Saw tonight on TCM a terrific segment on the sound recording of Howard Hill’s extraordinary splitting of the arrow in Errol’s Adventures of Robin Hood, followed by a notice that the film will be televised at 8pm this Sunday as part of TCM’s Academy Award Month special programming.
Here are some fascinating facts regarding Errol’s Technicolor masterpiece, the movie said to have saved Erich Corngold’s life:
— Tim
The Fascinating Facts About Errol’s Adventures of Robin Hood:
bit.ly/1fBBidS…
And Erich Korngold’s “Triumphant”, Life Saving Score:
www.youtube.com…
For those searching for extreme detail!
www.korngold-society.org…
Was the sound recording segment shot at a movie theatre? I was there the night they recreated the sound live. Rudy Behlmer was there in the audience and I was able to thank him for introducing me to Flynn with his book “The Films of Errol Flynn”. They also had a matte painting from the film, which blew my mind. I wrote Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. around 1993 and asked him about this film. He responded that he was actually offered the role and turned it down, not wanting to be accused of “aping” his father. I related this to Mr. Behlmer, who refused to believe it. Personally, I think Fairbanks would have been terrific. But no one could come close to Flynn. If ever he was going to be nominated for an Oscar, it should have been for this. It was the role he was born to play.
I’m not sure about where it was filmed, zacal, but I believe it was Star Wars sound designer Ben Burtt who discussed the science, and art, of the arrow sound, which was quite spectacular – a sound he credited to Howard Hill’s uniquely made arrows, most particularly the feathers.
Born to play it indeed! … And Custer, too! … And Jim Corbett! .. And Don Juan! … And Sir Francis Drake, I mean Sir Geoffrey Thorpe!