Film

Sword of Sherwood Forest

Name: Sword of Sherwood Forest
Genre: Adventure, History
Released: 1960
Cast: Richard Greene, Peter Cushing, Niall MacGinnis, Richard Pasco, Jack Gwillim

Swashbuckler

A 1960 Technicolor adventure that treats Robin Hood as a political operative rather than a folk hero. Richard Greene swashbuckles through a genuinely plotted intrigue, with Peter Cushing's Sheriff providing real menace. It's bright, briskly paced, and takes its stakes seriously—a film that respects both the action and the reasons for it.

TMDb rating

3.1

If you liked this

The Adventures of Robin Hood1938

Errol Flynn's definitive Robin, shot in blazing Technicolor, with archery and swordplay that set the template for everything after. Pure joy from frame one, and the film knows exactly what it is.

But Nearly ninety minutes of unironic swashbuckling can feel light if you want moral complexity or character depth. It's spectacle first, always.

Ivanhoe1952

Robert Taylor in another medieval adventure, this one with genuine historical texture and a more shadowed tone. Joan Fontaine adds real weight, and the tournament sequences genuinely thrill.

But Slower burn than Sherwood Forest, and some of the romantic plotting feels obligatory. The pacing can drag in the middle hour.

The Black Rose1950

Tyrone Power in medieval adventure with actual stakes and intrigue. It's serious about its politics and its action, with locations and a scope that elevates it beyond formula.

But The romance subplot competes with the plot for time. Worse, it sometimes wins, which slows momentum in the second act.

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Something you would not have found on your own.

A Challenge for Robin Hood1967

Both are British Technicolor adventures made a decade apart, tracking how the Robin Hood myth bent toward different eras. Where Sherwood Forest plays it earnest, Challenge is theatrical and strange—same legend, opposite registers.

Hammer Films' final Robin Hood film, years after Sherwood Forest, with Barrie Ingham as a Robin reinvented as a trickster and gambler. It's vibrant, weird, and genuinely funny—Robin as con man rather than warrior.

But Campy and arch in ways that date it badly. If you want heroism played straight, this will feel like mockery rather than fun.

The Mask of Zorro1998

Antonio Banderas channels the same energy—masked hero, political stakes, a Sheriff worth the name as villain. It's elegant, funny, and proves the template still works when treated with affection.

But A very different era of filmmaking means different pacing. It's slicker and sleeker, which some find more distant.

Captain Blood1935

Errol Flynn again, but this time wronged and vengeful, with a plot that actually turns on betrayal and strategy. It's the template for the noble outlaw done right.

But Pre-dating Technicolor means it's in black and white. That's not a flaw, but the visual glamour of the '60s film won't be here.

The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men1952

Disney's live-action take, shot in Technicolor with a real sense of fun and adventure. Richard Todd is excellent, and the film finds humor without winking at the camera.

But Gentler and more family-minded than Sherwood Forest. If you want edge or danger, this will feel slight.

The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men poster

Scaramouche1952

Stewart Granger in a French Revolution adventure with intricate plotting, witty dialogue, and some of cinema's best swordplay. It's intelligent swashbuckling.

But More concerned with wit and character than action momentum. Some will find it talky; others will call that strength.

The Mark of Zorro1940

Tyrone Power in the role that defined masked heroes for generations. It's economical, elegant, and proves that constraint breeds creativity.

But Very much a product of 1940 pacing and style. Shorter and simpler than modern audiences might expect, which can read as thin.

The Men of Sherwood Forest1954

A British B-picture with genuine charm and commitment to its medieval world. Cast and crew clearly loved making it, and that shows in every frame.

But Lower budget means lower production value. Some will find it endearing; others will find it just low. Fair either way.

The Deceivers1988

Both films structure adventure around disguise and infiltration, with heroes working from within enemy territory. But where Sherwood Forest is myth cleanly told, The Deceivers is history messily lived—adventure as moral quicksand rather than moral clarity.

Pierce Brosnan in a colonialist adventure about British officers infiltrating a cult of assassins in 1830s India. It has Sherwood Forest's political intrigue and swordplay, but set in real history with moral ambiguity that cuts deep.

But The colonialist perspective is uncomfortable and unexamined. Beautiful filmmaking applied to a morally murky enterprise—the film doesn't always know which side it's on.