Rogues of Sherwood Forest is a 1950 Technicolor adventure film from Columbia Pictures, directed by Gordon Douglas, and starring John Derek as Robin, the Earl of Huntingdon, the son of Robin Hood, Diana Lynn as Lady Marianne, and Alan Hale, Sr. in his third Robin Hood film role as Little John during a 28-year period.
When King John imposes oppressive taxes and cruel treatment upon the local population in medieval England, the son of legendary bandit Robin Hood reforms his father's "Merry Men" to once more rise against the king.
Tropes:
- Arranged Marriage: King John promises his ward Lady Marianne in marriage to the Count of Flanders in order to secure access to Flanders' army.
- Arrowgram: Robin's sends Marianne a message telling her to pretend to obey the king's will but insist on being married to Flanders at St. Dunstan's Abbey by tying it to an arrow and firing it through the window of her bedchamber and into her door.
- Arrows on Fire: Little John fires a flaming arrow through the night sky to summon the old Merry Men back to robin's side.
- Artistic License – History: The are multiple references to King Richard's 'democratic rule'. The reign of Richard the Lionheart may have been many things, but democratic was not one of them.
- Been There, Shaped History: Robin Hood's son is responsible for the Baron's bringing King John to Runnymeade forcing him to sign the Magna Carta.
- The Guards Must Be Crazy: Full marks to King John's gaolers who, on hearing a strange noise from the cell of Robin hood and Little John go to investigate with both of them entering the cell and leaving the cell door open behind them.
- In the Back: King John summons four of the barons to his castle where he has his archers shoot them in the back.
- The Lady's Favour: Before his joust against the Flemish knight, Robin asks for, and receives, the favour of Lady Marianne; the ward of King John. She ties her scarf around his lance.
- Left for Dead: King John summons four of the barons to his castle where he has his archers shoot them in the back. He then has his men dumped in the forest in an attempt to frame Robin Hood for their deaths. However, one of the barons, Fitzwilliam, survives to clear Robin's name and rouse the remaining barons against John.
- Nasty Party: King John invites several of the barons to a banquet. Robin Hood attempts to warn them that it is a trap, but they ignore him. At the banquet, King John has his archers shoot them In the Back and then dumps the bodies outside the castle in an attempt to frame Robin hood for the murders. However, one of the barons, Fitzwilliam, is Not Quite Dead and survives to clear Robin's name and rouse the remaining barons against John.
- Not-So-Fake Prop Weapon: King John's henchmen fix a faulty protective cap to the Flemish Knight's lance, who has challenged Robin, the Earl of Huntingdon, to a joust.
- Put Their Heads Together: When the Merry Men ambush King John's party on the road to St. Dunstan's, Little John notices two soldiers fighting back to back and knocks them out by slamming their heads together.
- Putting the Band Back Together: After escaping from Prince John's dungeon, Robin and Little John decide they cannot fight all of King's John's men alone, so set off to reassemble the old Merry Men.
- Roguish Poacher: Will Scarlet. When Robin and Little John are Putting the Band Back Together, they find Will locked up in a pillory in a town square with the words 'THIS MAN IS A POACHER' carved into the pillory.
- Stock Punishment: When Robin and Little John are Putting the Band Back Together, they find Will Scarlet locked up in a pillory in a town square with the words 'THIS MAN IS A POACHER' carved into the pillory.
- Throwing Your Sword Always Works: During the fight in Nottingham square, robin sees one of King john's men about to stab Little John from behind. He throws his sword like a javelin from a balcony over Little John's shoulder and spears the soldier through the chest.
- The Tourney: King John's henchmen fix a faulty protective cap to the Flemish Knight's lance, who has challenged Robin, the Earl of Huntingdon, to a joust.
- *Twang* Hello: There is a montage of shots of King John's men oppressing the peasantry only for the leader to suddenly keel over with an arrow in his chest. Additionally, when Will Scarlet is locked up in the pillory, an arrow flies into the pillory from off-screen, heralding Robin's arrival.
- The X of Y
