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

Plot Synopsis

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

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

Wrigley initially wants nothing to do with the theft, but when Miss Honey explains that the stolen money will be used to fund play areas and parks for children, the slightly inebriated writer offers to help. Whilst still hung-over, Wrigley returns to work and discovers that The Teenager is to be streamlined into a small supplement in the Youth Gazette – so he resigns. When he finally sobers, the timid 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 yearly profits are put into her benevolent fund for children. Macalister consents.

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