1 -"So fleet the works of men Back to their earth again Ancient and holy things Fade like a dream"- 2 Stately castles whose turrets pierced the sky have left imperishable record -- 3 Though the storms of centuries have laid waste the works of men their spirit soars on and poets make live again the days of chivalry. 4 Mediaeval England -- England in the Age of Faith. Her chronicles tell of warriors and statesmen, of royal Crusaders, of jousting knights. Her ballads sing of jolly friars, of troubadours, of gallant outlaws who roamed her mighty forests. 5 History -- in its ideal state -- is a compound of legend and chronicle and from out both we offer you an impression of the Middle Ages -- 6 Excitement rises high for the final event in a tournament. 7 From far and near have come all England's knighthood for, on the morrow, they depart on the Holy Crusade. 8 And so the lofty battle- ments of the castle look down upon the chivalry of England in all its glory - 9 Richard of the Lion Heart, England's immortal King -- impulsive, generous and brave -- 10 Prince John, the King's brother -- sinister, dour, his heart inflamed with an unholy desire to suc- ceed to Richard's throne -- 11 High above the clash of lance and shield in joust and tourney, the fairest maiden was chosen to reign for a day as the Queen of Love and Beauty- 12 Lady Marian Fitzwalter, from whose slim white hands would fall the chaplet of valor on the victorious knight -- 13 Sir Guy of Gisbourne, intimate of Prince John and one of the two contenders for the championship -- 14 "Your veil for a favor, fair lady, that you may see it worn in victory." 15 The other contender for the championship -- favorite of King Richard- The Earl of Huntingdon DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS 16 The Earl of Huntingdon's trusted squire -- 17 To gain unfair ad- vantage Gisbourne straps himself to his saddle -- 18 "Brother, I'll gage you this against your prize falcon that Huntingdon wins the day." 19 "On the knight with the white plume!" 20 The marshals inspect the equipment of the contestants -- 21 "They splinter their lances -- ever a good omen for Huntingdon!" 22 "I double mine on Huntingdon!" 23 "Huntingdon hath proved his knightly mettle. We hereby decree that on this Holy Crusade he shall be our second in command." 24 "Go to the fair maid, Marian, and receive the victor's crown." 25 "Exempt me, sire. I am afeared of women." 26 "Another woman!" 27 In the great hall of the castle the feasting that followed close upon the tournament has lasted far into the dawn -- 28 Brave hearts that smile through parting tears -- 29 Knightly lovers tell again their love to maidens fair -- 30 Ladies' eyes speak courage to their knights -- 31 Apart from the others, Prince John and Sir Guy of Gisbourne, dizzy with wine and drunk with thoughts of power -- 32 The King's goblet -- 33 "Dog of a servant! This on the morrow shall be mine -- and every- thing that is the King's shall then be mine." 34 "A servant hath a friend and his friend hath a friend. Be discreet, my Prince." 35 "Where is Huntingdon?" 36 "With dagger at head he doth try his strength for the goblet." 37 "At such a time as this it were more befitting that he try his love for a maid." 38 "Why hast thou not a maid?" 39 "When I return, good my liege." 40 "Nay, before you go, good my knight." 41 "A castle and lands to the maid who wins him." 42 "You too shall have your pick of maidens, my Gisbourne." 43 "So? Sits the wind in that direction? The Lady Marian, eh? A goodly chance." 44 "You forget, Sir Knight. I am a Prince." 45 "It is only the Prince who has forgotten." 46 "I regret, Lady Marian, that a brother of our noble King should so degrade his knighthood." 47 "I fear you have incurred his enmity -- in my behalf." 48 "'Twas but my knightly privilege --" 49 "Interference is a dangerous pastime, my squire." 50 "I-I never knew -- a maid -- could be -- like you --" 51 Now -- all too swiftly -- comes the hour of parting -- 52 -- and o'er the kneeling hosts the Bishop lifts his hand in benediction -- 53 -- and for the cross that gleams upon his shoulder each knight breathes a silent vow- 54 While on the battlements -- 55 "HUNTINGDON!" 56 "My lord King, I go to the Holy Land with half a heart. The other half I leave in the keeping of a maid." 57 "Good! Now your blade will be keener." 58 "I leave in your keep- ing my dearest treasure. Guard her with your life." 59 "See that Richard never returns from the Holy Land." 60 "Nor Huntingdon." 61 Even Kings must wait on love -- 62 "Huntingdon's head for Lady Marian's hand. Do not forget." 63 And so the very flower of England's knighthood marched on to its high purpose. 64 Scarce had the dust of the Crusaders settled to the ground when the dire mischief of Prince John was set afoot -- 65 "When the throne is mine, I will reward those who serve me. To your task and spare no one." 66 All of England fell under the pall of Prince John's perfidy. 67 By Prince John's orders the good officials of the town of Nottingham are ousted -- 68 "I am the High Sheriff of Nottingham." 69 The poor who can- not pay the tax levy are forced to give up their belongings -- 70 For slaying a wild boar in Prince John's forest -- 71 For spurning Prince John's addresses -- 72 In Richard's castle Prince John's hench- men apprise him of their evil successes -- 73 "Your bidding has been done. Huntingdon's castle is razed and burnt." 74 One woman braver than the rest -- 75 "Have mercy on the people of England." 76 "Fret not your pretty head for such as they." 77 "Prince, your oppressions will not please our King." 78 "A Prince at home outranks a King abroad. Think you not so, beautiful lady?" 79 "If Richard knew these things, there would be no Prince at home." 80 "That maid bears watching." 81 In silence and at night -- 82 "Take this message and sleep nor night nor day until you reach your master." 83 Day after day -- across the fields of France -- the Crusaders had plodded on -- 84 "Mark how Hunting- don spurs them on. He is the very back- bone of the adventure." 85 "A good way to crack a head, my master. Would 'twere thy brother's." 86 "To your tent. These fevers are but passing ills. Ere the night falls thou wilt be able to march again. 87 "He plays his tricks of discipline to cozen favor of the King -- the sycophant!" 88 "But for discipline I'd twist you round a tent pole and crack your spine! 89 "Why come you here?" 90 "If the King should know of this, himself would return and this Holy Crusade would fail." 91 "If Richard had but one friend in England --" 92 "Fetch a falcon." 93 "Speed this letter and prepare our departure." 94 "I pray you, my Lord and King, to speak again your trust in me which you have so oft professed." 95 "As I trust my right hand do I trust you. You are my friend." 96 "Then, my liege, your leave and favor to return to England without un- foldment of my purpose." 97 "I humbly beseech you, not as my King but as my friend, to place unquestioned this trust in me." 98 "'Tis not the maid?" 99 "You! Turned chicken- hearted for a wench!" 100 "You do but jest. Go join the lances of your King." 101 "Sire, what needs doing -- must be done. But my heart aches that your friendship fails me." 102 "Sire, you must trust me!" 103 "We wait not on permission. We go to England though hell itself should gape and bid us stay." 104 "A deserter." 105 "Is this true?" 106 "The truth is - that back in England --" 107 "Sire, the penalty is death." 108 "Have his wound attended." 109 "Place him in that tower. He will remain a prisoner until our return. See to it that he is well cared for." 110 "But, my liege, the penalty is death!" 111 "My command! Obey!" 112 "Give them food and drink until our last column is well on its way. Then let them rot." 113 In England Lady Marian's serving woman comes under the dread inquisition of John -- 114 "Tell me what has become of Huntingdon's squire." 115 "I'll tell -- I'll tell. 'Tis true. He did carry information from my mistress to the King." 116 "Lady Marian shall pay for this with her life. So much for meddling!" 117 "Quick! Fly for your life. He means to kill." 118 "I seek Lady Marian Fitzwalter." 119 "After her. Bring her back. I'll put an end to tattling!" 120 Scarce was the last column of England's knighthood well on its way when -- 121 "Unlock the door." 122 "To England - with all haste. There is work to do." 123 While in England, sturdy men, rebellious to Prince John's tyranny, sought refuge in Sherwood Forest -- 124 "Prince John's deed!" 125 These lusty rebels only wanted a leader to weld them into a band -- an outlaw band destined to live immortal in legend and story. 126 A friend of Richard returns to his native soil -- 127 "Good my lord - poor Lady Marian - 'twas on this very spot - here - a riderless horse -- an overturned saddle --" 128 "To God -- to Richard -- and to Her." 129 Thus it was that Huntingdon buried his Yesterday. Here began a new life -- a life to be dedicated to revenge -- bitter -- but joyous. 130 In far-off Palestine Richard meets with victory and concludes a truce with the infidel -- 131 A year passed and then -- from the mysterious depths of Sherwood Forest -- came whispers of the rise of a robber chief -- 132 "Robin Hood!" 133 The High Sheriff of Nottingham -- 134 "'Tis the naked arrow of Robin Hood and sings death to the enemies of King Richard." 135 A butcher's stall in Locksley Town -- 136 "The three lions of Richard. It is Robin Hood's manner of saying: 'If ye be brave, come to Sherwood Forest. Richard is your King.'" 137 The rich man of Wakefield -- 138 "He seems to be everywhere. I confess I am helpless. Our very soldiers desert to join this outlaw's band." 139 "Fetch me a bag of gold." 140 "This will put a stop to it." 141 "Robin Hood!" 142 Will Scarlett-- 143 Friar Tuck-- 144 Little John -- 145 Robin Hood's lair -- 146 "Mark you his hat." 147 Allan-a-Dale-- 148 "Three blasts!" 149 "We rob the rich, relive distressed On damned John to score. We'll take a life if sorely pressed Till Richard reign once more." 150 While Prince John's dark schemes are sped in distant lands -- 151 Richard's sleeping tent -- 152 "Now for England-- and my reward!" 153 "Alas, poor fool. Thou hast played king once too often." 154 "Gisbourne!" 155 On the morrow a messenger from England relates the full measure of Prince John's treachery-- 156 "Let John get his bellyful!" 157 "In Sherwood Forest a gallant outlaw - a some- time knight now known as Robin Hood -- hath a band of followers and doth thwart the Prince at every turn." 158 "A robber knight, eh?" 159 "Methinks I know who 'tis." 160 "Quick - to horse! We go to England -- mayhap to join this outlaw's band." 161 Prince John's hired soldiers levy tribute on the Priory of St. Catherine's -- 162 "Has this Prince no regard for Holy Church?" 163 While - nearby - Robin Hood and his Merry Men distribute dole to needy villagers -- 164 Three blasts -- 165 "They are of the Priory of St. Catherine's." 166 The Priory garden -- 167 "It is Robin Hood and his men!" 168 "Is that not the Earl of Huntingdon?" 169 "'Tis Robin Hood." 170 "Robin Hood to the poor, mayhap, but he was born Robert, Earl of Huntingdon." 171 "Prepare thyself. Within these holy walls there is some- one dear to you." 172 "Lady Marian --" 173 Scarce a day's journey away -- a menace to their new-found happiness -- 174 Sir Guy of Gisbourne -- 175 "'Tis the Earl of Huntingdon with Lady Marian." 176 "Each day do loyal men rally to our cause. 'Twill not be long ere we storm the very castle itself." 177 "An hundred troopers approach!" 178 "To horse! I'll follow." 179 "When the lark sings in the morn I'll send you a message to re-speak my love." 180 "-- Robin Hood is the Earl of Huntingdon!" 181 "Lady Marian Fitzwalter lives --" 182 "Surround this band of outlaws with all your men. By hook or crook take Huntingdon alive." 183 "Seize that wench. Drag her here. She shall die the death I promised." 184 When the lark sings in the morn -- 185 "To Lady Marian. Tell her that when the sun drops o'er Nottingham hill, I'll come to her." 186 His lady and his King -- 187 "All the troops from Nottingham Town surround the forest." 188 "'Tis a good time to take the town." 189 "To the trees with all our men. Entrap these troops. I go to Nottingham with Scarlett and Alan-a-Dale. We three shall take the town." 190 While in the forest Robin Hood's men en- trap the troops -- 191 Near the gates of Nottingham Town -- 192 "Rouse the townspeople!" 193 "Man the walls! Every mother's son of you!" 194 "To the postern door!" 195 The postern door-- 196 "The Prince's soldiers -- Lady Marian - brutally abducted - the saints protect her - fly to your master." 197 "Richard is dead! Long live King John!" 198 "Heralds to the north! To the south! England is mine!" 199 A mysterious stranger invades Sherwood Forest -- 200 "He seeks Robin Hood." 201 "Why seek you Robin Hood?" 202 "He says 'Mayhap to join him -- mayhap to slay him.'" 203 "So ho, my pretty knight! To do either you needs must prove your mettle first!" 204 "I'll knop your scop." 205 "With such strength -- thou almost makst me think thou art Richard himself." 206 "Each member of this band hath an arrow in yon tree. Speed yours!" 207 Exulting in their freedom, the people of Nottingham Town hang Prince John in effigy -- 208 "We'll take a life if sorely pressed Till Richard reign once more." 209 "Soldiers have carried her away to the castle." 210 "Damn their black hides! I'll lash them till they bleat!" 211 "Keep the town!" 212 "I go to the castle. You to the Forest. Fetch every man. We'll make John sing a pretty song to-night!" 213 "Close the drawbridge!" 214 "Gisbourne--" 215 "My men are on their way. Watch for them." 216 "If they fail --" 217 Three blasts-- 218 "I surrender." 219 "Robin Hood is taken." 220 "Forty archers make ready." 221 "We shall teach you which way to face!" 222 "Bind him to yon post. When I dip my dagger, he dies." 223 "We have captured the outlaws. Lower the bridge." 224 The High Sheriff of Nottingham -- 225 Prince John's chief henchmen -- 226 "And Richard reign once more." 227 "Huntingdon!" 228 "Huntingdon!" 229 "HUNTINGDON!" 230 "Hear ye all!" 231 "Until now Richard has never bowed his head to man." 232 "But I did mistrust my friend and with all humility do ask forgiveness." 233 "To-night!" 234 That night -- 235 In the courtyard -- 236 The bride and the groom escape the wedding revels -- 237 "Huntingdon!" The EndHome