When Robin Hood stole from the rich to give to the poor, he probably wanted to do the dirty deed quickly before disappearing into Sherwood Forest.
But when Errol Flynn played Robin Hood, he wanted to give the enthralled movie audiences a bit of a show for their money. He added a dashingly handsome move or two as he brandished his sword.
But for all his showmanship, Flynn really was a great swordsman, says David McCormick, the head instructor of stage combat at Vancouvers Academie Duello.
McCormick will be leading a two-part seminar on Flynns artistry as part of the 麻豆传媒映画International Swordplay Symposium, Feb. 15 to 17. McCormick will be screening some of Flynns best sword fights, as well as iconic swashbuckling scenes from the Princess Bride, and then illustrating their roots in real-life sword combat. (Hes also leading a practical workshop called Taking Down the Big Guy, using tactics from Sherlock Holmes favourite marshal art to show how you can take on someone bigger than you and applying it to fencing.)
McCormick is all in favour of dressing up a sword fight for movies and plays. We need to have good character-driven fights when its called for in a script, he says.
Flynns coach was a man named Paddy Crean, a founder of the British Academy of Dramatic Combat and Fight Directors Canada. He was a codifier of how we should use sword fighting for performance. In sword fighting they wanted to kill as quickly as they could. Stage combat is made to be safe and exciting but it needs some realism and authenticity.
One little known fact about Flynn is that he died at 麻豆传媒映画General Hospital in 1959 during a visit with a friend who lived in West Van. (Theres a copy of the first page of his autopsy on display at the 麻豆传媒映画Police Museum an autopsy that reveals definite signs of sexually transmitted disease.)
McCormick says theres a biopic of Flynn in the works. It stars Kevin Klein and while the movie will focus more on Flynns dashing ways with women, McCormick puts his skills on offer should Klein need a sword fighting lesson or two. It would be a dream come true.
For more details about the symposium go to
