«Robin Hood» (1912) is the second cinema adaptation of the legend ever made, after Percy Stow’s 1908 feature «Robin Hood and His Merry Men», now lost. Directed by Étienne Arnaud and Herbert Blaché, and produced by Éclair Studios at the legendary Fort Lee, New Jersey, the 1912 entry features Robert Frazer as Robin Hood, Barbara Tennant as Maid Marian, Alec B. Francis as the Sheriff of Nottingham, and Lamar Johnstone as Guy of Gisbourne. This print uses as it’s score excerpts from Reginald de Koven’s 1890 operetta «Robin Hood», which may be familiar to some who have seen the 1922 Douglas Fairbanks Robin Hood online, which also uses this score on many digital copies.
As far as I know (from bitter experience!) the 1912 film is not available online, and so it is uploaded here in honour of this historic portrayal of the legend of Robin Hood on the big screen. Hopefully this will help Robin Hood fans, cinemagoers and historians alike in the future! (This should be out of copyright, being made before 1926). Ownership or any rights to this print is in no way claimed by this channel. Enjoy!
