Dulcop Maid Marian Possible Not
Back in the 1990’s collectors were treated to the import of various Dulcop figures. One of the Dulcop sets was Robin Hood. This set had six figures: Robin Hood, Little John, Friar Tuck , Merryman firing a bow , Merryman with long staff and Maid Marian. The last figure people had question if it was really was Maid Marian. Some people thought it might another character figure such as Nell Gwyn. Other people thought it might be someone else.
Our very good friend Floyd Wilson feels it is Maid Marian. He found a movie called Prince of Thieves that might be the source for this figure. This is not the 1991 film with Kevin Costner, but a Prince of Thieves done in 1948. The film was made by the infamous producer Sam Katzman. Sam Katzman was know for his cheap and quick productions. He was known to use done on their luck actors for their name value. One famous story on Sam Katzman is a film was behind schedule and he wanted to know why. When told that there was so many pages left of the script to do, he supposedly tore a bunch of pages out to get it back on schedule. Sam Katzman was known for the Jungle Jim movies with Johnny Weissmuller.
Here is a photo from the movie Prince of Thieves. On the left is Jon Hall later famous for Ramar of the Jungle television show as Robin Hood. On the right is Michael Duane as Sir Alan Claire I believe. In the center is Patricia Morison as Lady Marian Claire. You will noticed how the costume is similar to the Dulcop figure. One other interesting note on this film is they reused the sets from a previous movie Bandit of Sherwood Forest.
So What do you think? Is Floyd right or wrong?
Update
We received some information from Paul Morehead editor of Plastic Warrior magazine in regards to this question and answer, here it is,
Dulcop: Many years ago, Plastic Warrior briefly went into the import business.
We were the first to import collectors’ plastic figures, new and remould, into the UK.
We bought a huge consignment from Dulcop, and in their catalogue that figure is definitely listed as Maid Marion. When we saw her we realised that the costume was several centuries too late, so we decided to sell her as “Mounted Nell Gwyn”. So it may well be our fault she is known as that.
A bad day for the researchers at Dulcop.
I’ve always thought it was Maid Marian, simply because it came with the first Dulcop Robin Hood set I purchased from Company B at OTSN, and then also came with the same set I later purchased from James Delson. Company B and James Delson both labeled her as “Maid Marian”.
But granted, when I first saw these figures, the thought occurred to me that the “Maid Marian” figure’s dress and bonnet looked to be of a slightly later historical period — more than a century later, in fact.
Incidently, the set pictured above also came with two Sheriff of Nottingham Norman men-at-arms, both with unreasonably short swords.
And I just remembered that later sets also came with two mounted knights (on the same standard Dulcop horse pictured above) —- one with a nice long lance, and the other swinging ball & chain.
Was there a mounted figure for the horse?
Yes, the female “Maid Marian” figure is actually a mounted figure, who sits side-saddle on the horse.
The photo Stad posted from the front looks like she’s standing; but if you saw the pose from the side, you can see she is sitting, as in side-saddle, with a hole on her underside to plug into the prong on the horse.
Don
he figure is a riding pose she sits side saddle.
You musta read my mind
The set original in painted version on window box come as show above minus the maid.
The maid and mounted sheriff with two foot men at arms were in other window box.
Both later were put together w heavy armor knights and sold reissues .
The two heavy armor knights were intended x the 8 poses heavy knights foot poses no for the RH series.
I think the maid has to be the main character,L Marian .
I will look in both painted version cases to see if box said any in back.Oh boy another digging!! 🙂 🙂
Like to add ,the knights horses were very well done with extra different separated field terrain base and cover dress ,almost like Timpo, but more PLASTY from Germany.
The later reissue one pose horse was last designed from Dulcop brand and done for all western series, included US cavalry and CMP.
Napoleonic had a different horse never reissue too!?Here I’m a bit confuse as I don’t have it.
I will try contact Imaperro Laritssa to get more information regarding the Robin Hood maid. He usually post at PW .
Peter could you help here???Thanks.
Don you correct in both.
Historical she looks like much later renaissance period woman in dress Wile the sheriff pose was done correct and not base in the named movie as he too in the 1948 movie is portray in much later dress.
In the men at arms come with short weapons , common in many other Dulcop too such all Napoleonic mounted .
I manage get a big lot and converted for siege machine operator in generic medieval battles by just cutting the knifes.They blend great with Reamsa smaller size crusades for the (EL CID) set.
Nothing to say 🙂
http://toysoldiers.spb.ru/refs/italy/dulcop-robinbox.jpg
Thanks Denitz for the photo of the Robin Hood box. I can see what Erwin was saying the knight horses are nice.
I think by the time I got the sets from Company B and Delson, everything was in simplified recast mode, and they came with the standard Dulcop horse, without the nice armor of the original boxed sets.
Thanks denitz.Yep those are the more nice horses.
My sets are split in two sets.
On has the sherif,two men at arms poses and a cataputl w same tree in window case.
Others only robin band with a different tree s not showed here.
I also got the two mounted knights in heavy armor inside window case with painted foot heavy armor knights.
I forgot lady Marian is w sherif set too .
I will try digg then out soo…
Yuppers, her outfit wouldn’t appear in ‘Ye Olde Sears Catalog’ until the late 1400’s as far as I can discern from the pic. The Robin Hood story took place near the end of Richard I’s reign, late 1100’s.
I don’t think historical accuracy had much to do with any depictions of Robin Hood until recently (although I was amazed to discover in the Russell Crowe movie there were Higgins Boat – style landing craft back in the latter 12th Century). Face it, the “Errol Flynn” Robin Hood, which pretty much set the example for most later Robin Hoods was better suited to the Renaissance than the actual time of the origins of the legend. And as kids we didn’t care any more than we paid attention to late Middle Ages plate armor on King Arthur’s knights.
I remember the figure being sold as Maid Marian and that’s undoubtedly who she was intended to be; I was never fond of the figures in that set but if I was to get my hands on that figure I would probably use her for something other than Robin Hood.
Yeah that last movie was a shame and waste in all, the robin guys moving taking cover like in modern military training advancing and moving Special forces training way. The hold Robin thing is just a folklore tale nothing more but like king Arthur has been done more in film than many real and historic event. So popularity had force toy makers to bring it back x years. I do not use any of then as so but definitely x any else.
Interesting Dulcop Knight set of knight show the same way I got my Knights ,included mounted showed in nice never reissue different horse and mounted poses intended to go first with armor foot knights
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DULCOP-knights-plastic-vintage-toy-soldiers-1-32-/121908748350?hash=item1c6253e03e:g:Gc0AAOSwFNZWtzz3