Retro Robin - Famous Hoods in TV & film

Robin Hood (1922)

Robin made his first screen appearance in a silent film of 1908, but practically nobody's seen that so we'll begin with the 1922 epic featuring Douglas Fairbanks as a brave, flamboyant but undeniably podgy prince of thieves. Waist size aside, he proved an admirable outlaw and it's really because of Fairbanks that Robin's been a film and TV staple ever since. Which is pretty impressive, given his initial reluctance to play a "flat-footed Englishman walking through the woods."

Robin Rating: 9/10. The first film to really capture the spirit of Robin Hood.

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Fairbanks was the screen Robin until 1938, when Errol Flynn rudely stole his feathered hat. Flynn based his portrayal on his predecessor's, but he had technology on his side. While Fairbanks battled in black and white, Flynn romped along in full colour – all the better to show off his natty green tights. Couple that with an amazing climactic duel (possibly the most famous swordfight in film history) and you have the quintessential Robin Hood film that inspired and influenced all that came after.

Robin Rating: 10/10. In a word: definitive. Errol Flynn did for Robin Hood what Bela Lugosi did for Dracula.

Robin Hood (1953)

It's fitting that Sam Troughton is an outlaw in the latest Robin Hood TV series, as his grandfather Patrick Troughton was actually the first man to portray Robin on the small screen. Unfortunately, this BBC series wasn't actually very good. Lasting just six episodes, it was a cheap and rickety production and Patrick himself – while he'd go on to play a spiffing Doctor Who – was no Errol Flynn in the swashbuckling stakes.

Robin Rating: 4/10. As creaky as a medieval door, but it was TV's first stab at Robin Hood, so we can forgive it. Sort of.

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955)

It may have come just two years after the Troughton series, but this telly take on Robin Hood was a very different quiver of arrows. Despite also being a British production, it was made to sell to the American market and therefore didn't look completely rubbish. Richard Greene was almost as dashing as Errol Flynn, and then there was the theme tune, which has been parodied ever since: "Robin Hood, Robin Hood, riding through the glen... Robin Hood, Robin Hood, with his band of men..."

Robin Rating: 7/10. Derivative of the Flynn and Fairbanks films, but a thigh-slapping, rip-roaring series nevertheless.

Disney's Robin Hood (1973)

The first Disney film to be made after Walt departed for the big theme park in the sky, Robin Hood is still sublime viewing today, mainly because the animal versions of the regular characters are all dead on. Robin is a dashing fox, Little John a big cuddly bear, and – best of all – we have Prince John in the guise of a prissy, buffoonish lion voiced by the great Peter Ustinov. Who needs CGI, eh?

Robin Rating: 7/10. A merry and surprisingly faithful adaptation of the Hood legend.

Robin and Marian (1976)

Tired of cocky young Robins gallivanting around? Then make time for this unique, revisionist take on the story starring Sean Connery as an aging Robin Hood barely able to remember his days as a daring young outlaw but willing to fight the good fight one last time. It's a story of nostalgia, regret and lost dreams, with Audrey Hepburn putting in a star turn as a middle-aged Marian. And you get Ronnie Barker playing Friar Tuck, which is incredibly cool.

Robin Rating: 8/10. Not exactly a swashbuckler, but a refreshingly different take on a time-honoured tale.

Robin Of Sherwood (1984)

And so we come to the 1980s, and Robin of Sherwood. Those who've never seen it may be put off by screenshots showing a buff, long-haired, Mills-and-Boonish Robin striking manly poses, but don't be fooled: this series was the real deal – so gritty that it had Ray Winstone as an unhinged Will Scarlett. Emotional and gripping, the show was a success until Michael Praed got tired of playing Robin and was replaced by Jason "son of Sean" Connery. The trouble was, audiences were a bit affronted by this new guy with his fluorescent blond hair and questionable acting ability, and the show was axed soon after.

Robin Rating: 9/10. An earthy, complex and influential reinvention of Robin.

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

In 1991 it was revealed that Robin Hood actually had an American accent. Audiences didn't seem to mind, though, flocking in their gazillions to see Kevin Costner swing from treetops, fire flaming arrows and get acted off the screen by Alan Rickman (in a performance that would make Dick Dastardly blush). Inspired by Robin of Sherwood but with the emphasis on thrills and spills, Prince of Thieves was impossible to dislike. Apart from the Bryan Adams theme song, of course.

Robin Rating: 8/10. A pure swashbuckler with Alan Rickman as the greatest Sheriff of them all.

Robin Hood (1991)

Costner's Robin Hood was such a hit that it made almost everyone not notice the other Robin Hood film released that same year – the one starring Patrick Bergin as Robin and Uma Thurman as Marian. Lacking popcorny thrills or hammy villains (there's no Sheriff in sight), the film was way too subtle to survive combat with the panto-like Prince of Thieves. See it if you can – preferably while stroking your chin and droning on about how much more grown-up it is than the Costner film.

Robin Rating: 7/10. A worthy, mature but ever so slightly dull alternative to Costner and Co.

Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Sure, most of the gags make the Carry On films look like Shakespeare comedies (the villain is cleverly called the Sheriff of Rottingham), but as spoofs go, Men in Tights does exactly what it says on the tin. Cary Elwes is in full Errol Flynn mode, searching for the keys to Marian's heart (and her chastity belt), while director Mel Brooks adds rappers, outrageous double entendres and jokes about Kevin Costner's accent. Good viewing, especially with a tankard of ale in hand.

Robin Rating: 11/10. A rating as cheaply ironic as the film itself.