A Challenge for Robin Hood

1967 1h 32m EN

😐

6.3

MID

⭐

5.7

IMDB

★6.3TMDB · 22★5.7IMDB · 695

Adventure

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

After being falsely accused of murder, Sir Robin of Loxley takes refuge in the untamed wilderness of Sherwood Forest where he stumbles across a group of outlaws. Although initially suspicious of the aristocrat's motives, the men are soon won over by his integrity and prowess and Robin transforms them into a formidable fighting force, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. As word of his fame and valour spreads, a legend is born.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Cast

Barrie Ingham
Robin de Courtenay, alias Robin Hood
Peter Blythe
Sir Roger de Courtenay
Gay Hamilton
Lady Marian Fitzwarren
John Arnatt
Sheriff of Nottingham
John Gugolka
Stephen Fitzwarren, the boy
James Hayter
Friar Tuck
Eric Flynn
Alan-a-Dale
Reg Lye
Much

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: C.M. Pennington-Richards
Writers: Peter Bryan
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

59 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Robin Hood (Hammer) Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by C.M. Pennington-Richards, shot by Arthur Grant. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Gary Hughes. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Chris Barnes shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Barrie Ingham and Peter Blythe and Gay Hamilton carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0062787 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 22 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

C.M. Pennington-Richards directs. Arthur Grant behind the camera. Gary Hughes scores. Chris Barnes cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

159 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Part of the "Robin Hood (Hammer) Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Directed by C.M. Pennington-Richards, shot by Arthur Grant. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Gary Hughes. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Chris Barnes shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Barrie Ingham and Peter Blythe and Gay Hamilton carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0062787 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 22 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Arthur Grant
Original score: Gary Hughes
Editing: Chris Barnes
Makeup / hair: Bill Griffiths
Runtime: 92 min · 1h 32m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: A Challenge for Robin Hood (1967)
IMDB rating: 5.7/10 · 695 votes
MPAA: G

Part of

Robin Hood (Hammer) Collection

Hammer Films featuring Robin Hood and his Merrie Men.

Also by

C.M. Pennington-Richards

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2014-05-05
★ 7/10
Alas poor Fitzwarren, I knew him well. A Challenge for Robin Hood is directed by C.M. Pennington-Richards and written by Peter Bryan. It stars Barrie Ingham, Peter Blythe, James Hayter, John Arnatt, Gay Hamilton, John Gugolka, Eric Flynn, Leon Greene and Douglas Mitchell. Music is by Gary Hughes and cinematography by Arthur Grant. A Seven Arts-Hammer production in De Luxe Color, this is another variant on the Robin Hood legend. Very much operating from the Norman and the Saxon feud, pic has all the requisite swashbuckling shenanigans to entertain the family. It's very colourful, both in camera lensing and costuming, robust with the action scenes, and thrives on the good olde goodies versus baddies nature of the origin story. The Masked Monk! It's all very fanciful of course, with derring-do and machismo the order of the day, which unfortunately renders the Maid Marian (Hamilton) character as being an outsider looking in. Yet the camaraderie of the merry men, the earning of trusts and surrogate kinship's, ensures there's nary a dull moment in the tale. The pies have it. Whilst the choreography is not high end, the standard of the buckling of the swashes is better than average, while there is some fun sequences that can't fail to raise a smile. Pennington-Richards and his team have managed to not let the modest budget bog the picture down; modern day car glimpsed in the background of one shot not withstanding! Mr. Kipling makes exceedingly good cakes. The cast is made up of mostly unknowns, but that is absolutely fine as the likes of Ingham and Blythe are attacking their roles with such relish, with a glint in their eyes, it's hard not to just buy into the frothy fun of it all. The standout is Hayter as Friar Tuck, the voice of a major cake advertising campaign in Britain, he steals every scene he is in here and he actually on his own makes this well worth watching. There are far better Robin Hood movies out there, for sure this one feels at times like it's clinging on to the swashbuckling coat tails that had long since gone as the 70s approached. Yet sometimes all you need from this type of film to entertain is guts and frivolity, and this has it in spades. 7/10

Production companies

Who made it

Seven Arts Productions
US
Hammer Film Productions
GB

Key crew

ProducerClifford Parkes
Executive ProducerMichael Carreras
EditorChris Barnes
CastingIrene Lamb
Art DirectionMaurice Carter
HairstylistBill Griffiths
Makeup ArtistMichael Morris
Production ManagerBryan Coates

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

robin hood
sherwood forest
swashbuckler

Release history · US

When it landed

Theatrical1968-08-01