Howard Hill
Encyclopedia
Howard Hill was an archer
who was unofficially referred to as the "World's Greatest Archer". He is the only person to win 196 archery field tournaments in succession. He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
in 1971 for his skill in archery.
During his performance as stunt archer for the film The Adventures of Robin Hood (in which Errol Flynn
plays the title character), Hill accomplished the most iconic archery shot of all time: Robin Hood splitting one arrow with another. In an episode of MythBusters
, none of the cast were able to replicate the end to end splitting of an arrow, and it is concluded that Howard Hill used an arrow shaft made of bamboo, not wood, for the famous shot.
Byron Ferguson, traditional bow hunter and trick-shot (Hill's successor in archery showmanship), was able to perfectly split one arrow with another using a modern laminated longbow for the History Channel special "Extreme Marksmen". The average archer has a chance to shoot a "Robin Hood" (splitting an arrow with another) every 1 in 10,000 shots.
Byron Ferguson, however, did not split a wooden arrow from nock to tip, as was portrayed in the movie, but telescoped a modern aluminum arrow into another.
The aluminum and carbon fiber arrow shafts used by modern archers are more consistent and straighter than wood arrows, making for more consistent archery shots. These facts make Howard Hill's feat more impressive since he used only cedar wood arrows. Hill had, however, designed and used specially made aluminum shafts to hunt rogue elephants in Africa for his full length, color film Tembo.
The splitting of the arrow story is refuted by Hollywood stuntman Buster Wiles, in his book My Days With Errol Flynn
. In the book, Wiles revealed that although Hill had split the end off of several arrows, he had been unable to split the arrow exactly as scripted (from end to end), and finally a specially constructed arrow with a large bladed head had been used, shot along a concealed wire. Nevertheless, Hill's accuracy was so great, he regularly hit the smallest of targets in live performances, as well as for films.
Both Wiles and Hill were long time friends of Errol Flynn and frequent guests at his house and on his yacht.
' Green Arrow
: The Longbow Hunters by Mike Grell
, Howard Hill is mentioned by Oliver Queen as having been his childhood idol. It is this series that depicts Ollie's meeting with Hill during a cruise that led to Queen's becoming the Emerald Archer.
In fact, it is repeatedly mentioned throughout the regular Green Arrow series that Oliver Queen met Howard Hill on a cruise ship shortly before falling overboard. Hill is shown shooting a quarter out of the air with the bow he used on the film The Adventures of Robin Hood. He then gives this bow to Queen, who later finds himself on a tropical island using that very bow to survive.
The bow makes a reappearance in the world of Oliver Queen when he begins to seek "spiritual guidance". It then becomes the bow he regularly uses in his crimefighting escapades.
When Oliver dies in Green Arrow #101 his son Connor Hawke
starts to use the Hill Bow to fight crime, and is still using it to this day.
In the first issue of Green Arrow: Year One
, Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) buys the bow Hill used during the filming of The Adventures of Robin Hood.
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
who was unofficially referred to as the "World's Greatest Archer". He is the only person to win 196 archery field tournaments in succession. He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame is a state museum located in Birmingham, Alabama, dedicated to communicating the state’s athletic history...
in 1971 for his skill in archery.
Performing
He would perform by doing difficult trick shots like shooting an apple or even a prune off of someone's head from as far as sixty feet, and then would likely top that by shooting at an even smaller target from the same distance or maybe even longer. He put out several short documentaries on archery, often featuring himself performing other trick shots like shooting a flipped coin from a distance or splitting a rolling ball made of wood. He would also sit on the ground and push his bow with his feet while pulling the arrow back; even from this position he was able to hit the bullseye.Acting
- Cruise of the Zaca (1952)
- Deep Sea Fishing (1952)
- Tembo (1951)
- Arrow Artistry (1951)
- Battle of Champs (1947)
- Cavalcade of Archery (1946)
- Wild Boar Hunt (1940)
- Sword FishingSword FishingSword Fishing is a 1939 short documentary film. It was nominated for an Academy Award in 1940 for Best Live Action Short Film, One-Reel....
(1939) - The Last Wilderness (1935)
Technical advisor and archery instructor
- Across the Wide MissouriAcross the Wide MissouriAcross the Wide Missouri is a 1947 historical work by Bernard DeVoto. It is the second volume of a trilogy that includes The Year of Decision and The Course of Empire ....
(1951) - The Bandit of Sherwood Forest (1946)
- Buffalo BillBuffalo BillWilliam Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a United States soldier, bison hunter and showman. He was born in the Iowa Territory , in LeClaire but lived several years in Canada before his family moved to the Kansas Territory. Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for service to the US...
(1944) - The Adventures of Robin HoodThe Adventures of Robin Hood (film)The Adventures of Robin Hood is a 1938 American swashbuckler film directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley. Filmed in Technicolor, the picture stars Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, and Claude Rains.-Plot:...
(1938)
During his performance as stunt archer for the film The Adventures of Robin Hood (in which Errol Flynn
Errol Flynn
Errol Leslie Flynn was an Australian-born actor. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films, being a legend and his flamboyant lifestyle.-Early life:...
plays the title character), Hill accomplished the most iconic archery shot of all time: Robin Hood splitting one arrow with another. In an episode of MythBusters
MythBusters
MythBusters is a science entertainment TV program created and produced by Beyond Television Productions for the Discovery Channel. The series is screened by numerous international broadcasters, including Discovery Channel Australia, Discovery Channel Latin America, Discovery Channel Canada, Quest...
, none of the cast were able to replicate the end to end splitting of an arrow, and it is concluded that Howard Hill used an arrow shaft made of bamboo, not wood, for the famous shot.
Byron Ferguson, however, did not split a wooden arrow from nock to tip, as was portrayed in the movie, but telescoped a modern aluminum arrow into another.
The aluminum and carbon fiber arrow shafts used by modern archers are more consistent and straighter than wood arrows, making for more consistent archery shots. These facts make Howard Hill's feat more impressive since he used only cedar wood arrows. Hill had, however, designed and used specially made aluminum shafts to hunt rogue elephants in Africa for his full length, color film Tembo.
The splitting of the arrow story is refuted by Hollywood stuntman Buster Wiles, in his book My Days With Errol Flynn
My Days With Errol Flynn
"My Days With Errol Flynn" is an autobiography written by Vernon 'Buster' Wiles and mainly concerning his time spent with Errol Flynn in Hollywood during the 1940s. The first edition was published in 1988....
. In the book, Wiles revealed that although Hill had split the end off of several arrows, he had been unable to split the arrow exactly as scripted (from end to end), and finally a specially constructed arrow with a large bladed head had been used, shot along a concealed wire. Nevertheless, Hill's accuracy was so great, he regularly hit the smallest of targets in live performances, as well as for films.
Both Wiles and Hill were long time friends of Errol Flynn and frequent guests at his house and on his yacht.
Fictional representations
In Book One of DC ComicsDC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
' Green Arrow
Green Arrow
Green Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
: The Longbow Hunters by Mike Grell
Mike Grell
Mike Grell is a comic book writer and artist, known for his work on books such as Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Jon Sable Freelance.-Early life:...
, Howard Hill is mentioned by Oliver Queen as having been his childhood idol. It is this series that depicts Ollie's meeting with Hill during a cruise that led to Queen's becoming the Emerald Archer.
In fact, it is repeatedly mentioned throughout the regular Green Arrow series that Oliver Queen met Howard Hill on a cruise ship shortly before falling overboard. Hill is shown shooting a quarter out of the air with the bow he used on the film The Adventures of Robin Hood. He then gives this bow to Queen, who later finds himself on a tropical island using that very bow to survive.
The bow makes a reappearance in the world of Oliver Queen when he begins to seek "spiritual guidance". It then becomes the bow he regularly uses in his crimefighting escapades.
When Oliver dies in Green Arrow #101 his son Connor Hawke
Connor Hawke
Connor Hawke is a DC Comics superhero who operated as the second Green Arrow, created by Kelley Puckett and Jim Aparo. Connor is the son of Oliver Queen, the original Green Arrow, and his former girlfriend Moonday "Sandra" Hawke...
starts to use the Hill Bow to fight crime, and is still using it to this day.
In the first issue of Green Arrow: Year One
Green Arrow: Year One
Green Arrow: Year One is a 2007 Green Arrow limited series published by DC Comics. The series is written by Andy Diggle with art by Jock, the acclaimed team behind The Losers.-Plot summary:...
, Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) buys the bow Hill used during the filming of The Adventures of Robin Hood.