Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue

Release Date: October 26, 1953

The setting for this movie is the early 18th century in Scotland. Several clans rose up against King George I, wanting to replace him with James Stuart. Eventually all clans gave in, except for the MacGregors, led by Rob Roy. After a battle at the beginning of the movie, Rob Roy is arrested, but he escapes and makes his way home. He marries the girl he loves, but on their wedding night a small army is sent by the Duke of Montrose to arrest him. 

Rob Roy escapes by going over a waterfall, and sneaks back home. The MacGregor clan has been forbidden to use its name and Killearn threatens to tax them for every last penny and piece of land. Rob Roy threatens to retaliate for anything done to his clan. He carries out this threat until the Duke of Montrose sends Killearn to arrest Rob's mother to set a trap. A battle ensues, and his mother is killed.

Blinded by rage, hatred, and vengeance, Rob Roy leads his clan against Killearn and the "red coats" stationed with him. The MacGregor clan lays siege to their fortress. Meanwhile, in London, Rob Roy is already becoming a legend. The Duke of Montrose requests an army of 6,000 men to attack the MacGregor clan and kill Rob and his followers. At the same time, the Duke of Argyll, one who is sympathetic towards Rob, goes before the king to beg for a pardon. He believes truth and diplomacy are better than violence.

In a movie full of action and that could have glorified violence in the name of honor, I loved the message about violence not being the answer. As Rob pursued revenge against his enemies, he was becoming just as brutal as they were. After taking a fort and killing Killearn, Rob Roy and his clan vow to fight to the last man. At this point, Rob's wife Helen Mary steps in and scolds them.

"Ay, you're brave men! And when the English armies come and set the whole Highlands aflame and bravely you'll die to the last man. And then nothing will be left of the clan MacGregor, nothing but the women and the burned houses and the fatherless bern to tell of your glorious deeds. You think I'll sing your praises then, Robert MacGregor? No. I'll say that once you were a man that wanted to save your people... I honored you then, but I do not honor you now."

What a great reminder of the senselessness of violence, hatred, and vengeance!

The movie doesn't have a lot of humor, but there is a fun scene where Rob goes to the MacPherson home to ask Helen to marry him. Helen's father decides that moment is a perfect time to clean and practice his bagpipes. It's obvious that he is doing it on purpose and it made me laugh. The humor in this scene is immediately contrasted in the next when the wedding celebration is interrupted by Rob's arrest.

In his autobiography, Richard Todd talks about the adventures they had while filming this movie. Hundreds of "actors" used for the soldiers were actually part of a real battalion that had just returned from Korea. In his own words, Todd said, "That they entered into the fray with a will would be an understatement. I was soon to see why the medical unit and ambulances had been provided." Over a hundred injuries were treated after the first day due to the overzealous soldiers!

Richard Todd did not go without an injury himself! In the opening sequence, shortly after charging on the redcoats, he stepped in a rabbit hole and suffered an injury that incapacitated him for a short while! Filming on location in Scotland certainly had its excitement! Another funny story is while in Scotland, they toured places owned by descendants of the characters they were portraying. At one point, they visited a farm and when a woman opened the door, Richard Todd's companion introduced him as Rob Roy. The woman lost it, thinking it was the ghost of the real Rob Roy!

This is the final movie that Richard Todd made with Disney, and his acting in it is excellent! I also love that he got to act alongside Glynis Johns and James Robertson Justice again! Everyone played their part so perfectly. It's a shame that Richard Todd didn't do more films with Disney, because all three movies he starred in were wonderful and well worth watching!