If a good adventure story is what you crave, look no further than Disney. Sure, lots of other studios have put out lots of other adventure films over the years, and a lot of them have been great, but few capture the true essence of the genre as films like Treasure Island (the studios first all live-action production), 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, Johnny Tremain, Davy Crockett, or Swiss Family Robinson. There is something special about these films, some magical element, which like the classic stories they were often adapted from, gives them a timeless quality, allowing them to hold up just as well today as when they were released. Maybe it’s a combination of factors that culminate in the creation of that special component - the exquisite, period-accurate costumes, the lush, big budget sets and scenery, the well written dialogue, etc. - but I think there’s something more. While those things all certainly help in making an absolutely fantastic movie, I tend to think that it’s the selection and treatment of the source material itself that gives these films the extra ingredient which turns them into classics. With these films, based on some of the most famous historical and literary works in the world, the adventure itself is the star. It’s given the spotlight, and therefore is at the very heart of the film, while all those other details are simply there in support of it. With a formula like that, coupled with their impeccable attention to detail, it comes as no surprise that Disney was able to create films that will seemingly live forever, delighting audiences for decades to come.

That said, it’s a real shame that their 1964 production of The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh has been overlooked often enough to keep it from being held in the same light as the aforementioned films, because it too shares all those same spectacular qualities. Perhaps it’s because it was originally presented in an episodic format as part of ABC’s The Wonderful World of Disney TV series, with an edited down theatrical release to come over ten years later. Or maybe it’s because the book it was based on, The Further Adventures of Doctor Syn by Russell Thorndike (and subsequently Christopher Syn by William Buchanan, which is essentially an American version of the same story), is not nearly as well known as the works of Robert Louis Stevenson or Jules Verne. Nevertheless, it definitely deserves a second look.

Patrick McGoohan (best known for his roles on The Prisoner and Danger Man) plays Dr. Christopher Syn, the mild mannered vicar of the small village of Dymchurch, nestled in the wetlands of Southeast England. Little do the inhabitants of this quiet little community know (well, all but a few anyway) that by night he doubles as The Scarecrow, the leader of a ruthless gang of smugglers (many of whom, like The Scarecrow himself, don menacing masks to hide their faces) who’ve been importing brandy illegally and reselling it to help the townsfolk pay the outlandish taxes imposed by the greedy King. Naturally when His Highness hears of these unlawful activities, he sends out his soldiers and Naval pressgangs to put a stop to The Scarecrow, regardless of the fact that he is a hero of sorts to the people of Dymchurch and his shady deeds are the only thing keeping the town afloat. Will the clever Dr. Syn be able to continue his covert criminal operation for the benefit of the people while safely concealing himself and the identities of his accomplices all under the watchful eye of the ever present King’s men?

I mean, what more could you ask for from an adventure tale than that? There’s a Batman-meets-Robin Hood vigilante hero (complete with sinister, fear inducing disguise) who fights undercover for the good of the people, whispered plots in secret candlelit chambers, horse drawn smuggling runs under midnight covering, bar room fist fights with the corrupt King’s henchmen….the list just goes on and on, and all presented in that quintessential Disney fashion (yet at the same time surprisingly dark in tone at times, especially for them). Add to that all the backstabbing, double crossing, and other such trickery present, and one might consider The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh the Pirates of the Caribbean of it’s time, albeit on a slightly less grand scale.

On the other hand, Scarecrow is also slightly reminiscent of the action packed serials of the 1940’s, but with the evil, masked mastermind now switched into playing the part of the hero rather than the villain. McGoohan does an excellent job in the dual role, turning the two alter egos into their own distinct, stand alone characters, making it all that much more believable that the townspeople could be so easily fooled. The episodic nature of Scarecrow also certainly adds to that feeling too, with each small challenge that the characters face acting as it’s own subplot yet at the same time all contributing to the main storyline as well.

The real film nerds among you will probably already know that the story of Dr. Syn was actually adapted for the screen several times before this version, first in 1937 as Doctor Syn starring George Arliss (which I regret I have never seen) and again in 1962 in what is probably the most well known version, Hammer Films’ Captain Clegg (aka Night Creatures). Having never read the original novel, I can’t accurately say which version is the closest, but I can point out that the Hammer film (which is not surprisingly much creepier and darker in tone) keeps the Captain Clegg back story that I’ve been told is present in the book (in which Dr. Syn/The Scarecrow was once a notorious pirate, yet they change the name of the character to Dr. Blyss of all things) while the Disney version does away with the pirate angle altogether for whatever reason.

Hopefully this film will be given the legitimate DVD release it deserves someday (it’s one of those movies that’s been rumored several times) and hopefully in the fully uncut, mini-series format rather than the edited theatrical version (1975’s Dr. Syn, Alias The Scarecrow) that I mentioned above. Until then, if you want to see the adventurous exploits of this ominous ne’er-do-well with a heart of gold (well, almost), you’ll just have to track down a copy some other way. It’s definitely worth it.