Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960)

Sword of Sherwood Forest is that rare Robin Hood outing that feels brisk and freshly sharpened, less a dusty legend than a lively Saturday matinee brought to vivid life. Terence Fisher keeps the story moving with limber confidence, letting the green of Sherwood and the pageantry of court intrigue provide a handsome canvas for clean, energetic action. Richard Greene makes an appealingly principled Robin, but it’s Peter Cushing’s Sheriff—cool, cunning, and wonderfully watchable—who gives the film its crackling edge. If you want gritty realism or revisionist gloom, look elsewhere; if you want a colorful, fast-paced adventure with real craftsmanship and a classic heroic pulse, this one earns its place in the quiver.

Sword of Sherwood Forest is clearly trying to deliver a sturdier, more “adult” Robin Hood tale, swapping playful swashbuckling for court intrigue and a plot about power, church politics, and assassination. The problem is it often feels oddly joyless and a bit cheap, with pantomime-tinged dialogue, a sprawling storyline that never quite snaps into place, and at least one nasty flogging moment that can sour the adventure mood. If you want a romantic, rousing Robin Hood with sparkle and momentum, this may feel feeble and oddly flat. Still, Peter Cushing brings sharp, watchable menace as the Sheriff, and if you enjoy vintage, low-budget historical adventure with a more serious bent, you might find it serviceable.