History Film / TheAdventuresOfRobinHood

* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Richard is [[IncrediblyLamePun lionized]], as usual. The real character of Richard has now come under [[BrokenBase controversy]], to say the least.

* TheCameo: Howard Hill, the archer who fired all the arrows in the film, plays the man in the archery contest who scores a bullseye only to have Robin split his arrow (of course, he really fired that shot too).

** On the subject of going on Crusade, Richard states that he "never should have left England". Due to the court of what we now call the "Angevin Empire" being held in either Angers or Chinon in ''France'', even if his reign had not been consisted of mostly military activity he would not have spent the majority of it in England.

* AscendedExtra: Guy of Gisbourne.

* {{Expy}}: In ''The Mark of Zorro'', made two years after this film, Eugene Pallette would play another [[ChurchMilitant militant churchman]], Fray Felipe, a character obviously based on Friar Tuck. Moreover, Marian's lady-in-waiting, Bess (Una O'Connor) who has "had the bans up five times," is clearly modeled on the Wife of Bath in Geoffrey Chaucer's ''[[Literature/TheCanterburyTales Canterbury Tales]]''.

* NotableOriginalMusic: Korngold's lush romantic score, dubbed "Robin Hood in the Vienna Woods" by one wag. Notable for its use of {{Leitmotif}}.

* MenOfSherwood: Robin's men not only competently carry out the attack on Sir Guy's treasure caravan, but they also execute Robin's rescue from hanging even without his leadership. Take a bow, {{Trope Namer}}s!

Dame Olivia de Havilland is the last living cast member, at the age of 104.

Dame Olivia de Havilland is the last living cast member, at the age of 103.

* {{Fanfare}}: Korngold composed several for this film, notably one on solo trumpet for Robin (reused in his symphonic piece, ''Sursum Corda'') and a recurring one for the Normans.

Dame Olivia de Havilland is the last living cast member, at the age of 102.

* LogoJoke: one of the earliest. The WB logo appears as a coat of arms, seen [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__FwfC3zoHE here]].

** On the subject of going on Crusade, Richard states that he "never should have left" England." Due to the court of what we now call the "Angevin Empire" being held in either Angers or Chinon even if his reign had not been consisted of mostly military activity he would not have spent the majority of it in England.

* MenOfSherwood: Robin's men not only competently carry out the attack on Sir Guy's treasure caravan, but they also execute Robin's rescue from hanging even without his leadership. (The TropeNamer)

Music/ErichWolfgangKorngold was initially reluctant to be associated with the "90% action picture"; however, the Warners were insistent, offering extremely generous payment for his services, and he at last agreed, leaving his native Austria just in time to escape its annexation by ThoseWackyNazis in March 1938. The Jewish Korngold was later [[DeadpanSnarker accustomed to say]], "Robin Hood saved my life." It is said that Warners provided a [[ShownTheirWork voluminous report on 12th century music]] to the composer, which he promptly dumped into the wastebasket (''but see'' RegionalRiff, ''below''); in the event, Korngold's lush Late Romantic score, characterized by [[Music/RichardWagner Wagnerian]] themes and [[{{Leitmotif}} Leitmotiifs]], not only won the UsefulNotes/AcademyAward, but set a pattern for Film Music that has lasted down to the days of Muisc/JohnWilliams and Music/HansZimmer.

-->'''Marian''': Yes, I am, bitterly, but it's the shame that I'm a Norman, after seeing the things my fellow countrymen have done to England. At first, I wouldn't believe. Because I was a Norman, I wouldn't let myself believe that the horrors you inflicted on the Saxons were just and right. I know now why you tried so hard to kill this outlaw whom you despise. It's because he was the one man in England who protected the helpless against a lot of beasts who were drunk on human blood. And now you intend to murder your own brother.

* KingIncognito: Richard first appears in the film as a traveling pilgrim, then as a wandering abbot, ''then'' as one of the Bishop's black canons. Mostly it's to avoid John's men, but he keeps up with the act when he runs into the men of Sherwood and hears Robin's opinion of a king who goes off fighting foreign wars and leaves his own people undefended.

* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Richard is [[IncrediblyLamePun lionized]], as usual. It's now widely known that Richard was as much a bastard as the other Plantagenets. Rather than being TheGoodKing, he himself strapped his subjects to fund his crusading and while he was still lord of the Aquitaine, had to spend much of his time putting down uprisings against his own brutal rule.

* HeroicDimples: Robin Hood is as heroic as you can get, with Errol Flynn's dimples to match.

** On the subject of going on Crusade, Richard states that he "never should have left" England." Due to the court of what we now call the "Angevin Empire" being held in either Angers or Chinon even if his reign had been consisted of mostly military activity he would not have spent the majority of it in England.

* FiveBadBand:
** BigBad: Prince John, who is responsible for the tyrannical actions taking place in England.
** TheDragon: Sir Guy of Gisbourne, Prince John's right hand.
** EvilGenius: The Bishop of the Black Canons, who runs the CorruptChurch.
** TheBrute: Dickon Malbate, a hulking, disgraced former knight hired by John to kill King Richard.
** DarkChick: The Sheriff of Nottingham, who is normally a central antagonist in Robin Hood stories, but is DemotedToExtra and the role of CowardlySidekick. However, he proves to be a NotSoHarmlessVillain.

'''Norman Soldier:''' [[EvenEvilHasStandards He'll die if we lash again, my lord.]]

* VitrolicBestBuds: Little John and Friar Tuck size each other up multiple times yet also work greatly as a team when besting Prince John's army.