There are so many famous portrayals of English folk hero, Robin Hood. Douglas Fairbanks, Richard Greene, Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Cary Elwes (who could actually speak with an English accent, unlike some other Robin Hoods), Frank Sinatra (sorta), and John Cleese (briefly in the best part of Time Bandits) have all donned the name (well, “Robbo” for Ol’ Blue Eyes), but the quintessential Robin Hood will always be Errol Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood. Sorry, Robin Hood purists. I know he wasn’t British, but some people just embody a character so well, it’s definitive. Quiet honestly, the 1938 film had a stacked cast. Olivia de Havilland as Maid Marian, Claude Rains (one of the most underappreciated actors ever) as Prince John, Basil Rathbone as Guy of Gisbourne, Eugene Pallette as Friar Tuck, and Ian Hunter, briefly, as Richard the Lionheart.

The Adventures of Robin Hood is pretty well the blueprint for all future adaptations. Robin Hood doesn’t like seeing his fellow Saxons taxed endlessly, and so opposes Prince John, who has seized the throne while his brother, Richard, is gone. Robin openly defies Prince John at a banquet, but escapes before he can be captured. However, he is immediately labeled an outlaw by John. Robin gathers many merry men to his cause and together they rob the rich to feed the poor, and fight for all that is good. During one of these attempts, Robin meets and is immediately head-over-heels for the lovely Maid Marian, whom he woos. This is used against him by Prince John, who entices Robin to compete in an archery contest – an obvious trap which Robin falls for. Later, Robin and his men show hospitality to a group of travelers, who is later revealed to be King Richard and his men. Together, these two virtuous men lead their followers to Nottingham Castle, where a big final showdown takes place. Even if you haven’t seen the movie, you know how the story ends.

It’s honestly a miracle that some of these old Hollywood films become the classics they are, considering some of the early decision-making of the studios. For instance, Robin Hood was originally going to be played by James Cagney. I can’t imagine what other casting ideas they had in mind. Edward G. Robinson as Friar Tuck? Gloria Grahame as Maid Marian? Humphrey Bogart as Guy? Actually, I would watch that movie. Claude Rains can stay. The original script also included archaic, Ye Olde English dialogue, which, while interesting, would have given the movie a more deadpan atmosphere, like a Shakespeare in the Park-type of feeling. Thankfully, this was also scrapped in favor of more modern language. Forsooth!

The swashbuckling adventure is enough to watch this movie. Sword-fighting adventures rarely miss. In fact, my theory is that this is the reason why more recent Robin Hood films don’t do as well. They trade in the fun action and daring dos for gritty origins and low energy, “I’m not like other Robin Hoods” leads. What was the last great action-adventure? Pirates of the Caribbean? Come on, Hollywood. That was over 20 years ago! Kill me. Anyway, if you need more than sword fights to keep you around, give the soundtrack a listen. The Adventures of Robin Hood is up there with The Magnificent Seven and The Mission for its score. It’s a perfect fit for the film.

The swashbuckler (which is just a really fun word to say) is a genre that will come up a few more times on this list, and while I believe they all deserve their spot, none of them would exist if it weren’t for The Adventures of Robin Hood. I’d recommend this film to anyone.

Bonus Review: The Wizard of Oz

I mean, it’s The Wizard of Oz. What can I say? Is there anyone who doesn’t know this movie backwards and forwards? There are so many things from this movie that have become part of pop culture for multiple generations: flying monkeys, “I’m melting! I’m melting!”, ruby slippers, “I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!”, following the yellow brick road, “There’s no place like home.”, the man behind the curtain, the Wicked Witch’s feet curling under the house, “Over the Rainbow”, and “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”, just to name a few. It’s a classic and pairs great with The Adventures of Robin Hood.

What The Wizard of Oz does better than most other movies is make the fantastical seem actual. The land of Oz is believable and vibrant, pulsing with life, which makes it such a shame that MGM couldn’t commit to the fantasy and demanded changing the framing of the story in Oz as a dream sequence. The Wizard of Oz wasn’t even considered for a film until it was proven that fairytales were a viable genre with Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, but I guess that goodwill could only stretch so far. I digress. The Wizard of Oz is still the poster child for the Fantasy genre.

The Wizard of Oz isn’t without it’s…umm…issues? First, there’s the fact that the movie shifted hands multiple times. Three directors: George Cukor (who didn’t get very far because of a commitment to direct Gone with the Wind), Victor Fleming (who did get far, but had to replace Cukor on Gone with the Wind because of major troubles with that one), and King Vidor. 1939 had a real coaching carousel going on. Then, there’s the falling asleep in the field of flowers. The snow that falls in that scene was pure asbestos and likely contributed to his death from cancer. And then, of course, probably most egregiously, is the abuse Judy Garland suffered at the hands of the studio just to change her appearance for the sake of the money. None of these detract from what makes The Wizard of Oz great, but I think it’s worth bringing up. I hope I didn’t ruin the movie for anybody.

For the record, it was really difficult to not put The Wizard of Oz in the official Top 100. Sorry, mom.