Scott and Hollywood

Sir Walter Scott had a profound effect on English Literature. For his Waverley novels he was credited as the inventor of the historical fiction. The representations of Robin Hood as a witty Anglo-Saxon fighting Norman lords was first presented in the novel Ivanhoe by Walter Scott.  In the 19^th century America fell in love with Walter Scott’s romanticism in novels and then in the 20^th century the masses flocked to see Walter Scott’s work on the big screen multiple times. As presented in this article between 1909 and 1914, fourteen movies from Sir Walter Scott novels were made. As the years progressed many of Scott’s novels were turned into movies. The Heart of Midlothian was made twice in 1914. In 1952 Walter Scott’s novel Ivanhoe was adapted to a film which starred Robert Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor and Joan Fontaine. The film itself was nominated for 3 Oscars and 2 golden globes. In the movie of Ivanhoe, Ivanhoe and Robin Hood team up to free King Richard and put him back on the throne from Prince John, King Richard’s treacherous brother who has taken over the Kingdom.  Robert Taylor went onto star in two more movies from Sir Walter Scott’s work. He stared in Knights of the Round Table (1953) which was nominated for 2 Oscars and also The Adventures of Quentin Durward (1955). Most recently Rob Roy one of Sir Walter Scott’s novels was turned into a movie and starred none other than the man who trained Batman, Obi Wan, Darth Vader and who has a particular set of skills, Liam Neeson. Rob Roy was nominated for both an Oscar and a Golden Globe. Rob Roy is a story of a Scottish Highlander who borrows money from a local lord to invest in his village. When the money is stolen all hell breaks loose in an epic battle between the highlanders and lowlanders.Not only did Sir Walter Scott fill bookshelves across America, he also filled movie theaters . Sir Walter Scott had a privilege to be a bestselling author and have his novels turned into movies even after hundreds of years after his death which speaks volumes of his legacy in America.

Anas Ahmed