Miss Robin Hood – 1952 | 76 mins | Comedy | B&W

Plot Synopsis

Sub Ealing-stylewhimsical adventure story from the short-lived Group 3 Productions. This jauntybut rather absurd little farce fuses elements of Passport to Pimlico, Hue andCry and the St Trinian’s films into a frenetic and muddled comedy that lacksfocus on its central storyline. Margaret Rutherford is in fine form with aperformance of infectious enthusiasm, and comedy stalwarts Sid James and James Robertson-Justiceprovide strong support. Watch out for Reg Varney in a minor role.

A downtroddenjournalist, Henry Wrigley (Henry Wrigley), writing a Miss Robin Hood children’sadventure story for The Teenager magazine, finds himself unwittingly embroiledin a life of crime when elderly eccentric youth club leader Miss Honey(Margaret Rutherford) enlists his help to swipe a whisky formula she claims wasstolen from her ancestors. Miss Honey takes Wrigley to the distillery where Macalister(James Robertson Justice) keeps the stolen recipe in a safe, and later thatevening she returns to steal the formula and £10,000.

Wrigleyinitially wants nothing to do with the theft, but when Miss Honey explains thatthe stolen money will be used to fund play areas and parks for children, theslightly inebriated writer offers to help. Whilst still hung-over, Wrigley returnsto work and discovers that The Teenager is to be streamlined into a smallsupplement in the Youth Gazette – so he resigns. When he finally sobers, thetimid writer feels guilty about the stolen money, and along with Miss Honey,they go back to the distillery to return it – but they’re caught by Macalister.Miss Honey offers to return the recipe providing a percentage of the yearlyprofits are put into her benevolent fund for children. Macalister consents.

Meanwhile, CyrilLidstone (Peter Jones) replaces Wrigley as writer of Miss Robin Hood andthere’s outrage amongst the adolescent readership about the change in style. Inresponse a horde of children lay siege to The Teenager offices and demand thereinstatement of Mr. Wrigley.