Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Apr 05 - 12:31 PM

Thank you Dave for the words to the Robin Hood theme! For days I have been humming the tune and trying in vain to remember all if not most of the words. I remember watching the show back in the fifties and thinking Richard Greene was just wonderful.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 06 Apr 05 - 12:09 AM

When I was taking piano lessons in the 60's, I had some sheet music called, I believe, "Robin Hood and His Merry Men". As best I can recall, which is usually none too good, the lyrics went like this:

Robin Hood and his Merry Men
They all are gone to the woods you know
Dah, dah, dah...
Oh, well, I thought I knew them...

Then Robin put his horn to mouth
And blew full loud so his men could hear
They dah, dah, dah, da-da-dah, dah, dah
And all went hunting for the fleet wild deer.

Any help out there? Not that it matters. It was probably commissioned by John Thompson for the young ivory set.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: GUEST,Brandy69
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 11:17 PM

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: GUEST,stevehd97
Date: 25 Mar 05 - 06:13 PM

I remember going to get a haircut and seeing the large poster of Richard Green in the barber shop. I think it had to do with a hair tonic. A great show.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: open mike
Date: 03 Jan 05 - 08:02 AM

The movie with Errol Flynn and Olivia De Haviland was filmed in Bidwell Park, one of the largest municipal parks in teh country. It is in Chico which is one of the towns nearest to me.
We held a renaissance faire there once as a kind of re-enactment
of the Sherwood Forest scenario.
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Starring: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, Claude Rains, Patric Knowles, Eugene Pallette, Alan Hale, Melville Cooper, Ian Hunter, Una O'Conner, Herbert Mundin, Montagu Love, Leonard Willey, Robert Noble, Kenneth Hunter, Robert Warwick, Colin Kenny, Lester Matthews, Harry Cording, Howard Hill, Ivan F. Simpson
Director: Michael Curtiz, William Keighley

not sure what this has to do with monsters..
http://www.monstersinmotion.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/1_58/products_id/4466

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: ranger1
Date: 02 Jan 05 - 07:28 PM

I used to watch it as re-runs when I was about four (that would have been 1973). It came on either just before or just after Star Trek on whatever local channel carried it in our area.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: GUEST,Hood Fan
Date: 02 Jan 05 - 01:42 PM

or
..riding through the grass
Little John, Little John, shot him in the a**.

Some 50s kids were more "expressive" than others (ahead of their time?). And, I was a good Hood kid.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: fat B****rd
Date: 02 Jan 05 - 11:59 AM

Richard Coleman.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From:
Date: 02 Jan 05 - 10:10 AM

please could you tell me who played the minstel in the richard green versions of robin hood?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: van lingle
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 06:30 AM

It used to run after school in Maryland where I grew up and my chums and I always rushed home to see it. Of course, we altered the theme song to something like this:


Robin Hood, Robin Hood riding through the glen,
Little John, Little John shot him in the end.
Thought he was a deer,
Shot him in the rear.
Robin Hood, Robin Hood.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: Jeanie
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 04:18 AM

I missed this thread back in the summer. Thanks for the memories ! Looking at the cast list on one of the websites mentioned, I was amazed to see who it was who played Will Scarlett (and who I always rather fancied at the age of five): Paul Eddington (later of 'The Good Life', 'Yes Minister' etc.) I would never have known.

- jeanie

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: D_mentias
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 01:30 AM

I can vaguely remember some instrument in this great show. What was it? First thing that came to mind was a lute typr thing but it may have been a small harp. Did the friar play it?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: Cruiser
Date: 27 Nov 04 - 01:42 PM

I purchased a 2 DVD Set of the TV Series 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' at Best Buy several months ago and I think I paid $7.00:

TV Serial Classics
Robin Hood
2-DVD Disc Set: 12 Episodes over 5 hours
Platinum Disc Corporation

All episodes are in Black and White. This was one of my favorites shows and started on TV when I was 6 years old.

On the DVD the first verse of the theme is sung, but no theme at the start of each episode; only Richard Greene drawing back his bow and sending the arrow to the bole of the tree.

Alexander Gauge was a perfect Friar Tuck and I can't imagine anyone else in that role.

Cruiser

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: Cluin
Date: 15 Aug 04 - 08:03 PM

http://www.nonstick.com/sounds/Bugs_Bunny/ltbb_190.wav

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: Cluin
Date: 15 Aug 04 - 07:41 PM

Bugs Bunny?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: PoppaGator
Date: 15 Aug 04 - 07:31 PM

Cluin's message, consisting of the two words "Louie Prima," could stand some elaboration.

Louie, a New Orleanian transplanted to Las Vegas the late 50s or early 60s, recorded another (totally different) Robin Hood song, in a sort of jump-blues tempo. I heard it about two weeks ago on our wonderful local station WWOZ
; sorry, can't recall enough to post any lyrics at all here. The general tone is one of wiseass humor -- nothing as earnest and corny as "still had plenty of time to sing"!

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 15 Aug 04 - 07:45 AM

I played the Robin Hood song for my 18 month old grandaughter yesterday, and within seconds a huge grin appeared on her face and she was joyfully dancing around the room.
It seems to be one of those rare songs which everybody loves, whether they're hearing it for the first or the thousandth time.

Dave Roberts
Salt Town poets

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: GUEST,joe
Date: 15 Aug 04 - 03:28 AM

amazing!
haven't hit mudcat in months but this R.H. t.v. theme came outta my banjo less than 20 minutes ago. ya there, Rod?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: Shanghaiceltic
Date: 15 Aug 04 - 12:30 AM

I remember the series very well, required veiwing as a 6-8 year old, and as soon as it was over we were out finding some garden canes to make bows and arrows to terrorise the neighbourhood pets. Luckily for us our aim was less good than Robin's. I had a collection of swords too made from two bits of wood, my mum ditched them all one day much to my annoyance.

The theme has always stuck in my head.

I also liked the ITV series 'Robin' which was made much mush later and used a lot of Clannad's music. By then I was in the navy and hunting with bows and arrows was not the done thing in a naval establishment.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: Cluin
Date: 14 Aug 04 - 03:51 PM

Louis Prima?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 14 Aug 04 - 05:46 AM

Well in for a penny, as they say.....

IIRC the show opened with the fanfare and the twangy bow thing and, as Robin's arrow hit the tree the title came spinning into view in approved 1950s TV show fashion.
This was followed by a short burst of minstelry; an authentic sounding ballad which served the purpose of setting up the plot.
The song was only used over the closing titles, and ran thus:

Robin Hood, Robin Hood, riding through the glen,
Robin Hood, Robin Hood, with his band of men,
Feared by the bad, loved by the good, Robin Hood, Robin Hood, Robin Hood.

He called the greatest archers to a tavern on the green,
They vowed to help the people of the king;
They handled all the trouble on the English country scene
And still found plenty of time to sing...

Robin Hood, Robin Hood....etc

He came to Sherwood Forest with a feather in his cap,
A fighter never looking for a fight,
His bow was always ready, and he kept his arrows sharp,
He used them fighting for what was right.

Robin Hood, Robin Hood....etc.

With Friar Tuck and Little John (they had a roguish look)
They did the deeds that others wouldn't dare;
Recaptured all the money that the evil Sherrif took
And rescued many a lady fair.

Robin Hood, Robin Hood...etc.

My favourite line has to be 'they handled all the trouble on the English country scene, and still found plenty of time to sing'.

Even as a child that used to strike me as an odd way of putting it.

Incidentally the song is credited to 'Sigman' and has a copyright date of 1955.

And now, my work here is at an end...


Dave Roberts
Salt Town Poets

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Aug 04 - 04:39 AM

Great show that I loved to watch, as a re-run, in the UK. Theme tunes/titles seem to get changed for marketing reasons. The British show "Danger Man" had a great harpsichord intro which gave way to Johnny River's "Secret Agent Man" when the show appeared in the States ... although you can get a few strains of harpsichord in the the opening scene ...

Cheers,

Brian

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: fat B****rd
Date: 14 Aug 04 - 04:24 AM

Elton Hayes sang Whistle My Love in the film The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie men in about 1952. Richard Todd played our hero and my Mum took me to see it.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: The Shambles
Date: 14 Aug 04 - 04:05 AM

By the way, those here may also be interested in the current thread called.
The Daleks Are Back

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: The Shambles
Date: 14 Aug 04 - 03:47 AM

I can't remember many of the episodes. Mainly as mentioned, most of them involve slipping out od the back door of the Blue Boar (bore). One however does stay in my mind as it was actually quite spooky, well for a young sensitive chap like me anyway.

There was a spirit or ghost in a tower or castle, that was wielding an axe and swishing it over our Robin's head. That is about all I remember, does anyone else remember this one?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 13 Aug 04 - 09:38 PM

Apologies if this has been mentioned before, but the most authentic sounding version of the Robin Hood theme is the one by Gary Miller. The recording I have even has the fanfare and twangy bow sound which started each episode of the TV series.
Of course one's mind is apt to play tricks over the years but I'd swear that this is the actual theme used on the TV show all those years ago. It's on a 'TV Classics' cd released in Britain by Castle Communications in 1993.
I know that the Dick James version (He sang it as 'Roarbin Hoood, Roorbin Hoood' etc)wasn't used on the series as I had that on 78 and it started off with some stupid sounding kids shouting 'Hooray! Here comes Robin Hood!'- something which definitely wasn't on the TV show.
I have particularly vivid memories of Robin Hood, as it was the first show I ever saw on ITV way back in the fifties. Our household was too poor to afford the 'independent' network and could only receive BBC television. I made a point of going down the road to my rich Auntie's house in order to watch 'The Adventures of Robin Hood'.
I certainly don't remember any episodes without that brilliant theme.
Incidentally Gary Miller also sang the theme to 'Stingray' as well as its closing song,'Aqua Marina' and also a commercial recording of the Fireball XL5 theme ('I wish I was a spaceman, the fastest guy alive...etc..) Quite likely Mr Miller recorded quite a lot of other well known TV stuff.

Astonishing - I didn't know I knew all this stuff....

Dave Roberts
Salt Town Poets

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 13 Aug 04 - 12:51 PM

Yes John, and I think I could post most of the theme.
Let's see if someone beats me to it.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Aug 04 - 11:53 AM

Some of those DVDs of old movies and shows aren't worth the plastic they're burned onto. We've tried picking up a couple of movies in the bargin bin and had mixed results. The kids like the Abbot and Costello movie Jack and the Beanstock but the DVD version looks worse that the VCR recording I have off of television. One can only assume they took the VCR and digitized it, static and all.

"Lobachevsky" is a good one to dislodge Robin Hood. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: JJ
Date: 13 Aug 04 - 11:34 AM

The ballad opening!

A song has come to Robin's ears
From deep beneath the castle ground
It tells that Richard is alive
And John shall not be crowned...

And why I remember that fifty years on I do not know. In memory the singer sounded something like Ed McCurdy.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: GUEST,John Hindsill
Date: 13 Aug 04 - 09:59 AM

Nerd, no. The company is called "television(sic) Classics" out of Solana Beach, California. They have put out loads of early TV shows and old movies and old cartoons onto DVD. These particular stores sell each disk for less than $1. That's better than rental!

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 13 Aug 04 - 09:27 AM

they should be good. we had all of america's best writers that had been blacklisted

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: Nerd
Date: 13 Aug 04 - 12:53 AM

Hey John,

Is the company "Collector's Choice Video?" I ask because mine have 4 episodes per DVD, but I heard that the whole series was coming out in the UK.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: GUEST,John Hindsill
Date: 12 Aug 04 - 10:27 PM

Last night I read many of these missives. Today at a 99 Cents Only Store (can I plug them?) I found a DVD of the first 3 episodes from the Greene series. The "Robin Hood, Robin Hood" theme song is not on this DVD, but the quality of the disc is passing fair for the under $1 price, but I remember it well. Watching the first episode made me 14 years old again. If memory serves, didn't the same company produce a Roger Moore Ivanhoe?---John

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: Ellenpoly
Date: 12 Aug 04 - 02:18 PM

More specifically:

http://www.whirligig-tv.co.uk/tv/children/robinhood/robinhood.htm

(I'm singing along right now!)

..xx..e

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: Selchie - (RH)
Date: 12 Aug 04 - 03:21 AM

AND:

For anyone who'd like a stroll down 50's Childrens' TV Memory Lane, read about Robin Hood & the many other excellent B & W series try:

http://www.whirligig-tv.co.uk/index.htm

M

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: Selchie - (RH)
Date: 12 Aug 04 - 03:05 AM

Dick James was the music publisher.

Details of his early Beatles involvement & also with Elton John can been see on http://geocities.com/penneylayne/bio.html

M

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: Compton
Date: 11 Aug 04 - 09:29 PM

Yes..wasn't he an early music publisher..Dick James Music??

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: The Shambles
Date: 11 Aug 04 - 05:27 PM

Didn't Dick James go on to have some link with The Beatles?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: Blackcatter
Date: 11 Aug 04 - 04:56 PM

I've never been able to find who sung it. I'll bet it was on the 45 I had as a kid, but it was destroyed in a fire in 1980.

It might have been in the credits to the show, but if they've expunged it from the DVD, I'll bet they changed the credits as well.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: maire-aine
Date: 11 Aug 04 - 04:22 PM

What a delight to find this thread. I loved Richard Greene as Robin Hood. It was my favorite TV show. I bought a couple of VHS episodes a few years ago. Will definitely look for the DVDs. Thanks,

Maryanne

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: Ellenpoly
Date: 11 Aug 04 - 04:08 PM

"And it's National Brotherhood Week..."

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Aug 04 - 04:06 PM

That goddam song is now stuck in my head. During the whole last hour as I mowed the lawn it kept coming to the surface. Gotta find something to listen to to dislodge it. Tom Lehrer ought to work.

SRS

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: Ellenpoly
Date: 11 Aug 04 - 01:32 PM

Funny, I can't remember even one episode, but as soon as I saw the thread name, I began humming the theme song.

Thanks for the blast from the past, folks! (Did I miss it or did someone mention who sang it? Good voice!)

..xx..e

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: Blackcatter
Date: 11 Aug 04 - 12:47 PM

Y'all are welcome.

Not that I know everything about TV themes, but it is my business.

I want to see the DVDs even more now.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: Nerd
Date: 11 Aug 04 - 12:43 PM

Interesting. Thanks, Blackcatter! It's sad that the theme music was taken off the DVD, but the music that IS there is still interesting.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: JennyO
Date: 11 Aug 04 - 12:23 PM

Thanks Blackcatter, you da man!

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: Blackcatter
Date: 11 Aug 04 - 12:18 PM

OK.

Here we go. The theme as listed above is the original these to the show in Britian. It was also used for the show in the U.S., and as far as I know, all other country broadcasts. Also, the theme was used from the first episode on. It was definately written prior to the first airing of the show.

As for the DVD, there are several examples of contractual problems when it comes to modern re-runs and video and DVVD rights to theme songs. It wouldn't surprise me if the owners of the song decided not to let the song be used in the DVD release.

Check out my website.   

Blackcatter's World of TV Theme Lyrics

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: JennyO
Date: 11 Aug 04 - 12:01 PM

We had the theme music here in Oz.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: Pied Piper
Date: 11 Aug 04 - 11:48 AM

"Your money or your lupins"

Subject: RE: Folklore: Robin Hood TV Show
From: Nerd
Date: 11 Aug 04 - 11:47 AM

These episodes have no theme music whatsoever. Each episode begins with just a single "ballad" verse about what is going to happen in the episode. The tune is a version of "Early One Morning." So there are a few possibilities:

Theme music was on UK TV but not US, or vice versa. Or the theme music was added later in the series. Or the theme music was for some reason taken off the DVDs.

I suspect the theme music was added for the US showings of the program, then possibly retained for subsequent showings in Britain. The theme song was by the same guy who had done "Davy Crockett," so it is unlikely to have been in the show as orignally produced in Britain.

Maid Marian in her first episode was not Patricia Driscoll, but Bernadette O'Farrell.