August 2023

Wrap Shot: The Adventures of Robin Hood

Shot in three-strip Technicolor, no expense was spared during the extravagant production of the 1938 action yarn The Adventures of Robin Hood, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley and photographed by ASC members Tony Gaudio and Sol Polito. Budgeted at $2 million ($42 million today), it was the most expensive film Warner Bros. had made up to that time, and also one of the studio’s first color features. Both cinematographers were immigrants from Italy. The June 1938 edition of American Cinematographer featured a striking portrait of Robin Hood stars Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. Inside, on the table of contents, is noted: On the front cover this month is a scene from a great story of the outdoors, a story of Robin...more