Robin Hood at the Movies: 05 Prince of Thieves, 1948.

 

Sir Allan Claire and his sister Lady Marian are riding through Sherwood Forest. An assassin tries to kill Sir Alan. Robin Hood saves them, but still robs them of their money, until he learns they are friends of King Richard. Sir Allan Claire has come to Nottingham to marry Lady Christable, though she is already betrothed against her will to Baron Tristram, nephew of Prince John.

The assassin has survived and informs Tristram of their whereabouts. The obligatory sword fight follows, in which Robin throws the assassin out of an upstairs window. They then leave to support Allan in his attempt to save his Lady Christable, but the assassin has (of course) survived again and hears their plan, soon disclosing it to Tristram. Robin is then captured, until Lady Christable’s maid, Maude, sets him free.

Lady Marian and Maude go swimming. (Not the first time Marian’s done this in the movies). Marian herself is then captured, and Robin must surrender himself in exchange for her release. This he does and ends up on the scaffold. But the executioners are not what they seem, and the swordfights commence (any staircase will do), before no less than a triple wedding herald’s the finale.

The underlying storyline here is akin to the ancient legend of Robin Hood helping Alan A Dale save his sweetheart from an arranged marriage to an old nobleman.