Here are some films—new and old—where unexacting outlaws rise up against the oppression, just like the sly fox Robin Hood.
Read MoreDesperate Times, Desperate Measures: Robin Hood-like Rebellions in Film
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The Adventures of Robin Hood
Olivia de Havilland: “Difficult Work, Well Done”
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De Havilland was a courageous, independent woman. She demanded roles that appealed to her and she vigorously fought the old studio system; at the time, actors were effectively made into indentured servants by the studios who had them under contract and they had to appear in the films that the studios told them to. In 1943, de Havilland sued Warner Brothers and won a significant legal victory over them that resulted in greater freedom for all artists, not just for herself or other actors.
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Errol Flynn: From Sword Fights to War Combat
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With a winning smile and dashing good looks, Errol Flynn’s film characters always save the day. Though he’s most famous for his role of Robin Hood of Sherwood, Flynn played a variety of debonair heroes in multiple types of settings. Flynn played many swashbuckling leading men in costume dramas. However, he also often found himself in World War II dramas and even Westerns!
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The Many Faces of Basil Rathbone
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When actor Basil Rathbone is mentioned, what do you think of? Is it Rathbone with a deerstalker hat and pipe, in costume as Sherlock Holmes? Or perhaps him in a sword fight with the hero of a film? Born June 13, 1892, Rathbone started as a Shakespearean actor on the stage and entered films in 1921. He started to grow in fame on the screen in the 1930s. Basil Rathbone could seemingly perform in any role. He often played a villain, which was aided by authentic swordsmanship that helped him during a screen sword fight. But Rathbone could also play the hero or love interest.
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5 Movies of the 1930s During The Great Depression
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To say the 1930s was a devastating decade is an understatement. The Great Depression is known as the worst economic downturns of the industrialized world, starting with a stock market crash in October 1929 that obliterated the accounts of millions of investors and created panic worldwide. It’s amazing that the entertainment industry thrived during that period.
Hollywood helped people from completely falling apart. Movies generated optimism and a sense of hope. Big bands and swing music were popular. Many of the films showcased bandleaders, such as Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Glenn Miller. I enjoyed compiling a list of movies of the 1930s during the Great Depression.
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