One of the most romantic figures in literature has to be the infamous outlaw of Sherwood Forest, Robin Hood. Based on a real outlaw of the 12th century, who did apparently resist unfair laws and practices of the king, the deeds of the legendary figure have undergone many transformations through the centuries. Though they have been solidified through the years–first in ballads such as Robin Hood and the Monk, and in May games and plays during the Middle Ages–Robin hood has always stood as a champion of the weak who “robs from the rich and gives to the poor.”
He has also, especially in recent years, become a dashing, romantic hero–the epitome of goodness, fair play, and chivalry all wrapped up in a sexy package. Check out our changing perceptions of this medieval hunk:
Errol Flynn was the matinée idol of the 1930s, seen here in the 1938 version The Adventures of Robin Hood. 
In the early-sixties, Robin was given a snazzy new persona by Frank Sinatra and the “Rat Pack” in the musical comedy Robin and the 7 Hoods.
In 1991 was the searingly romantic and my all-time favorite version (mixing action, comedy and romance), Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves.
And the most recent film version, Robin Hood, starring Russell Crowe, which I unfortunately have not yet seen. (The trend seems to have headed towards more gritty realism in the costuming at least.)
(I still think Kevin Costner was better looking! But I admit, I’m biased. LOL)
There is a method to my madness in this little history of Robin Hood in film.
Thursday, my good friend Casea Major will be a guest blogger on the Journal talking about her erotic contemporary, One Knight in Brooklyn, which releases Friday, October 7 from Decadent Publishing as part of their 1Night Stand series. It too has a new twist on the romance of the Robin Hood theme.
Check out the Journal Thursday when Casea will be sharing an excerpt and talking about her sexy time-travel adventure, an excellent read in any century! Hope to see you here!
Jenna Jaxon Romance--because passion is timeless. 
this book will go to the top and then and then it greats cover and the story of the book
is very interesting
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I do hope so, Desi! It’s a fantastic read. 🙂
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There are very few movies that I like to watch over and over but I LOVE watching the Prince of Thieves with Kevin Costner. I actually found Alan Rickman, the Sheriff of Nottingham HOT! I have read a few ebooks with Robin Hood-like themes and can’t wait to add One Night in Brooklyn to that list!
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I agree, Alan Rickman was hot in that movie! And the little added bonus of a cameo by my man Sean Connery makes this one of my top 10 fave movies ever! 🙂
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Jenna, I’m with you. I loved Robin Hood, Prince Of Thieves, starring Kevin Costner the best!!! Oh, and the Disney animated remake of Robin Hood. My boys watched that one over and over, and over and over.
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My girls loved it to, Brenda! But somehow I never got to see it! I’ll have to catch it on Netflix I guess. In all my spare time. LOL
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Great Robin article!
http://anilbalan.com/
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While I can’t list the many versions of Robin Hood, I can say that romance is only one aspect of the story. From a political point of view, it’s also very socialist. Makes one wonder about the motivations behind the films, besides scoring big bucks.
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I never thought about it but yes, Patricia you are right. Very strong socialist themes going on with Robin Hood.
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Thanks for that comment, Patricia. Historical research suggests that the original Robin Hood and the tales of his exploits were meant to serve as political gadflies against harsh and unfair laws (such as the Forest Laws, a prohibition against anyone other than the king and nobles hunting in vast tracts of forest that could have fed whole towns and not really have made a dent in the wildlife).
But I doubt that was a motivating factor in the making of these films either. 🙂
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Great post! I love the history behind Robin Hood.
The tales targeted the hated King John if I remember correctly. After the death of his much loved “lion-hearted” brother, he was public enemy #1 with good reason. Lol, I think he was reported to have died of gluttony. Perfect ending to a man that some speculate had his own brother killed while hunting.
Btw, Casea’s story is great! I’ve read it, and anyone who purchases it is in for a treat.
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Jenna – Thanks so much. I can’t wait to share my snippet with you on Thursday! So close to release day. **squee** I love Jonas Armstrong from BBC’s Robin Hood series. H-O-T!
Here is a link to a picture since I can’t post the actual pic. http://www.bbec.ie/blog/?tag=jonas-armstrong
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You are so welcome, Casea! Looking forward to your post tomorrow and the release on Friday!
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Jenna, you didn’t even mention the best of the best Robin Hood movies.
Mel Brooks’- Robin Hood, Men in Tights.
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Great post, Jenna. I’ve enjoyed all these movies. BTW, Robin Hood was also portrayed by Cary Elwes in “Robin Hood: Men in Tights.” In this movie Mel Brooks added his own brand of craziness to the Robin Hood legend.
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Thanks for mentioning Robin Hood: Men in Tights! I was going to put in a blurb on it as well, but time constraints forced me to forego it. But it is a hilarious take on Robin and his “merry men.” There are so many versions of the story–including Disney’s in which Robin is a fox–that I couldn’t fit them all in in the time I had to put up the post. What are some other versions? The BBC’s is well known as Casea states, and Men in Tights. What else did I miss?
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