RH film set trivia (copy of my post on rhbbc)
We know that Robin Hood filmed in Hungary. Where exactly, and what else is known about the setting? I am something of a location geek, and having been to a few locations for films I like (which eventually led to a transatlantic move ;) ), kept wondering if any parts of the Nottingham set could be pinpointed (and, if possible, visited). Part of the inspiration was again provided by Aceofhadeon, who acquainted me with another interesting historical series - more on that below.
The result? In a nutshell, two points.
1. The location was a permanent backlot set constructed at Mafilm studios in Fot, a suburb of Budapest (here is a link to Mafilm’s site that has backlot pictures http://www.mafilm.hu/hu/diszlet/index.html). Unfortunately, it does not look like it is open to the public.
2. The set was built in late 1993 or early 1994 for a 12th-century series called Cadfael (that is the one Ace helped me discover, and it proved an amusing coincidence once I recognized the set), and was also apparently used for a 1998 Disney film called A Knight in Camelot.
Here is an aerial picture of the Mafilm set, with the castle in its bottom left hand corner, against the RH representation of said castle courtyard:
And here is a familiar detail of that set, next to its RH incarnation (set picture looks older, ie less weather-worn):
…and another detail, next to both the Cadfael and RH versions (see how much it has aged in 15 or so years since the Cadfael construction!):
But I did not post to bore you with factual details. As any RH geek fangirl viewer worth her screencap collection will know, why settle for RL explanations when more fun can be had retrofitting stuff?
So…
Apparently, there existed close ties between medieval Shrewsbury and Nottingham. And they were not limited to Lady Isabella’s ill-fated marriage.
The towns employed the same architects and builders for their defences, who put up distinctive-shaped battlements…
…used the same courtyard layouts…
…liked monumental steps where people could hang out and ‘be seen’…
…built convenient loggias for quiet observation and eavesdropping….
…and long open galleries for open-air exercise and meditation…
…as well as long enclosed galleries custom-made for plotting.
Their landscape designers liked to enliven drab courtyards with bits of greenery…
…though Nottingham's tree attracted a better-looking sort of crowd…
Even their carpenters shared patterns for door carvings…
…and their blacksmiths used similar designs for chandeliers.
However, similar room designs were sometimes used for different purposes, such as royal audience chambers versus ladies’ quarters…
…and side staircase designs varied slightly, with Nottingham adding side walls for accident prevention and ease of sliding, if needed.
On another subject, Guy’s family seems to have had relatives in Shropshire, as a family heirloom was passed on to him from an ugly great-uncle there… but then Guy showed good business sense and sold it to Ye Olde Second Hande Shoppe in Nottingham, where it eventually got picked up by the visiting Jasper!
…but the most closely guarded dirty little secret of Nottingham nobles was that the Sheriff Shuttle, the Gizmobile, the Sleazeball Strongbox, and the Knighton Karriage were all obtained second-hand from a Shropshire dealer. Still, with fewer than 200 miles on them, they were good as new - and with the new pimped-up wheels they even looked sporty!
That's all folks, hope I did not bore you!
ETA I have since discovered that the same set was put to less wholesome but hilarious use at about the same time as Robin Hood was filmed there. Check this out:
http://community.livejournal.com/capslock_hood/122097.html