Jumat, 28 September 2007

The Shrouded Green Mask

The Shrouded Green MaskIn a dark dense forest, centuries past, a green mask was hammered into a tree, held fast by an ornamental nail. Shrouded in the swirling mists of countless seasons, and framed by its bare, slate grey branches, the face on the mask contorted to the dreams of each icy evolution of man.Meanwhile, cocooned...

Senin, 24 September 2007

The Size of Sherwood Forest

Above is a map of the Royal Forest of Sherwood in the 13th Century. Many fiction writers and enthusiasts of Robin Hood, often give wildly exaggerated descriptions of its extent. But by the time of the death of King John in 1216, the great forests of the North and Midlands, including Sherwood had been considerably reduced.In...

Jumat, 21 September 2007

Senin, 17 September 2007

James Hayter

James Hayter was personally chosen for the part of Friar Tuck by the director of Disney’s Story of Robin Hood, Ken Annakin. Hayter had just played the role of a verger in Annakin’s last production, Trio (1950) based on three stories by Somerset Maugham. During the early days of filming in March 1951, Annakin began screen testing...

Jumat, 14 September 2007

Senin, 10 September 2007

Richard Todd Meets Maid Marian

It's spring and the year is 1950 in Hollywood, at the Golden Globe Awards. Olivia de Havilland, Maid Marian from the 1938 version of the legend, The Adventures of Robin Hood, sits alongside Richard Todd a future Robin Hood (in December of this year, Walt Disney would offer him the part of his production of The Story of Robin...

Jumat, 07 September 2007

Senin, 03 September 2007

Domesday Nottingham

Robin Hood is often described as a Saxon, competing against his oppressive Norman overlords in various films and novels. So what was Nottingham, the place most associated with the outlaw like, when the Normans began to rule England after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The best way to find out, is to look in the Domesday Book,...