> The first literary mention of Robin Hood dates to the allegorical poem of the late 1300s, Piers Plowman, although variations on the name appear as early as the 13th century in several judges' rolls. In fact, the name Robin Hood has become a generic term for a fugitive, one who often dwells with a band of thieves in a forest..
> Over the centuries, Robin Hood legends, stories, and ballads evolved to suit the changing political and social conditions of various eras. As a result, the hero eventually became a freedom fighter of noble birth, acquiring his band of Merry Men, his romantic attachment to Maid Marian, and his loyalty to the absent King Richard the Lionhearted along the way. The Warners scenario also borrowed from references to the character in Sir Walter Scott's 1819 novel Ivanhoe, and was doubtless influenced by earlier film versions, particularly the phenomenally successful 1922 release starring Douglas Fairbanks.
> The Robin Hood legend has received countless film treatments on both the big and the small screens, from the earliest days of silents to Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), an ill-conceived version starring Kevin Costner. A 1952 British release featured Richard Todd as Robin and future Oscar-winner Peter Finch as the Sheriff of Nottingham. Richard Greene played Robin Hood in a popular British-made TV series (which was aired in the U.S.) from 1955 to 1960. The Robin Hood story has also been animated for both film and television a number of times, most notably the 1973 Disney version in which the characters appear as animals, with Robin Hood (voiced by Brian Bedford) as a fox.
