Thanks Richard.
We may be referring to different films but I remember quite well the film 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' starring Errol Flynn (1938) that was still
doing the rounds of cinemas in the immediate post war period in Britain. As kids this was all exciting stuff - along with Hollywood Westerns and
pirate adventure films etc. We all made bows and arrows to try to re-enact the swashbuckling scenes of our actor heroes - fortunately without personal
injury - but never did achieve the level of marksmanship where Errol Flynn (Robin Hood) managed to split the arrow of his adversary centred as it was
in the bullseye of the target! Apparently this film has now been deemed 'culturally, historically or aesthetically significant' by the US Library of
Congress although the Hollywood historians had no doubt added their interpretation to English legend dating back to the 13th C!
I question, however, if we are talking about the same film starring Errol Flynn because here is a screen shot of 'Will Scarlet' the musician - the guy
in tight pants dressed appropriately in red - playing his stringless 'lute'!! Certainly not the oud seen in the 'Mary of Scotland' film!! It is a
'cut out' prop perhaps meant to represent a wire strung medieval Gittern - instruments commonly used for entertainment in taverns?
I do not know of any surviving English (or Scottish) lutes from the time of Elizabeth 1 (died 1603) although there are one or two Italian lutes made
around that date surviving in the European museums. I can't imagine any of those rare instruments being loaned to Hollywood film makers as props for a
film though!
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