the adventure of robin hood ( 1938 ) represent star errol flynn and claude rain and olivia de havilland and basil rathbone and melville cooper and patrick knowles and eugene palette and alan hale and ian hunter and una oconnor and herbert mundin and montagu love and robert noble and leonard willey and kenneth hunter . director michael curtiz and william keighley . screenplay norman reilly raine and seton i. miller . release in 1938 in the new technicolor of the time and the adventure of robin hood be the one film that not only launch the career of actor errol flynn but that of his co star olivia de havilland as well a director michael curtiz and even elevate warner bros studio to a new level of greatness and simply because this film boast a strong cast and ooze with grand old hollywood spectacle . the popular folk legend of the heroic outlaw robin hood be an old one and date back to the time of the medieval crusade and the reign of king richard the lion hearted . errol flynn bring the familiar character to brilliant life in every detail of his performance while from the physicality of his acting ( he do all his own stunt . ) to the accurate robin hood mannerism and language and accent and even laugh . he be exactly what audiences felt robin hood should be . it even likely he inspire the late disney animate version of robin hood in the 60 and in which the character be animal . the story of robin hood have endure over the year because it at heart a classic tale of heroism . the social outcast robin hood and his band of merry men and despite lack the comfort of home and title and save a then feudal england from the corruption of the sheriff of nottingham and the usurper prince john . while right wrong and robin hood fall for the noblewoman maid marion . can he defeat the evil prince john and restore the rightful king richard to the throne . a notable cast head up the film . rise star olivia de havilland be pretty and elegant and charming and yet very resourceful a maid marian and and her chemistry with robin hood be electrify . she would later become far more than just errol flynn lead lady and win two oscar for strong dramatic performance in the 40 for to each his own and the heiress and her acting career last over 30 year . what we see in her a maid marian be a young olivia de havilland and a new arrival in hollywood . but the rest of the principal be establish star . actor basil rathbone and who play sir guy of gisbourne and have be a silent film star of swashbuckling adventure film . claude rain ( prince john ) be popular at this time and would continue to enthrall audience with great performance over the year and include his memorable film the invisable man and the talkie phantom of the opera . claude rain a prince john be a nasty piece of work and blind by ambition and ruthless in his pursuit of power and hop to rule england in the absence of king richard ( ian hunter ) who be portray a a lost adventurer himself . have fight in the crusade and he come home to an england he hardly recognize and one that do not recognize him . melville cooper portray the corrupt sheriff of nottingham . the merry men of sherwood forest and include patrick knowles a the dashing will scarlett and alan hale a the burly little john and eugene palette a the godly friar tuck be also what audience imagine they would be . when the character be not fight and plot or save the day and there be a considerable amount of humor and especially in such character a bess and portray by una oconnor and who serve a lady in wait to maid marion . this film have two director and michael curtiz and william keighley because during this time in hollywood and the more ambitious and expensive or difficult to produce film normally need extra direction . but it be michael curtiz who garner fame and he would later direct errol flynn in other successful film such a the elizabethan adventure the sea hawk and the pre civil war epic santa fe trail in which flynn be once again pair with olivia de havilland . this film be a winner and a classic slice of old hollywood .