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Welcome to the Whirligig Message Board. This is the forum to discuss 1950's television and radio in Britain. You can ask questions about the programmes, try answering other people's queries or just tell us all about your nostalgic memories
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 Roger Sansom |
W |
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Posts: 41 (Sun, 26-Jul-09 18:01:33) |
I expect someone has already said, but I may have missed it, that "Robin Hood, Robin Hood" from "The Adventures" is used repeatedly in the film "W", about George W.Bush. I gather it's a version released as a single (?) because it's not the same as in the programme, and a choir of children joins in. |
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Grammar Hammer |
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Posts: 103 (Sun, 26-Jul-09 23:01:41) |
It's probably the Frankie Laine version, which had several additional verses as well as the children's chorus.
"I'd like to be a pessimist, but this is a luxury I
cannot afford."
Mother Hubbard Queen of the Grammar Hammers |
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Roger Sansom |
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Posts: 42 (Mon, 27-Jul-09 06:30:03) |
I'm sure that's right. Interesting it's considered so iconic. |
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Steve Winders |
W | ||
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Posts: 145 (Mon, 27-Jul-09 21:21:06) |
I haven't seen the film about George Bush, but I had a record of the Robin Hood song when I was a boy. It was sung by Dick James and he was joined by a
children's chorus part way through. "Well children would you all like to join in with me?" asks Dick and all the children join in. On the other
side of this record was James' version of the Ballad of Davy Crockett.
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Roger Sansom |
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Posts: 43 (Wed, 29-Jul-09 08:21:47) |
I was delighted the song was considered so central in popular culture - comparable to "With God On Our Side", which the film used in a similar way.
Of course George W.Bush IS the right age to have grown up with the series.
Russ Abbot's show used to contain snatches of the song, I remember! The last time I came across an episode of "The Adventures" shown on television, as a straightforward repeat, happens to have been in 1969, in Northern Ireland. |
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AAWF |
Robin Hood song in "W" | ||
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Posts: 48 (Wed, 29-Jul-09 09:43:01) |
Very interesting…
Roger, how was the RH song used in the film? Could you tell us a bit more about it? Do you remember any particular scenes when the song was playing?
IMDb says it was Dick James:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1175491/soundtrack
"Robin Hood"
Anna
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Roger Sansom |
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Posts: 44 (Thu, 30-Jul-09 11:53:21) |
Well, my memory is not the greatest (and the film's gone back now) but as far as my wife and I can jointly remember, it was used - and it came on more than once - when George W. was trying to reinvent himself as a clean-living Good Son, after a misspent youth. I did wonder whether using the theme was not a bit of a blunt instrument - especially using it at length; the singing children seemed very irrelevant to the Bush story. I think I might have gone for "Wagon Train" and "Onward, Christian Soldiers", rather than "Robin Hood, Robin Hood" and "With God On Our Side". Robin was after all an outlaw, and George W. came across as more of a Prince John figure, an Establishment maverick. All best - Roger |
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AAWF |
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Posts: 49 (Thu, 30-Jul-09 12:29:43) |
Thanks, Roger - it does seem a puzzling choice of theme tune. The only interpretation I can think of is that they tried to suggest idealism, or childhood innocence. I'm tempted to see the film now, and look for hidden meanings. Anna |
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