                         DEFENDER OF THE CROWN
                             By Cinemaware



HOW TO PLAY
Choose your character on the character selection screen by moving the sword 
cursor to one of the four Saxons and pressing the left mouse button.

When the game begins, choose your actions by moving the cursor to highlight 
options  on  the  game menus.   Click the left mouse button  to  make  your 
selection.   Note that the following main menu actions end your turn:  HOLD 
JOUST,  GO RAIDING, BUY ARMY, END TURN, and attacking a territory.  You may 
escape  from some options (like GO RAIDING) by clicking away from  the  map 
when prompted to Select a Territory.

To build your home army choose BUY ARMY from the main menu.   Then click on 
soldiers,  knights,  catapults or castles.  (Clicking the right button will 
allow you to buy 5 items at a time.)  To refund a purchase simply click  on 
the word "cost" at the top of the menu.  Now you may exchange any items you 
just purchased for gold.

TOURNAMENTS
You  need  at least five gold to host a jousting  tournament.   When  other 
lords hold tournaments,  the code of chivalry requires you to  attend,  but 
for  free.   (Your  first  joust  will  always be  with  the  host  of  the 
tournament.)

You  have  control in the joust when your opponent begins  charging  toward 
you.   Aim  the tip of your lance at the center of the "x" in  his  shield.  
When  you hear the clank of metal on metal,  you must IMMEDIATELY push  the 
left mouse button.   If you don't push the button at the right item, or the 
lance  isn't  lined up correctly you will miss,  and you risk  killing  his 
horse!   (The  message following the joust should give you  valuable  clues 
about your performance.)  Your opponent may also miss (especially if he has 
a low joust rating), giving you another chance.
NOTE:  You must have spare land to joust for territory!

CONQUEST
Your campaign army is represented on the map by the mounted  knight.   from 
the SEEK CONQUEST menu,  select MOVE ARMY to capture hostile or  undefended 
territories,  and to move through friendly ones.  (MOVE ARMY is the default 
option  and need not be highlighted - just click on a territory.)  You  may 
get Robin's help before attacking by  choosing SEE ROBIN, or by clicking on 
Sherwood Forest on the map.

To  transfer forces between your army and your territories select  TRANSFER 
MEN.   The  arrow  at the top of the menu shows you the  direction  of  the 
transfer.   To move men back into your campaign army click on the arrow  to 
reverse its direction, and then repeat the transfer process.


RAIDING
Move  the  mouse left or right to move your character forward or  send  him 
retreating back.   Click the left mouse button to attack and use the  right 
button  to parry.   (A successful thrust will cause your opponent  to  jump 
back.)  You want to thrust at your opponent when his sword is pointing  up;
this is when he is most vulnerable.   Defend yourself by parrying and  keep 
an eye on the strength bar at the bottom of the screen.  Escape to the left 
if your strength is running low.   (To ask for Robin's help during a  raid, 
select Sherwood Forest at the SELECT A TERRITORY prompt.)

CATAPULTS
You  must buy a catapult AND TRANSFER IT TO YOUR CAMPAIGN ARMY  before  you 
can  attack a territory occupied by a castle.   To begin the  siege  simply 
choose your ammunition.   But remember,  you must first knock a hole in the 
wall  with  a BOULDER before you can fire DISEASE or GREEK  FIRE  into  the 
castle.   Push  the left mouse button once to pull back the  catapult  arm.  
(It  moves back automatically.)  Then push it again to fire.   The  farther 
the arm is pulled back the farther the object will travel;  aim for the top 
of the wall first,  then lower your aim to destroy it piece by  piece.   An 
undamaged  castle nearly doubles the defending army's effectiveness in  the 
battle following the siege.   The advantage decreases proportionately  with 
each  hit  to the wall.   Launch GREEK FIRE and DISEASE over  the  wall  to 
reduce the size of the defending garrison.   (Disease is more effective the 
earlier  it is used in the siege.)  Select BEGIN BATTLE if you want to  end 
the siege early.
NOTE:   The  battle will begin automatically after 7 days.   To  completely 
knock the wall down you must hit it with a boulder 7 times in a row.

BATTLES
Animated figures on the screen represent the armies.  Move the highlight to 
change  tactics  during the battle.   (To retreat you  must  highlight  the 
option  WILD  RETREAT  and  press the  left  mouse  button.)   Your  tactic 
determines  how  both armies fight according to the strength  table  below.  
For example,  you might choose OUTFLANK ENEMY if you think your  leadership 
rating  is  higher  than your opponent's.   Knights  outlast  soldiers  and 
provide an army's striking power - avoid losing them at all costs.
NOTE:   The battle will proceed on its own but you may speed up the  action 
by repeatedly clicking the left mouse button on a tactic.

                    SOLDIERS    KNIGHTS    CATAPULTS
                    --------    -------    ---------
Stand and fight        1           6           0
Knights charge         1           8           0
Outflank enemy *       1           6           0
Catapult barrage       1           6          16

* Outflank doubles the effect of leadership.

* Leadership can turn the tide of the battle.  A strong leader increases an 
army's effectiveness while a weak leader has no effect.   You can  increase 
your chances in battle by jousting to improve your leadership rating.

*  Raiding in a good way to weaken a stronger opponent,  especially in  the 
later  stages of a game.   Try to steal his gold with  a  raid--immediately 
after he attacks you.




                            QUESTIONS & ANSWERS



HOW IMPORTANT ARE THE CHARACTER RATINGS?
To win the game you must know your opponents,  and that means knowing their 
ratings.  One of your first actions in each game should be to use the  READ 
MAP option from the SEEK CONQUEST menu.   Look at the opposing lords'  home 
territories and look at their ratings.   BE WARNED,  the SPY option  yields 
valuable  information but it isn't cheap.   Be sure to use it sparingly  or 
you may find your coffers empty.

HOW CAN I PRACTICE JOUSTING AND SWORDFIGHTING?
To  learn how to joust,  choose Wolfric as your character and spend a  game 
holding tournaments.   To practice swordfighting, choose Geoffrey and spend 
a game raiding castles.

CAN I WIN THE GAME IF I ATTACK OTHER SAXONS?
Many strategies can lead to victory,  and a strategy that works in one game 
may not work in another.   Observe the ebb and flow of battle in each  game 
and set your strategy accordingly.   Remember, the Saxons are a nervous lot 
and some games may require an alliance by force of arms.

IF ALL THE NORMANS ARE DEFEATED IS THE GAME OVER?
If Saxons have captured all the Norman castles,  the game isn't quite over.  
To win,  you must attack and capture all three Norman castles, even if they 
are being held by Saxons.

DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR WINNING THE JOUST?
Try moving the lance in a circular motion and be sure to keep it in motion.  
The important thing to remember though,  is to push your button as soon  as 
you hear the CLANK.



IT IS A TIME OF LEGENDS.  A time for heroes.  A time of bitter strife, when 
great  men  rise above their peers to perform great deeds.   A  chapter  of 
history is in the making.

Your liege the king is dead, the throne vacant.  Britain enters a season of 
destruction,  a  winter  of killing that can end only when the  last  brave 
Saxon  knight  lies  dead or the castles of the Normans  lie  in  heaps  of 
rubble, emptied of the foul oppressors who have enslaved your people.

It  is a time when foreign invaders shall learn truths administered by  the 
shining  blades of Saxon swords.   It is a time when heroes are  made,  and 
legends are born.

                                  THE MAP

THE  CASTLES  -  Six great lords will vie for  the  throne;  their  castles 
dominate the island nation.   In the south are the three Norman castles, to 
the  north  are the homes of the three Saxons.   If a Saxon  lord  captures 
every one of the Norman fortresses, he will win the throne.

READING THE MAP - Your advisors will decipher the map for you.  Indicate to 
them what interests you -- they know the value of the lands that lie before 
you, and can estimate three strengths and weaknesses of your enemies.   Pay 
careful  attention  to their words.   The knowledge can  help  you  achieve 
success.

ARMY BUILDING - What portion of your treasury will you devote to  conquest?  
How much will you spend on defense?   Knights dominate the field of battle, 
but  only  catapults  will reduce the massive walls  of  a  Norman  castle.  
remember the defense of your castle -- mounted knights are useless atop the 
battlements.  You need stout men-at-arms, and the more the better.

The  army  you  build here defends you castle  when  you're  at  home,  and 
spearheads  campaigns of conquest.   When your army is on  the  march,  the 
ranks will be bolstered by vassals from the lands in your  possession,  but 
the  vassals are too far away to be called upon when your castle  is  under 
attack.

BUILDING  NEW  CASTLES  -  After  successful  campaigns,  income  from  new 
dominions fills your treasury, but the burden of defense will be greater as 
well.   Build castles to defend your lands.   Without castles to stop them, 
invaders  will sweep through your territories before you  can  respond.   A 
line  of imposing castles along your borders will make a potential  invader 
think twice before entering your domain.

                               "SAGE ADVICE"

1.  Familiarize  yourself with your surroundings.   Select "Read Map"  from 
the  menu.  Inspect  the territory around your castle,  then size  up  your 
opponents.
2.  Select "Build army" from  the menu.   Two columns show the cost of  men 
and  weapons,  and  the  size of your home army.   Your home  army  is  the 
garrison of your castle -- add knights,  men and catapults to this force as 
your treasury allows.
3.  Men-at-arms are the least expensive military commodity, and the core of 
an army's strength,  valuable at home for defense or in fields of conquest.  
Fighting  on horseback,  knights are useful mainly for attack --  they  can 
splinter a defending army with a single terrifying charge.



YOUR  INCOME  - Although you start with a modest income  from  your  feudal 
estates,  one or two forays of conquest can exhaust the treasury.  Increase 
your  income  by adding new lands to your domain --  some  territories  are 
richer than others, but each one contributes wealth to the treasury.

At first,  turmoil caused by the death of the king presents an  opportunity 
to those who act quickly.   Throughout the land there is anarchy -- how can 
sheriffs  collect taxes without the power of a king behind them?   None  of 
the lands has an overlord,  and those surrounding your castle can be  taken 
quite easily,  indeed.   Move too slowly,  and the other lords may grab the 
lion's  share of the territories before you've passed through  your  castle 
gates.

-------------------------------HISTORY BREAK------------------------------

                            THE NORMAN CONQUEST

William  the Conqueror understood the art of medieval warfare and knew  the 
importance of castles;  in fact,  he might not have been able to subdue the 
Anglo-Saxons without superior weapons and tactics.   Englishmen could  rise 
with great courage to meet a national emergency,  and in the dark months of 
1066  they  fought two great battles in the north against  viking  invaders 
before meeting William and his Normans at Hastings.

William  defeated  the English at the end of a long  bloody  day,  his  men 
fighting  on horseback with swords and lances against an enemy  that  still 
fought on foot and favored the battle-axe.   But Saxons were slow to accept 
defeat,  and rebellions led by Edgar the Aetheling and Edric the Wild upset 
the Normans' plans.

William set about building castles.  He constructed dozens of fortresses to 
consolidate  his gains and provide bases for further  advance.   Again  the 
Normans demonstrated superior skills erecting the powerful castles on well-
chosen sites.   Towering above the landscape,  William's castles controlled 
the  countryside  for  miles  around  with  their  mere  presence.    Saxon 
resistance continued for many years,  but the Normans' hold on England  was 
secure.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                 CONQUEST

THE  CAMPAIGN  ARMY  - In medieval Europe,  land was  held  by  vassals  in 
exchange  for  military and other services given to  overlords.   When  you 
venture  from your castle in search of conquest,  vassals from  your  lands 
form the foundation of your campaign army.   Bolster the ranks by  shifting 
men  and weapons from your home army,  but remember -- the careful  general 
leaves  behind a strong garrison to protect his castle unless he  plans  to 
stay close to home.

What path will you take on the road to conquest?   Should you strike  early 
at  the Normans,  or capture lands in the north and take time to  build  an 
invincible  army?   The course of your campaign may take you through  Saxon 
land,  Norman  Territory  or unoccupied areas,  but remember  --  if  enemy 
territories lie across the path to your chosen destination,  you'll have to 
capture them before continuing on your way.

BATTLE AND SIEGES - Capturing undefended territory is easy, laying siege to 
a  castle much costlier and far more difficult.   When you begin  a  siege, 
remember  that boulders can reduce a castle wall,  but only Greek fire  and 
disease  will reduce the numbers of the castle's  defenders.   Operating  a 


catapult requires a steady hand and an eye for distances.   Ammunition  can 
vary  in  weight,  and  a catapult setting that launched  a  great  boulder 
directly  into  the castle wall may hurl a smaller stone over  the  highest 
tower.


-------------------------------HISTORY BREAK------------------------------

                        FROM WARWOLF TO GREEK FIRE

Castles were built to be impregnable,  and there are many examples of  tiny 
garrisons holding out against large armies for months on end.   Capturing a 
castle required a great deal of preparation,  including the construction of 
great siege towers and stone-throwing engines to bombard the castle walls.

The catapult,  or mangonel,  was probably the most common of these and  was 
very much a standard feature of siege warfare.   The larger catapults could 
hurl stones weighing up to 600 pounds.   The owners of giant siege  engines 
were  fond  of giving them nicknames -- in 1304,  a  stone-throwing  device 
known as Warwolf was used at the battle of Stirling.   Philip  Augustus,  a 
warlord  who preyed on the luckless King John,  called his  favorite  siege 
weapon Mal Voisin (which means Bad Neighbor).

Ammunition  for catapults was by no means limited to  stone  balls.   Greek 
fire was the secret weapon of the period -- thought to have been mixed from 
ingredients like oil, pitch, resin, sulphur and quicklime, it started fires 
that  could  not be extinguished with water  alone.   In  a  siege,  almost 
anything  was  fair  game for hurling  over  a  castle's  walls,  including 
diseased  meat.   Many an attacker loaded his  catapult with a dead  horse, 
hoping the projectile would spread disease among the defenders.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

TACTICS  - If you meet the enemy in the field,  keep tight control on  your 
men  - issuing the correct orders at the proper time is the key to  success 
as a general.  Attacking with ferocity is a gamble.  It can save a day that 
appears  to be lost,  but it can also be the undoing of a great  army  that 
might have won with a more conservative approach.   Also, know when to give 
up the field.  Dishonor is preferable to the loss of your last knight.

VASSALS  - Each territory in your domain contributes vassals to  your  army 
when  you  begin a campaign.   They will fight with  valor,  but  can't  be 
expected to stick around for extended campaigns.  Desertions begin to mount 
as one battle follows another.   After you return home from a campaign, the 
ranks  of  your  vassals -- depleted by combat and desertions  --  will  be 
replenished over time.


                               "SAGE ADVICE"

1.   Any  castle  or  territory may be attacked,  Normans  or  Saxon.   The 
reverse is also true -- you may be attacked by Saxons, even though they are 
allies  in the fight against Norman rule.   Chivalry was a club,  and  some 
lords did not belong.
2.  Select "Seek Conquest" from the menu.  The two columns show the size of 
your Home Army and Campaign Army.   If you have any vassals,  their numbers 
appear  in the Campaign Army column.   Use this menu to  assign  additional 
forces to the campaign.
3.  Of  your three tactical  choices in combat,  "Ferocious Attack" is  the 
greatest gamble.   It gives you a better chance of victory against stronger 
opponents, but it also means far greater casualties among your ranks.



THE  MEN  OF  SHERWOOD  - Embarking on  an  important  campaign  may  bring 
Locksley's promise to mind.   He pledged his aid three times in your  quest 
to  restore the Kingdom to Saxon rule.   If you wish to seek his help in  a 
campaign,  go to Sherwood before marching on any territories.   The men  of 
Sherwood will join your ranks and your army will be formidable, indeed.



-------------------------------HISTORY BREAK------------------------------

                         KING JOHN AND THE BARONS

Trust and confidence between a king and his subjects were things greatly to 
be desired.   King John had neither.   Of all the rulers of  England,  John 
perhaps  best  deserved the humbling he received at  Runnymede,  where  the 
English barons forced him to sign Magna Carta on June 15, 1215.  While they 
held  London  during their revolt against King John,  the barons  needed  a 
means  of keeping the forces opposed to John under arms while  they  waited 
for help to arrive from France.  It wasn't long before someone came up with 
the idea of holding a tournament.

Not  only would a tournament keep the barons' men ready for the coming  war 
with John,  but it could also figure in a secret message they were  sending 
to their French conspirators.   In the carefully-worded letter,  the barons 
urged  their  friends to attend a tournament near London and  bring  enough 
horses and arms to insure "honor" on the field,  promising that the  knight 
who carried the day would have the "bear" which a certain lady was  sending 
to  the tournament.   The plan worked,  and in June,  the barons had  their 
"bear."






                              THE TOURNAMENT

JOUSTING  FOR  LAND  - Knights often journeyed to tournaments in  hopes  of 
gaining a settlement in land from a fallen opponent.  The joust can be used 
as  a  means  of expanding your domain,  but if you  fail  to  choose  your 
opponents with care, they may strip you of your most prized holdings.

WINNING THE JOUST - The tournament is accompanied  by a much  fanfare,  and 
novice knights can be carried away by the heady atmosphere of this  courtly 
event.  Be  not deceived by the pageantry preceding the joust -- the  vital 
instant before the combatants collide is the briefest of moments.  You have 
no  more than a handful of precious seconds to steady your lance.   All  of 
your  concentration  and skill must come together for that  moment.   In  a 
joust there is no second chance.

Know  also  that knights with highly-refined skills in the  tournament  are 
extremely difficult to unseat.   Your aim must be precise - anything but  a 
direct  blow  at  the center of the shield may fail to  knock  a  practiced 
opponent from his saddle.





                               "SAGE ADVICE"

1.  Your character's skill in the joust can vary -- you will find it easier 
to win jousting matches if your character has a higher rating.   Be wary of 
risking valuable land with a character who is unskilled in the joust.
2.   The other Saxon lords are,  in principle,  your allies.  This does not 
mean, however, that they will treat you as a friend on the jousting field.
3.   The  laws of chivalry forbid a knight from striking anything  but  the 
shield  or  helmet of his opponent.   Aim your lance at a  horse,  and  the 
tournament will be your last.


-------------------------------HISTORY BREAK------------------------------

Jousting  was  one  of the earliest knightly  sports.   Dangerous  for  the 
participants and popular with spectators,  it usually marked the  beginning 
or  end of a tournament.   Brutal incidents are common throughout the  700-
year history of tournaments -- mock battles could turn into the real  thing 
when tempers flared.   The year 1240 saw a particularly violent  tournament 
near Cologne in which sixty knights and squires perished.

Abhorred  by the church and banned by responsible monarchs like  Henry  II, 
the  tournament  nevertheless  was an enjoyable pastime  for  nobility  and 
became  the accepted training ground for war.   On more than one  occasion, 
jousting became an integral part of a war.   His coffers depleted by a  war 
with France,  Richard I held tournaments to raise money.   At the height of 
the hundred Years War, Edward III invited the enemy to tournaments, issuing 
guarantees  of safe conduct to any Frenchmen who would meet his knights  in 
courtly combat.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------



                                  RAIDING

NORMAN CASTLES - Most lords are proficient in the science of swordplay  and 
they  train their castle guards very well.   If you elect to raid an  enemy 
castle, be prepared for a fight.  Slipping over a castle wall without being 
detected is easy enough in the dead of night,  but the heart of a castle -- 
the keep -- is more difficult to penetrate.   When the alarm is raised  and 
guards appear,  act quickly to force your way inside the keep.   Time is of 
the essence, so waste not a moment.

SWORDSMANSHIP  - The courtyard of the enemy's castle is not the best  place 
to  learn the secrets of swordsmanship.   Lessons learned here are  learned 
the hard way.   Keep two things in mind and you should live long enough  to 
reap the benefits of experience:  first,  the moment to thrust is when your 
opponent is off balance,  his sword in motion away from yours;  second, you 
must  always  keep moving.   Keep your opponent off balance  and  he'll  be 
unable to anticipate your blows.

And one last piece of friendly advice.   It is best not to allow the eye to 
wander  from the flashing blade of your opponent's sword -- not even for  a 
moment.  No matter what catches your attention in the moonlit sky.



                               "SAGE ADVICE"

1.   It  is possible to strike once with your sword,  then strike again  so 
quickly that your opponent may find it impossible to parry your blow. Learn 
this trick, and you can use it to great advantage.
2.   Try  "mixing it up" by jiggling your character back and forth --  this 
technique can enhance your ability to keep an opponent off guard.
3.  Like all movie heroes, you can keep fighting after you've been wounded.  
But even heroes run out of steam sooner or later,  so remember that you can 
always get out the same way you came in....


LOCKSLEY  & THE FRIAR - Just as you did before campaigning,  you  may  seek 
help in Sherwood Forest on your way to a night raid.   When asked to select 
a castle for your destination,  first journey to the forest.  Friends abide 
there, and they are renowned for their prowess with a well-forged blade.


-------------------------------HISTORY BREAK------------------------------

                              THE REAL ROBIN

Was there a real Robin Hood?   People have been telling stories and singing 
songs about the outlaw of Sherwood Forest since the 13th century.  Scholars 
have  written  books  trying to pin him down as one  historical  figure  or 
another.  But like all good legends, Robin refuses to be pinned down.

Cambridge  history professor J.C.  Holt theorizes that if there was a  real 
Robin,  he was probably Robert Hood,  a yorkshire outlaw mentioned in court 
records of 1225.   Other historians have tied Robin to a "Robyn Hod"  named 
in pipe rolls from the reign of Edward II.  Still other accounts would have 
us  believe that he was Robert Fitz-Ooth,  the rightful Earl of  Huntingdon 
who became an outlaw when unjustly deprived of his title.

More  than  likely,  the truth is that all of these men --  and  others  -- 
contributed  to the legend as we know it today.   Scholars like Holt  point 
out  that the original stories about Robin lacked many of the trappings  we 
associate with the legend.   In the first ballads he was indeed an  outlaw, 
he  did live in Sherwood and he wore a suit of Lincoln green.   But as  the 
stories  were  handed down,  the tellers magnified the tale by  adding  new 
characters and the deeds of other men.

History  records that a man named Friar Tuck led a band of outlaws  in  the 
forests of Sussex and Surry between 1417 and 1429.   Storytellers  couldn't 
pass  up  the  opportunity to include a stout friar in  their  tales  about 
Robin.  Writers  invented much of Robin's story,  giving him  a  birthplace 
(Locksley),  a  girlfriend (Maid Marian) and a worthy foe (the  Sheriff  of 
Nottingham).   Perhaps in the 21st century, Robin will get married and have 
kids.  Who knows?  It really doesn't matter if we can still enjoy the story 
of our most cherished hero - the noble outlaw of Sherwood Forest.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------


                         ROBIN HOOD IN THE MOVIES

DEFENDER  OF THE CROWN is a tribute to those magnificent Hollywood  costume 
adventures  that  transport audiences to a world  of  dashing  heroes,  and 
damsels in distress, where kingdoms fall at the drop of a drawbridge.

Perhaps no character sums up this spirit of adventure than Robin Hood.



Although five motion pictures about the outlaw of Sherwood Forest were made 
before  1920,  the definitive Robin Hood for the silent era was  the  1922 
production  of  "Robin Hood",  starring Douglas  Fairbanks.   His  athletic 
prowess,  daredevil  stunts  and light hearted approach to  adventure  made 
Fairbanks an audience favorite.   Prior to "Robin Hood",  he had starred in 
"The Three Musketeers" and "The Mark of Zorro".

"Robin  Hood" is one of the most lavish productions of  all  time,  costing 
over $1,400,000,  a staggering sum for those days.   Its massive, elaborate 
sets  included a full scale medieval castle!   The most memorable  sequence 
features  Robin  breaking   into  Nottingham  castle,   dashing  along  the 
battlements fighting off literally hundreds of armed men.   Trapped in  the 
minstrels  gallery,  beset  on both sides,  he dives over the  balcony  and 
slides down a huge curtain to freedom.

Fairbanks surrounded himself with an excellent cast of  players,  including 
Alan  Hale  as  the  burly  Little John in the  first  of  his  three  film 
appearances as Robin Hood's lieutenant.

1938  saw what is still hailed as the definitive Robin  Hood  film,  Warner 
Brothers'  "The Adventures of Robin Hood",  starring swashbuckler  supreme, 
Errol Flynn.   The studio pulled out all the stops and shot the film in the 
3-color-negative Technicolor process.

The  casting  was  nothing  short  of  inspired.    Dashing,   daring,  and 
courageous, flynn would always be identified with the role..and justifiably 
so.   As  Maid Marian,  Olivia De Havilland  was a perfect  counterpart  to 
Flynn.   So  much  so that Warners subsequently teamed them up  in  several 
other features.   Villainy was placed into the matchless hands of cinematic 
rotters  Basil  Rathbone (Sir Guy of Gisbourne) and Claude  Raines  (Prince 
John).  Melville Cooper played the Sheriff of Nottingham as a comic figure.

Alan Hale made his second appearance as Little John,  the addition of sound 
allowing  his roaring voice and bellowing laughter to add new dimension  to 
his character.

Rotund, gravel-voiced Eugene Pallette played Friar Tuck and Patrick Knowles 
was Will Scarlett.

The film featured Robin storming into a Norman castle to defy Prince  John; 
the  bank of outlaws attacking a gold train;  the archery  tournament;  the 
daring  rescue  of  Robin  from the gallows;  and  the  final  storming  of 
Nottingham  castle by Robin's men and the newly returned King  Richard  the 
Lionheart.

"The  Adventures  of Robin Hood" is probably the finest  costume  adventure 
that Hollywood has ever produced.

Alan  Hale made his final appearance as Little John in "Rogues of  Sherwood 
Forest" (1950),  probably the best of the 'Son of Robin Hood' films.  As is 
true  of  the others,  the actor portraying Robin could make or  break  the 
film.   Fortunately, John Derek's (25 years before Bo) hero of Sherwood was 
a  worthy champion of the poor and oppressed and was more than  capable  in 
the derring-do department.  Reportedly, he did most of his own stunts.

1952 saw two Robin Hood related films hit the screen.   The first was  Walt 
Disney's  "The Story of Robin Hood".   Shot entirely in  England,  disney's 
live-action feature starred Richard Todd as Robin, Joan Rice as Maid Marian 
and Peter Finch as the Sheriff of Nottingham.


The  second was MGM's mega-production of Sir Walter Scott's classic  novel, 
Ivanhoe.   Robert Taylor accepted the part of Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe  after 
Errol  Flynn  and Laurence Olivier turned it down.   He  acquitted  himself 
nobly in one of the most colorful and complex costume dramas every filmed.

Midway through the film,  Robin Hood aids Ivanhoe by leading his men in the 
exiting  siege  of the Norman castle of Torquilstone.   The  Saxon  outlaws 
swarm  out  of the forest and launch themselves against  the  sheer  castle 
walls, darkening the sky with a rain of arrows.

The  tremendous  box-office success of "Ivanhoe" set the  pattern  for  the 
studio's  subsequent  'knights  of  old'  swashbucklers,  "Knights  of  the 
Roundtable" (1955) and "The Adventures of Quentin Durward" (1955).

In  1955  Robin received his first television exposure in the  series  "The 
Adventures  of  Robin  Hood".   From 1955 through  1958,  the  denizens  of 
Sherwood  battled  the oppression of Prince John and company for  165  half 
hour episodes.   Richard Greene's Robin Hood was more mature than  Flynn's, 
cheerful and resourceful,  rather than dashing and athletic.  He became the 
Robin Hood for an entire generation of Baby Boomers.

1960 saw Greene reprise his Robin Hood for the big screen in Hammer  Film's 
"Sword of Sherwood Forest".

Disney  released  a  new animated version of  "Robin  Hood"  in  1973.   It 
featured animals as the characters.   Robin was a fox; Prince John a thumb-
sucking Lion; and Little John a bear; etc.

In  1976 Richard Lester directed a much different type of Robin Hood  film.  
"Robin and Marian" explored the legend during the disillusioned,  declining 
years of Robin and the other characters.

Interest in Robin Hood is apparently undying and universal.   The  Showtime 
Cable Network began broadcasting a new,  English produced television series 
in 1984.   And,  although they have not been exported, a number of Japanese 
films have been produced, featuring the Rogue of Sherwood.

The  appeal  of  Robin Hood will remain a timeless joy to  those  who  love 
adventure,  whether  revisiting  an  "old friend"  or  entering  the  magic 
greenwood of Sherwood Forest for the first time.

It is these last lucky ones who are to be envied.

Read More About It...

Baker, Timothy.  THE NORMANS.  New York: Macmillan, 1966.
Brown, R.A.  ENGLISH CASTLES.  London: Batsford, 1976.
Brown,  R. Allen, Michael Prestwich and Charles Coulson.  CASTLES A HISTORY 
     AND GUIDE.  New York: Continum, 1981.
Falkus,  Malcolm,  and John Gillingham (ed).   HISTORICAL ATLAS OF BRITAIN.
     New York: Continum, 1981.
Funcken,  Liliane and Fred.   THE AGE OF CHIVALRY (3 volumes).  New Jersey: 
     Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1983.
Hogg,  Ian.   THE HISTORY OF FORTIFICATION.   New York: St. Martin's Press, 
     1981.
Holt, J.C.  ROBIN HOOD.  London: Thames and Hudson, Ltd., 1982.
Kenyon, J.P. (ed).  A DICTIONARY OF BRITISH HISTORY.  Stein and Day, 1983.
Kighly,  Charles.   STRONGHOLDS OF THE REALM.   London:  Thames and Hudson, 
     Ltd., 1979.
Linklater, Eric.  THE CONQUEST OF ENGLAND.  New York: Doubleday, 1966.
Oman,  Sir Charles.  A HISTORY OF THE ART OF WAR IN THE MIDDLE AGES AD 378-
1515.  Ithica: Cornell University Press, 1960.



                             DESIGNER'S NOTES

MEDIEVAL  BRITAIN  was  a crucible of  heroes.   Our  most  famous  legends 
originated  in  "merrie  olde  England,"  during  that  romantic  time   of 
chivalrous  knights,  when  all the women must have looked  like  Elizabeth 
taylor.  That  single period in history gave us King  Arthur,  William  the 
Conqueror,  Richard the Lionhearted,  the fictitious knight Ivanhoe and, of 
course, Robin Hood.

The story of the noble outlaw who robs from the rich and gives to the  poor 
is the best known legend in the English-speaking world.  A survey conducted 
during the hero-starved 1970's showed that Robin is the second most  famous 
figure of fact or fiction.   What name was above Robin's at the top of  the 
list?  Jesus of Nazareth.

So  in  February  1986,  on the soggy Pacific Northwest  morning  when  Bob 
Jacob's voice on the telephone said,  "Let's do a compute game with knights 
and  castles and jousting and damsels in distress,  "I  knew  instinctively 
what he had in mind.  This would be a tale of heroes.

To  bring  those  heroes to life,  we took great care  in  recreating  12th 
century  England.   History  buffs will  note that none of the  knights  or 
horses  wears armor,  and that the main character is lightly  protected  by 
chain mail.   Knights began wearing pieces of plate armor to protect  parts 
of the body around 1300 and full suits of armor didn't become common  until 
the latter part of the century.

The castles are authentic,  based upon scrutiny of the books listed  herein 
as  well as first-hand experience.   As I marvel at Jim Sachs'  magnificent 
Norman  castle  looming  out of my computer screen,  I compare  it  to  the 
snapshot  I  took of the castle that served as the model  for  my  original 
sketches of the scene.  And somehow, I find reality lacking.

None of our drawings or imaginings would have amounted to much without  the 
skills of an inventive programmer.   When R.J. Mical joined the project, he 
brought  more than his consummate technical skills,  he brought  ideas  and 
solutions.  He literally willed the Amiga version into existence.

Finally,  we  dedicate this interactive movie to our wives:   our  ultimate 
collaborators in life.

                                                 Kellyn Beeck
                                                 September, 1986  



