The Adventures of Robin Hood - British Television Series
Episode "One Man's Meat" (1957)

Robin Hood (Richard Greene) and his friend, Friar Tuck (Alexander Gauge), go to visit Master Edmond Woodstock (Robin Bailey), a local squire. They have been promised a feast at his home. When they get there, they first see Woodstock's serf, Patrick (Paul Eddington), who begs them to help him but does not get the chance to tell them what the problem is before Woodstock comes to the door to greet them. Woodstock has also invited local pig farmer, Thaddeus Goldfinch (Kevin Stoney). Woodstock then tells them he has discovered a new food he is going to serve them that is more healthful than any food they have eaten before and he calls it The New Ambrosia. It turns out this food is a mix of dandelion, clover, acorns and other forest items. Goldfinch is enraged that Woodstock would try to serve him this concoction and storms out. Robin and Tuck stay and find the New Ambrosia to be less than appetizing although they try to cover up their distaste.

Woodstock advises Robin and Tuck that he and his serfs have been eating nothing else for weeks. He notes that it costs almost nothing to produce the New Ambrosia. He tests the strength of his serfs each week because he is so convinced that the New Ambrosia is improving their health. He sets out to prove this to Robin and Tuck and has the serfs trying to lift rocks. One of them, Henry (Gary Raymond) cannot lift his rock very high and Woodstock asks his weight which he reports as 168 pounds, 7 less than the previous week. Squire Woodstock is upset at this and feels the serfs are not cooperating with his "experiment." He asks Robin and Tuck to talk to them. When they do the serfs beg them to bring real food. As they emerge from talking to the serfs they see that Tuck's donkey, Helen is eating from a bag of the New Ambrosia that Woodstock had given Robin as a gift. She had been unwilling to eat her usual food earlier but now is eating the New Ambrosia with gusto.

Robin and Tuck agree that Squire Woodstock is a proud man and that he is trying to deal with the fact that he had a crop failure the year before and now has no money to buy food for himself and his serfs. Robin hatches a scheme to supply the serfs with food while he and Tuck do an experiment with the New Ambrosia on six of Squire Goldfinch's "borrowed" pigs. They go to Goldfinch's farm, leave the pen open, take the pigs that run out, and feed three of them with their usual food and three with the New Ambrosia. Sure enough, the three pigs fed with the New Ambrosia gain much more weight. Robin and Tuck then invite Thaddeus over and show him the results of their experiment. He is very impressed.

Robin and Tuck go to Woodstock's farm and admit they have been feeding the serfs for the last week which is why they did so well in their weekly tests and have gained back the weight they had lost. Woodstock declares that he is ruined as he will now have to feed them meat and other expensive foods. Then Robin and Tuck tell him that there are some customers for the New Ambrosia who thrive on it and show him the two sets of pigs. Thaddeus Goldfinch offers to buy all of the New Ambrosia Woodstock can make. Everyone is happy.

What an adorable show! It was obviously meant to be enjoyed by viewers of all ages and it is very entertaining. The actors all do a fine job and the story is delightful. It's a half hour show so it easily keeps the attention on its light premise. It is a very tame version of Robin Hood but still is engaging to watch.

Well, he only has a few short lines in this one. When Woodstock asks him to lift a rock and Henry has trouble with it, Woodstock tells him to "heave" the rock. Poor Henry responds, "I'm heaving, Master. I give you my word, I'm doing my best." When Robin and Tuck show up with rabbits and fowl for the serfs, the grateful Henry exclaims "A decent meal at last!" When Woodstock asks him to lift the rock the week after the serfs have had "real" food, Henry lifts it up above his head and holds it up until Woodstock tells him with some consternation that he can put it down now. Otherwise he is seen in the background looking agitated when he hasn't had any food other than the New Ambrosia for weeks and rather smug when he's had a week of the game Robin's buddy Derwent (Victor Woolf) hunts up for them. That is pretty much the sum total of his acting in this. But he does a fine job in one of his first filmed role and says his lines in an interesting "serf/peasant" accent that I would probably know more about if I were British.

Gary was only 22 when he made this so he's just as young and cute as he can be. He's got the longer, somewhat curly hair he has in The Moonraker and Look Back In Anger in this. He wears the same outfit for the entire episode, which is not surprising since I assume a serf's wardrobe doesn't amount to much. Plus the budget on this show looks minimal. It's still a great look: three-quarter length sleeved striped sweater jacket over a white shirt with black tights and calf high soft boots. Yes, it's tights again. Gary's long lean legs look fantastic in them. And the weight he refers to is his actual weight. His weight in all the magazines I have seen is always reported as 175 pounds.

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