Review of "Adventures of Robin Hood: Food For Thought," starring Richard Greene

 Review of

Adventures of Robin Hood: Food For Thought, starring Richard Greene

Four out of five stars

 Exciting and realistic adventure for the late fifties

 The legend of Robin Hood is one of the best tales of Medieval life. At a time where the common people were often taxed into poverty and literal death by their rulers, the heroic character of Robin Hood was developed. He and his band were known for robbing from the rich to give to the poor and the first known reference dates from 1370. However, given what he is known for, it is possible that the legend is even older.

 This story is an episode from the British television series that ran from 1955 to 1959. In this one the plot is a standard one, Count Oliver has levied yet another tax, one that will take all the food from the people of Upper Minton. Faced with certain starvation, they turn to Robin Hood and his band to take back their food and prevent the Count’s soldiers from engaging in retribution.

 There is a comedic element to this story, for it is based on the arrival of a very eccentric French chef. His purpose is to create a gourmet meal for Count Oliver and his fellow nobles that he is desperate to impress. When the chef proves to be even more eccentric than thought, Count Oliver is unwilling to intervene for fear of losing face with his fellow nobles. This gives Robin the opportunity to recover nearly all of the food with no danger to the villagers.

 Many of the television action shows of the 1950’s were stiff with a touch of the absurd regarding how the action was depicted. They were cheaply and rapidly made. That is not the case here, the action is plausible. However, it helps to have some knowledge of history in order to understand some of the references.