to make several appearances in the second, third and fourth series of ‘The Adventures’. More information about the cast of this serial has recently come to light and I have now discovered that Philip Guard, who played Sir Claude in ‘The Betrothal’ in the first series of our version also played Will Scarlet in the 1953 production. Additionally, Leonard Sachs, who I previously noted as having appeared in the second series of ‘The Adventures’ as a dishonest minter in the episode ‘Outlaw Money’ and in ‘Men of Sherwood Forest’ as the Sheriff of Nottingham, also appeared in this original serial as Sir Gilbert and Guy Verney, who played the Count of Severne in the episode ‘The Borrowed Baby’ appeared in the B.B.C. serial as Sir Richard.

Maurice Kaufmann played Sir Loren in ‘My Brother’s Keeper’ in the third series and William in ‘Trapped’, which was the final episode of the fourth series of ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’. In 1975 he appeared as the evil Baron De Malhave in ‘Robin Hood Junior’, a film about Robin’s boyhood, which was made by the Children’s Film Foundation and starred Keith Chegwin as a teenage Robin.

I found no actors from ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’ who appeared in the later ITV series ‘Robin of Sherwood’ which ran from 1984 – 86, when I wrote my previous article. However I have now discovered three. Max Faulkner, who worked regularly in ‘The Adventures’ as a stunt man and stand in for principal actors, most notably Richard Greene, in outdoor long shots also worked as a stunt co-ordinator on the later series. In addition to his stunt work he made seven credited appearances in ‘The Adventures’ including playing a clerk in ‘Lincoln Green’ and Lieutenant Howard in ‘The Double’, both in the third series. He also made two credited appearances in ‘Robin of Sherwood’, as Gisburne’s helper in ‘The Children of Israel’ in 1985 and as Oliver in ‘The Power of Albion’ in 1986. The second actor is Conrad Phillips, who became famous in the title role of ‘William Tell’, which was one of Sapphire Films’ follow up series to ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’. He played a guard in ‘The Shell Game’ in series two of our version of the legend and later appeared as a character called Phillip in an episode of the second series of ‘Robin of Sherwood’ called ‘The Swords of Wayland’ in 1985. Finally, John Horsley, who featured twice in the fourth series of ‘The Adventures’, as Bligh Denton in ‘Bride for an Outlaw’ and as Sir Guy Quentin in ‘The Champion’, played the Abbot of Thornton Abbey in a 1986 episode of ‘Robin of Sherwood’ called ‘Cromm Cruac’.

Conrad Phillips as William Tell

Neil Hallett played the Sheriff in a comedy film ‘The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood’, made in 1984. He had made three appearances in our series, as Michael in ‘Women’s War’ and as a forester in ‘The Fire’ in the third series and as the Commander of the Sheriff’s guards in ‘The Loaf’ in the fourth series.

Clive Revill played Horatio in ‘Too Many Earls’ in the second series of ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’, thirty six years before appearing in Mel Brooks’ comedy film ‘Robin Hood: Men in Tights’ in 1993 as a fire marshal! He also played Guy of Gisborne in an episode of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ in 1989, in which the captain of the Starship Enterprise is temporarily transformed into Robin Hood! However, although worthy of mention this is not really a Hood link.

Laurie Main also appeared in ‘Men in Tights’, which starred Cary Elwes as Robin. He played a wedding guest in this film, thirty seven years after featuring as a cook in the episode ‘Ladies of Sherwood’ in the first series. However to date the last person from ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’ television series to appear in another version is Geoffrey Bayldon, who made two appearances in the third series, playing the Count De Severne in ‘The Genius’ and Cal in ‘The Angry Village’. Forty years later, in 1997, he appeared in an episode of a Franco-American television series ‘The New Adventures of Robin Hood’ as Merlin! This means we have now identified forty four actors from the series who have featured in other versions. The other actors identified in my previous article were Ronald Howard, who played Will Scarlett in our series and Robin Hood himself in an episode of the 1962 television series ‘Richard the Lionheart’; Jill Esmond, who played Queen Eleanor in our television series and Queen Isabella in the film ‘Bandit of Sherwood Forest’ and Ian Hunter, who played King Richard the Lionheart in the 1938 Hollywood film ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’ and Sir Richard of the Lea in our series.   

While my original article only mentioned actors from ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’ who had also appeared in different versions, it is also worth noting other ‘Hood’ links, where actors have featured in more than one other version of the legend. I have found four actors who have each played in three different productions! The first is Alan Hale, who played Little John in Douglas Fairbanks’ famous 1922 silent film of ‘Robin Hood’. He then played the same role in another famous version; the 1938 ‘Adventures of Robin Hood’ starring Errol Flynn, before making a final appearance as John in the 1950 film ‘Rogues of Sherwood Forest’, which starred John Derek as Robin Hood’s son, Robin Earl of Huntingdon. The second actor to appear in three versions is Patrick Barr who played a torturer in a 1932 British short called ‘The Merry Men of Sherwood’, which starred John J. Thompson as Robin, before playing King Richard the Lionheart in Disney’s 1952 ‘The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men’ and in two episodes of our television series. The third actor is the previously mentioned Leonard Sachs and the fourth is James Hayter, who I also identified in my previous article. He played Friar Tuck in Disney’s 1952 film and again in Hammer’s 1968 ‘A Challenge for Robin Hood’. Between these films he made two appearances in our TV version as Tom the Miller in the second series. Leonard Sachs completed his three appearances in just four years while Alan Hale took twenty eight years to complete his!  

Another actor who appeared with Alan Hale in both the 1922 silent film and the 1938 ‘Adventures of Robin Hood’ was Wilson Benge, who played Prince John’s henchman in the first film and a monk in the second. Alan Hale’s final film ‘Rogues of Sherwood Forest’ included several other cast members who appeared in other ‘Robin Hood’ films. Lester Matthews played Alan A’Dale in ‘Rogues’ and appeared as Sir High Fitzwalter in the little known 1950 ‘Tales of Robin Hood’, which starred Robert Clarke as Robin. Another actor, Paul Cavanagh, also featured in both of these films. He played Sir Giles in ‘Rogues’ and Sir Gui de Clairmont in ‘Tales’. Lowell Gilmore and Gavin Muir appeared in ‘Rogues’ and a 1948 film called ‘The Prince of Thieves’, which starred Jon Hall as Robin. Gilmore played the Count of Flanders in ‘Rogues’, having previously played Sir Phillip in ‘The Prince of Thieves’. Muir played Baron Tristram in ‘Prince of Thieves’ and Baron Alfred in ‘Rogues’. Reginald Sheffield played a farmer in ‘Rogues’ after appearing as a herald in the 1938 ‘Adventures of Robin Hood’ and Olaf Hytten also appeared in both these films, playing an outlaw in the first and a charcoal burner in ‘Rogues’.  

There are many cast links between ‘Rogues of Sherwood Forest’ and another film about a son of Robin Hood called ‘The Bandit of Sherwood Forest’, which was made in 1946 and starred Cornel Wilde as Robert of Nottingham. This is perhaps not surprising as both films were made in Hollywood by Columbia Pictures at a time when many actors were employed under contract to specific studios. Also at this time, if an actor was considered to look convincing in a costume drama, then there was a tendency to employ them regularly in such roles. Additionally many of the actors concerned were from Britain and the Commonwealth and were able to speak in English accents. George Macready played King John in ‘Rogues’ after playing a character called Fitz Herbert in ‘Bandit’. Leslie Dennison played Alan A’Dale in ‘Bandit’ and made an uncredited appearance as an officer in ‘Rogues’. Nelson Leigh played one of Robin’s son’s men in ‘Bandit’ and then a character called Merton in ‘Rogues’ and Harry Cording played a man at arms in ‘Bandit’ and an officer in ‘Rogues’. This means that eleven actors from ‘Rogues of Sherwood Forest’ appeared in other versions, although no one from this film featured in our series or indeed any ‘Robin Hood’ film made in Britain. However my previous article did identify one member of the cast of ‘Bandit of Sherwood Forest’ who appeared in our version. This was Jill Esmond, who I previously identified as playing Queen Eleanor, the Queen Mother, in both the film and the television programme. I have now discovered that while she played a Queen Mother in both productions it was a different Queen Mother! ‘The Bandit of Sherwood Forest’ is set after the death of King John and in this Jill Esmond plays his widow, Isabella of Angouleme, who was the mother of the young King Henry the Third. In ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’ which is set during the reign of King Richard, she plays King Henry the Second’s widow, Eleanor of Aquitaine, who was Richard and John’s mother.

Returning to Britain and Hammer’s ‘Men of Sherwood Forest’, this 1954 film featured two other actors who appeared in the original 1953 B.B.C. television serial of ‘Robin Hood’. Wensley Pithey played Friar Tuck in the B.B.C. serial before appearing as Hugo in the Hammer film the following year, while Raymond Rollett, who played the Abbot of St. Mary’s for the B.B.C. version, played Abbot St. Jude in the film.

Coming forward in time, brings us to an American musical version of the story called ‘The Legend of Robin Hood’, with songs by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen, which was televised in 1968, starring David Watson as Robin. Roddy Mc Dowall played Prince John in this production, returning to play the same part in ‘The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood’ in 1984. Douglas Fairbanks Junior played King Richard in the musical, forty six years after his father had played Robin in the famous 1922 silent film.

Filmed in England, ‘The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood’ starred George Segal as Robin and also featured Michael Hordern, who had earlier played Scathelock in Disney’s 1952 film, as Rupert. The horse master and stunt artist Steve Dent played the fourth merry man in the ‘Zany Adventures’, between series of ITV’s ‘Robin of Sherwood’, where he also worked as horse master and appeared in several episodes in a variety of small roles, usually playing guards. He later worked as assistant horse master on a 1991 film called ‘Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves’, but did not make a credited appearance. Several stunt artists who worked on other versions of the legend took named parts in ‘The Zany Adventures’, but did not have roles of their own in the others and I have confined this article to actors who have played specific roles in more than one production.

Eight years before ‘Robin of Sherwood’, 1975 brought another B.B.C. serial about Robin Hood. This was also called ‘The Legend of Robin Hood’. It starred Martin Potter as Robin and included Conrad Asquith as Little John, who would later play a character called Lodwick in another television version in 1991, called ‘Robin Hood’ which received a theatrical release in Britain and starred Patrick Bergin in the title role. The 1975 ‘Legend of Robin Hood’ also featured John Abineri as Marian’s uncle Sir Kenneth Neston. He would return to the story in 1983 for the ITV series ‘Robin of Sherwood’, in which he played the mystical Herne the Hunter.

Two other actors from ITV’s ‘Robin of Sherwood’ later featured in the 1991 film version of the legend called ‘Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves’, which starred Kevin Costner as Robin. These are Daniel Peacock, who played Sergeant Sparrow in a story called ‘Herne’s Son’ in 1986, later appearing as David of Doncaster in the film and Nick Brimble, who played Earl Godwin’s Captain in the ‘Robin of Sherwood’ episode ‘The Swords of Wayland’ in 1983 and later played the significant role of Little John in the film.

Nick Brimble (John Little/Little John) in the "quarterstaff duel".

Douglas Blackwell appeared in a small role in an episode of the 1953 B.B.C. serial, returning to the story in 1991 for an appearance in ‘Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves’ as a ‘grey bearded’ baron. After a gap of thirty eight years it’s no wonder he had a grey beard! Pat Roach also featured in ‘Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves’ playing a Celtic chieftain. He later appeared as a giant in two episodes of the Franco-American ‘New Adventures of Robin Hood’ TV series in 1998, which was filmed in Lithuania. Robert Addie also appeared in ‘The New Adventures’, playing a sinister monk called Goliet in an episode in 1997, having appeared in every episode of ‘Robin of Sherwood’ as the villainous Guy of Gisborne. Bryan Marshall also featured in both of these television series, playing the outlaw Adam Bell in a 1986 episode of ‘Robin of Sherwood’ and a character called Bryce in a 1997 episode of  ‘The New Adventures’. Two actors played Robin during the four season run of ‘The New Adventures of Robin Hood’. These were Matthew Poretta and John Bradley. Porretta had previously played Will Scarlet O’Hara in Mel Brooks’ ‘Robin Hood: Men in Tights’ in 1993.

‘Men in Tights’ was not Mel Brooks’ first foray into spoofing the legend of Robin Hood. In 1975 he produced a television series in the U.S. called ‘When Things Were Rotten’ and two actors from this series later appeared in his 1993 film. They were Ira Miller, who played a peasant in both versions and Dick Van Patten, who played Friar Tuck in ‘When Things Were Rotten’ and an abbot in ‘Men in Tights’.

John Dallimore played Broth in ‘Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves’ after four appearances as Weasel in the B.B.C.’s children’s comedy series ‘Maid Marian and Her Merry Men’ between 1990 and ‘94. This comedy, which starred Kate Lonergan as Marian and featured Wayne Morris as Robin, also included Howard Lew Lewis as Rabies, who was one of Marian’s men. He appeared in every episode of the programme, which ran from 1989 to ’94, and also played Hal in ‘Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves’ between series. Forbes Collins played King John in ‘Maid Marian and Her Merry Men’ appearing regularly through the six year run. He then played a character called Molenal in an episode of the ‘New Adventures’ in 1997. Jonathan Pembroke played Gelden in an episode of the ‘New Adventures’ in 1998 and three years later played a character called Mc Camley in the 2001 film ‘Princess of Thieves’ about yet another daughter of Robin Hood. This film, which starred Stuart Wilson as Robin and Keira Knightley as his teenage daughter Gwyn, also featured Roger Ashton-Griffiths as Friar Tuck, who had previously played a coachman in ‘The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood’.       

Sean Connery made an uncredited appearance as King Richard in ‘Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves’, having played Robin himself in the 1976 film ‘Robin and Marian’, about Robin’s later life. Between these two films, his son Jason Connery also played Robin in the ITV series ‘Robin of Sherwood’ in 1986.

I have highlighted only the names of each of the actors who have appeared in more than one version of the story of Robin Hood and a count gives the grand total of seventy eight. Have I missed any? Frankly I cannot be sure. I started this article expecting to add just a few more names to my previous total of twenty actors who appeared in ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’ television series and another production, but that total has more than doubled! I think I must have covered everyone, but I thought I was almost there last time! During the research I began to encounter actors who have appeared in more than one other version and I extended this article to cover them. As the story of Robin Hood continues to delight new generations, more productions of the story will appear and more actors will presumably appear in more than one version, so watch out for ‘Even More Hood Links’!

Steve Winders

Introducing the Writers

A new series in which Lucy and Anna look at the story behind the series - the writers!

Ring Lardner, Jr

“Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Communist Party?” That was probably the most feared question in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s.  On October 27, 1947 the House on Un-American Activities Committee’s Chairman, J. Parnell Thomas asked Ring Lardner, Jr. that question and Lardner responded with, “I could answer the way you want, Mr. Chairman, but I’d hate myself in the morning.”  The crowd erupted in laughter and the committee in anger.  Ring Lardner, Jr. was found in contempt of Congress, fined a $1000 and sentenced to one year in prison.  He served 9 months at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, where he began his first novel, “The Ecstasy of Owen Muir”.

Ringgold Wilmer Lardner, Jr. was born on August 19, 1915 in Chicago, Illinois, son of Ringgold Wilmer Lardner, Sr. and Lena Lardner.  His father was a newspaper sports columnist and best-selling writer.  Ring had 3 brothers, John, James and David.

He attended Phillips Academy High School in Andover, Massachusetts from 1928 to 1932 and from 1932 to 1934 he attended Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey.  He dropped out of Princeton and made a trip to the Soviet Union and Germany.  From January till November 1935 he was writing for the “New York Daily Mirror”, and then began working for David O. Selznick in the publicity department.

During 1936 he became a member of the Communist Party, and that same year Selznick asked Lardner and a story department reader, Budd Schulberg, to come up with a satisfactory ending for “A Star is Born”.  They did and Ring became a screenwriter.

In 1937 he married Silvia Schulman, Selznick’s secretary; they had two children, Peter and Ann.  His brother James went to fight in the Spanish Civil War - his family thought he was only a war correspondent; he was killed in battle in 1938.

Lardner left Selznick for Warner Brothers and in 1943 he won an Academy Award for “Woman of the Year”.  

In 1944 Ring’s brother David, a war correspondent, was killed.  In 1945 Ring and Silvia divorced and in September 1946 he married Frances Chaney, his brother’s widow, and became stepfather to her two children, Katherine (Kate) and Joseph.  Ring and Frances had a son James.

In October 1947 Lardner was one of 10 people subpoenaed to appear before the HUAC and was found in contempt of Congress.  After an appeals process he was sentenced to one year in prison (1950 to 1951). 

After his release from prison he found himself on the infamous “blacklist”, and was forced to write under pseudonyms, give credit to non-blacklisted writers, or simply write uncredited.

When Hannah Weinstein set up a production company, Sapphire Films, in London and brought to television “The Adventures of Robin Hood”, she called upon the talents of Ring Lardner, Jr. and other” blacklisted” writer friends who were in need of work, to write the scripts to the episodes under pseudonyms. Their identity was a guarded secret and only a trusted few knew who was writing the scripts.  Lardner was thrilled at the opportunity for, as he put it, “commentary-by-metaphor on the issues and institutions of Eisenhower-era America”.  Starting with the first episode “The Coming of Robin Hood”, Lardner wrote or co-authored with Ian McLellan Hunter 39 episodes.  He also went on to write for two more of Weinstein’s shows - “Sir Lancelot” and “The Buccaneers”.

The blacklist was officially broken in 1960 and the blacklisted writers slowly returned to writing under their own names.  Lardner first wrote a screenplay under his own name in 1965 -  “The Cincinnati Kid”, and in 1971 he won his second Oscar for his screen adaptation of “M*A*S*H”.  His career as a screenwriter was impressive, 28 screenplays, including “Forever Amber”, which starred Richard Greene, a Broadway musical “Foxy” in 1964 and in 1982 – 83 “Woman of the Year”, a Broadway play based on his 1942 screenplay.

In 2000 he published his memoir “I’d Hate Myself in the Morning”. Ring Lardner, Jr. succumbed to lung cancer on October 31, 2000.  His wife Frances died on December 10, 2004.

In 2004 Kate Lardner, Ring’s stepdaughter, published her memoir -  “Shut Up He Explained:  A Memoir of Growing Up on the Blacklist”.  Kate was married to actor Tommy Lee Jones from 1971 until 1978.

In a twist of irony, J. Parnell Thomas, the HUAC Chairman, was indicted for corruption in 1948, and summoned to answer charges before the Grand Jury. He refused to answer questions, citing his Fifth Amendment rights, the same rights as the Hollywood Ten had cited but which Thomas had refused to accept.  Indicted, Thomas was tried and convicted of fraud and given a fine and an 18-month prison sentence.  He was imprisoned in Danbury Prison with Ring Lardner!

(L.C.)

----

Ian McLellan Hunter

Ian McLellan Hunter was Ring Lardner’s frequent writing partner.  He was born in England on 18 August 1915, and moved to the US with his parents as a teenager.

He began his writing career as a journalist in New York, and then became a staff writer at RKO, working on B-movies.

During the Second World War he worked at the Office of Strategic Services (O.S.S), and later - at the San Francisco Conference and in the office of the U.S. Chief Counsel at the Nuremberg trials.

Like many other blacklist victims, Ian McLellan Hunter lived in Mexico for a while, and then – in New York, where he worked in public relations for the newly formed Diners Club.  He could not get any writing work, so he was grateful to Hannah Weinstein for the opportunity to work on “The Adventures of Robin Hood”.  He also wrote some scripts for “Sir Lancelot” and “The Buccaneers”.  (Ian McLellan’s sister, Aileen Hamilton, a writer and costume designer, also contributed one script to “The Adventures” – the episode “The Borrowed Baby”).

During the filming of “The Adventures” Ian McLellan Hunter made two trips to England to meet Hannah Weinstein and to discuss the scripts for the series.  He moved to England with his family in 1958.

Later he returned to the US, where he worked mostly for television.  His contributions included adaptations of Tom Wolfe's “You Can't Go Home Again” (1979) and Bruce Catton and John Leekley's “The Blue and the Gray” (1982).  He also taught dramatic writing at New York University.

Ian McLellan Hunter died of a heart attack on 5 March 1991 in New York.  His son, Tim Hunter, is a film director. 

(A. F.)

Try Anything Once!

The following article is reproduced from "Girl" magazine from July 1958!  Our thanks go to Morley Peters for supplying the photocopies.

It all felt rather like a dream.  There I was, standing in the darkness, gazing into a beautiful sunlit glade, watching a tall, richly robed man who was about to launch an arrow into a cowering peasant.  Suddenly, from the undergrowth, came a menacing voice: "Throw down that bow."  Dropping his weapon, the man slowly turned and said: "Must you always interfere with my plans, Robin Hood?"

But that's where my dream ended.  "Cut!" shouted the director - and another few feet of film were "in the can", ready to make up another thrilling adventure of Robin Hood.

The scene was no less dream-like even when the lights clicked on in the vast studio at Walton-on-Thames, which is the indoor home of so many television film serials.  Maid Marion was sitting reading a newspaper; helmeted soldiers sat around smoking cigarettes as Little John strode by complete with tights, leather jerkin - and brown brogue shoes.  Ranged around the indoor 'glen' three enormous film cameras pointed their blind eyes at the now empty scene of a woodland path -  it was not until you looked upwards that you saw that the apparently giant trees had been unceremoniously lopped off just above camera level.

"Pretty fantastic, isn't it?" said the director, Terry Bishop.  "It may be cheating, but we found it very difficult to shoot long scenes outdoors - so we made a replica of Robin's camp here in the studio.  When you see the outlaws in their camp on your television screen, you can be almost certain that it was shot in here.  All the long-distance shots are made on location only a few miles from here, though."

"I suppose, that's where the castle lies?"  I asked hopefully, hanging on to the last few shreds of my dream.

"Hey, Duncan, will you show our guest around our castle?"  said the director, grinning, as a terrifying fierce Highlander swept by with his kilt swirling.

"Och, lassie, it's noo castle but a couple o' plaster walls," growled my bearded guide, "but weel, come on."  Sure enough, walls which looked as sturdy as Stonehenge were mere wood and plaster.

"Here, lassie!" said Duncan of Stoneykirk, alias Hugh McDermott, drawing his two handed claymore.  "I'll show ye how we fought seven hundred years ago," He then proceeded to cut madly at thin air, forcing me behind him and backing slowly up the pseudo - stone stairway, "I won't let em at ye, lassie," he panted, still retreating from our invisible assailants.

Inside the studio the scene was being changed, ready for the next 'take'.  One half-hour film per week throughout the winter means a pretty tight schedule, and hard work by everyone from the wardrobe mistress to Richard Greene himself.

I asked Brenda Gardner, who is in charge of producing everything, from Robin's Lincoln Green to the feather in Maid Marion's cap, where she finds so many varied costumes.  "I do a lot of research into the clothes worn around the year 1200, and then I design and make most of the costumes myself - but the women's dresses are a problem.  A real Maid Marion would have worn a dress more resembling a long nightshirt, so we had to do something about that."

"Robin's on set," I heard being called from the studio, so excusing myself from the 'wardrobe', I rushed over to see Richard Greene in action.

Robin was standing in the studio glade talking to Little John, and as I watched him, I realised just why the series of films is so popular both in America and over here.  He fits the part of the legendary outlaw to perfection.  His bright blue eyes twinkled merrily under black curly hair, and I sat enthralled as he explained the technicalities of archery.

I'm jolly glad that I've been given a chance of re-living mediaeval Britain through the eyes of Robin Hood and his Merry Men - and each time I sit in front of the TV screen, I'll remember just what a lucky girl Maid Marion is!

Editorial Comment:  I have fought the urge to correct some of the spelling in this article, in particular "Maid Marion".  Am I correct in thinking that the "dentist" in the final image is our old friend Walter Schneiderman?

As a child I was absolutely besotted with the “Robin Hood” series on TV. I think I would have been about 11 or 12 in the early '60s, when they were shown several times a week.

I was particularly in love with the dastardly sheriff of Nottingham - alias Alan  Wheatley - although he was about 54 at the time!!

I wrote to him one day, never expecting to get a reply. Imagine my delight when I received a hand-written letter back through the post - from him! He told me that he was glad that I enjoyed the series and that he lived in London, near Hyde Park, where he loved to walk and that he lived in a converted Victorian ballroom. I was on cloud nine for days!

I have never forgotten how kind it was of him to take time to reply personally and have always wondered what he thought about getting such a letter from an eleven year old!  Perhaps the fact that he replied was something to do with the fact that he was a psychologist before he became an actor! It has always remained in my mind though, how far from the attitudes of the celebrities of today!

Unfortunately, I think I threw the letter away when I grew up, although I did keep it for many years…

Judith Salloway

The Knight Who… was Don Quixote?  And a Saracen knight…

Suzette:  “The Knight Who Came to Dinner” was never one of my favourite episodes, simply because we don’t see enough of Robin!

The plot follows the old ballad story quite closely, about the poor knight and the abbot.  The rule (abandoned later in the series, I think) that the outlaws had to have a paying guest at dinner also came from traditional ballads.  I never noticed that before, but Sir Richard on his horse looks a lot like a picture from Don Quixote – his squire was Sancho Pansa, if I remember correctly, a comic figure.

My favourite moment:  towards the end, when Robin and his men jump out and shout to scare the abbot, and then - he starts to laugh…  Richard Greene playing Robin of Locksley, playing the infamous outlaw Robin Hood?  Just a thought…

Historians don’t all agree on these matters, but it seems that the bow was seen as a foot soldiers’ (that is, lower class) weapon, and snobbish noblemen never used it for fighting.  They did use the bow for hunting, though.  In “Highland Fling”, when Robin goes to Scotland as Lord Locksley (that is, as himself, I suppose), Friar tuck follows him as his squire (on horseback), carrying a bow and arrows – apparently, that was a proper way to do it.  But it’s not as simple as that:  my favourite “expert”, Ambroise, a poet, chronicler and war correspondent from the 3^rd Crusade, has this to say:

“That day ye might have witnessed plain

How knights, whose horses had been slain,

Fought, when compelled thus to dismount,

‘Mid the archers.”

Also, when they had time off from fighting in the Holy Land, they sometimes went hunting; so I suppose Robin would have opportunities to practice archery.  There’s one thing he couldn’t do, though:  on horseback, he couldn’t shoot arrows without stopping, like the Saracen archers did.  You can see it in “Marian’s Prize”:  he had to stop to shoot.  But I suppose that sort of skill would require years to learn; the Saracens were probably taught those things as very young boys.

Robin didn’t have a bow when he came back, and he didn’t have all the other things you would expect a knight to have -  a shield, a helmet, maybe a lance…  What would you think of a returning soldier, who hasn’t got practically anything, except a new-looking uniform?  I would think that he hasn’t been at the “war zone” for a while… And that all his other weapons were lost on the battlefield, months before his return.  We don’t know where he was; we don’t know how badly he was wounded, but I don’t think he’d have mentioned if it had been trivial.  Medical science in those days wasn’t very advanced, and many practices were not just ineffective, but positively harmful; chances of survival weren’t very high.  Unless, of course, this particular crusader benefited from superior knowledge of the Arab physicians…  In those days, “we” (that is, Western Europeans) were “the barbarians”; the Islamic civilisation was more advanced practically in every respect.  I don’t remember if I’ve ever told you about the memories of Usamah Ibn-Munqidh; he was a Saracen knight at the time of the crusades, and his account is a real eye-opener – how things looked from “the other side”, and how primitive the Western knights seemed to comparatively sophisticated Arabs.  There was a lot to learn in the Holy Land, if one wanted to – and Robin of Locksley certainly did.

Marian:  Sir Richard of the Lea – the first time I viewed this episode I felt very compassionate towards the man, he was a very calm, quiet, easy-going sort of person – actually bordering on pathetic; our favorite hero, always the champion of the oppressed, “taking up a collection” to pay Sir Richard’s debt!  My impression of the man changed after seeing other episodes involving Sir Richard, so I am unfairly judging him in this episode, but I can’t help it.  Instead of taking control of his own life he just lets life control him, and there is always someone to save him (Robin Hood), to make things right in his life.  Wouldn’t that be lovely if we had that luxury, actually if we all could have Robin Hood in our lives, it would be lovely…

Friar Tuck (Alexander Gauge), the writers really took liberties with the extent of the feats they had him doing, considering the girth of the poor man – I felt pained watching him follow behind Sir Richard – his falling down in the road, I wondered if that was in the script or if it just happened and they thought it added a nice touch to the scene.  He looked so distressed and out of breath.  Poor Tuck, I don’t know how many times Robin used his back as a ladder (“Checkmate”, “The Little People”), not to mention his carrying Robin on his back in “Friar Tuck”.

Suzette:  For the first time I feel sorry for poor Friar Tuck – I never noticed the misery before; how heartless of me…

Marian:  Don Quixote – yes Suzette, Sir Richard on horseback, he does resemble The Man of La Mancha and Friar Tuck would make a good version of Sancho.

This wasn’t one of my favorites episodes either, I also thought there wasn’t enough of Robin.  There was some comic relief, loved the expression on Robin’s face when he realized that Sir Richard was wearing clothes from their collection, and realized how he got the clothes.  Friar Tuck cleverly pretending to be a “food tester” in order to eat.  The last scene where Robin jumps out and scares the Abbot, I loved that scene also – great jump with arms stretched out to the side and again that wonderful laugh…

This has been an interesting exchange – I started out only thinking of Sir Richard of the Lea, the most “needy” knight – his very fortunate endeavor into Sherwood Forest and having the Outlaws “invite” him to dinner.  He undoubtedly was the only “guest” to an “outlaw feast” to come away with more than he had before the dinner.  A new suit of clothing for both him and his horse and money to pay his debt, not to mention a “squire” to do his bidding!

I think that Robin of Locksley came back from the Crusades a wiser man, he probably went off to fight in the Crusades, as was expected of him – his father had done it; he was privileged, just look at Locksley Hall.  He must have experienced all the horrors of war and returned as we saw weary, with battle scars, the loss of his father while he was away…  He was now the Lord of the Manor, or so he thought.  I think the Crusades made him a more compassionate man – that was why he was eager to help another “knight”, only as he would discover that Sir Richard of the Lea would constantly be a “knight in distress.”

Memorabilia

We are always on the look-out for various collectibles, and not just those found on the internet. 

The following three images of TV Picture Stories came courtesy of Morley Peters.

However, from the internet Lucy has provided the following images: -

Two new additions to the card collection.

A Hoop La Game

Following up the subject featured in our cover image we have these additional images of the same board game.

And finally, for hair that's hard to control, "Wild Root"!