What is a "swash," and how do you buckle it?: "The Adventures of Robin Hood"

Maybe I'm warped or something, but I think it would be hilarious to go to a mall and ask teenage girls if they heard of Errol Flynn. Even money says they'll ask if he's in a boy band. Then again, I can't tell you who's in "The O.C.," so I guess it's all relative.

No question that "The Adventures of Robin Hood" is one of those four-star movies that few people younger than 50 have ever seen. Aside from such well-known classics as "Gone with the Wind" and "The Wizard of Oz," pre-WWII movies don't tend to scream at thirtysomethings from the the video store rack. Yet this "Robin Hood" always is held up as the definitive version, Kevin Costner be damned.

So I considered it my duty to give Ol' Errol a shot when "Robin Hood" was on TCM recently. No need to lay out the story since we all know it by now. The absence of good King Richard and the rise of evil Prince John leads a green-clad rogue to rob from the rich and give to the poor, ably assisted by Will Scarlett, Little John, Friar Tuck and the other merry men of Sherwood Forest. No Sheriff of Nottingham here, but Sir Guy of Gisbourne provides enough villainy, while Maid Marian gives Robin an itch in his tights.

For 1938, we get some pretty cool scenes, from vivid landscapes and costumes to lots o' arrows a-flying. I was genuinely surprised by all the killing on screen. No blood, sure, but a plenty of guys stumbling around with the business end of an arrow buried in their chests or even backs. It was messy business, flauting Prince John, I guess.

Flynn also was fun, although I have nothing to compare this performance with. I suppose "Captain Blood" is another famous role, but I've never seen that or any other Flynn movie. That leaves me to compare his Robin Hood to Jude Law's portrayal of Flynn in "The Aviator," and I suspect that's not very fair to Flynn.

Other actors came to play, too. Both Little John (played by the Skipper's dad) and Friar Tuck (some little fat guy) are amusing. Claude Rains, well known as Bogie's buddy in "Casablanca," is suitably sleazy as Prince John, while Basil Rathbone is snotty as Sir Guy. I guess Olivia de Havilland is beautiful as Maid Marian, but since we hardly ever see her without some kind of hair covering, I must reserve judgment. I mean, that just makes her another pretty face.

There's no question this movie loses something after, oh, almost 70 years. But that also makes it at least a little impressive: that a 1938 film can deliver decent action and colorful scenes. And really, when you can have a group of guys hanging out while wearing tights and not think they're a little sweet on each other, that's acting.