Actually, Flynn had few equals, if any, among the Hollywood crowd. Bill Tilden, the Federer of his day, made it clear that if Errol had wanted to, put his mind to playing tennis seriously he would have been world class.
He tried to teach me but, as I mention in my books, I had an older brother I disliked intensely who played at Wimbledon Lawn and Tennis Club — as a member — and any thought that reminded me of him was a turn-off. I did however go on to be a world class amateur archer who shot on US teams and in National tournaments. I was married then to a woman named Constance whom was actually better than I was and end up at one time breaking a lot of California records and ranking 4th in the world. Together, with her high scores, we won the National Husband and Wife trophy (1963) held at UCLA.
I loved archery and went hunting and plinking (shooting at tin cans, etc) with Rory Calhoun and Guy Madison frequently, and did exhibitions with the famed Howard Hill — Errol's buddy.
Hope this answers your question, pal
— ivan6gold
Anonymous
September 12, 2008 at 6:06 am
Thanks, Steve! I applaud your tenacity, skill and talent with a bow! I used to make bows and arrows as a ten year old kid – just playing around at being Robin Hood with my neighborhood friends and you could tell even with a home made bow what a serious weapon this really could be in adult hands.
Later, I tried to pull the string back on a hunting bow and could barely move it! It takes real strengh to do this much less HOLD it until you are ready to shoot so I am really impressed not only with your accomplishments with a bow over the years and that of your wife, too – but with the fact that you held your own with the great Howard Hill!
I have seen films of his shooting skills and he must have been matchless in his time. I understand that even in his later years he could still pull back the string on a hunting bow as easily as he did when he was a much younger man.
Your book is going to be a fascinating read for me!
Anonymous
September 29, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Dave, a quick addition to the archery talk.
In the mid-sixties my then-wife, Constance, and I used to go to Seattle aand stay with a famous Seattle archer Ed Eliason and his wife Joannie. They lived, if memory recalls correctly, on 12th N.W. Street. Ed, Constance and I shot against the Candian archery teams that would cross the border and compete. It frequently rained (reminding me of why I left England) and I hated shooting in it. Once it hailed. I remember watch hailstones literally beat down my arrow in flight so that it landing in the grass sif feet in front of the target!!
But the comradery was well worth the inclement weather! Good memories. Ed went on to world fame as an archer. Great guy!
In case you're ever interested, there is a book I once wrote called: The Third Invention – How the bow and arrow changed history — that is still around on a few rare book sites online. It has great sketches inside by a young comic-book artist, and has a chapter on Howard Hill and Errol Flynn while shooting Robin Hood. I think I gave Jack Marino a copy. Anyway, check it out. I don't get any money from the sales any more but it is a good read.
Anonymous
September 30, 2008 at 4:00 am
David – I'm glad someone outside of archery recognizes Howard's name. I had a reader of my Googie books email me and ask me about Howard and though she was almost fifty (I'll keep her name a secret so she doesn't kill me) she'd never heard of him. What a shame. Along with the Thompson brothers (Witchery of Archery) two brothers who after the Civil War (no guns for rebs) took up the bow and arrow and over the years founded the sport and the national archery association. I mean, Howard did for hunting what the Thompsons did for target archery and Ishi did for California Indians! Feel I'm growing older and more out of touch every day!!