Two Robins and Nottingham Pudding

I'm a huge fan of the 1938 film, The Adventures of Robin Hood, so I thought it was time to finally sit down and watch the silent, Douglas Fairbanks version. Robin Hood (1922) also stars Wallace Beery as King Richard and Alan Hale as Little John (the same part he played in The Adventures of Robin Hood). While the '38 version is suitably Olde England, it's much more streamlined than the '22 version, which shows a marked pre-Raphaelite influence. Practically everyone (except Douglas Fairbanks) turns out in a William Morris print at one time or another. It's amazing how the preferred style of representing the Middle Ages changed in the sixteen years between 1922 and 1938.


I was also surprised at how different the stories of the two films are. I expected the 1938 version to follow the plot of the earlier version. Not so! During the first half of Robin Hood, Douglas Fairbanks is still a nobleman and Prince John has yet to claim power over England. The meeting of Robin and Marian, the grudge with Guy of Gisbourne, and Robin's loss of his lands are all presented in a different manner.

Even though I'm a big fan of Wallace Beery, I still like The Adventures of Robin Hood best. Robin Hood was a bit slow at times. It's great for a silent film, but it's more interesting for who's in it and its style than for the actual plot. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) is a great watch-it-with-the-kids movie for the holidays or for snow days; children who are excellent readers and have long attention spans and are interested in England, the Middle Ages or the 1920s would probably enjoy Robin Hood (1922), but I wouldn't count on it to entertain a large group.

I love Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland!

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Since I obviously can't get enough of Nottingham...I made a Nottingham Pudding (just like I said I would!). It's basically spiced apples in Yorkshire pudding batter.

Nottingham Pudding

Batter:
1/2 cup flour
salt
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup water

Spiced apples:

2 Granny Smith apples
1/2 lemon, zest only
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon walnut oil

Serves 2

Sift the flour into a mixing bowl, add a pinch of salt and whisk in the egg yolk. Add the milk and water and whisk like crazy until all the lumps are out of the batter. Set aside for 30 minutes.

Peel, core and thinly slice the apples and place the slices in a casserole or au gratin dish. Grate the lemon zest over the apple slices then add the mixed spice, brown sugar and walnut oil. Stir to combine.

Place the casserole in the middle of the oven and set oven to 400˚ Fahrenheit. When the oven comes up to temperature, take the casserole out, give the apple mixture a stir and pour the batter over the hot apple mixture. Return casserole to oven and bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until batter is golden brown and cooked through. Serve warm.

Adapted from a recipe in the Coventry Telegraph. 

Print at Food.com
Print at Food52

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) images from Doctor Macro. My screen caps from Robin Hood (1922).
Both films are available on DVD. The Adventures of Robin Hood airs on TCM Sunday, February 5, at 11:45 a.m. CST.

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Horror of horrors. I chipped my front tooth late last night. It's the second time in my life this has happened. Only difference? Last time it was a baby tooth. It's a good thing I don't have a job to go to, because I am mortified. Plus, we just changed insurance and I don't have a dentist yet. Fingers crossed that I can get an appointment quickly! I just can't believe it.

Update 12/6/11 8:37 a.m.- I just got an appointment for 11 a.m. today! I'm so relieved. Evidently, the dentist office had a few cancellations due to the snow. Every cloud has a silver lining?