Hi all
A lovely friend of ours sent us this link. We really enjoyed it. Love Genene
And thank you Gary Stewart.
— tassie devil
Archive for April, 2014
An Omelette at the Mocambo
29
Apr
Most people would end up with egg on their face after such a public rumpus. Not Our Man Flynn.
— Tim
Errol Strikes Gold in New Guinea – By the Light of His Hurricane Lamps
29
Apr
When Errol moved to Salamaua, Papua New Guinea, he “plunged” himself into reading great works of literature – through “Russian novelists, Greek philosophers, French writers” he nightly “skipped, waded, muddled” and “sometimes swam well”, by the light of his hurricane lamps, fondling these books as if [he] were running his hands through a lovely woman’s hair”. “An inner need for learning sprang up in [him]” “to connect with the ideas of the world” – a need that proved pivotal in his life. This was where and how Errol found gold in New Guinea, as he put it.
Here’s Errol’s own description of that transformative time & experience:
And here’s pre-WWII Salamaua, where Errol lived:
Errol’s Jungle Reading List included:
Aristotle
Honore de Balzac
George Baudelaire (Correction: that should obviously be Charles Baudelaire!)
Victor Hugo
Guy de Maupassant
Plato
Edmond Rostand – Errol particularly liked the “beauty of style” of Rostand, who he read with the help of a French dictionary, and said had the “greatest influence upon [him]”. He specifically cited L’Aiglon, the story of Napoleon II. I imagine he also read Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac. Here’s some images of the books as Errol may have seen them:
Robert Louis Stevenson
H. G. Wells
Here are some 1930 images of The Outline of History, as Errol may have seen it:
— Tim
Box Office
25
Apr
Here is a link to a nifty box office list for Flynn. It even mentions this blog. Since there were only half as many people living on the planet at that time you really have to double the numbers I think even though they are adjusted for inflation
— twinarchers
Out Like Flynn: Senor Fleen Sneaks Out Through the Banos Window
25
Apr
Party at the Hotel Florida! (… A Spanish Republican party at that!)
Gelhorn chasing Hemingway. Hemingway hitting Welles with a chair. Capa faking photos. The Duchess eating all the spinach. Philby spying for Stalin. Flynn sneaking out the bathroom window. F. Scott giving his highest praise.* Man, Errol got invited to (and skipped out of)the best parties!
* Doesn’t say so here, but I think John Dos Passos was hanging around the Hotel Florida in those days, too. In fact, didn’t he even write something about a bathroom there once? Heck, who knows, maybe that was the one Errol snuck out of!
— Tim
“Cruise of the Cotten” Starring Errol Flynn
24
Apr
Errol Joins Some Sailors Cruising the Med for Dinner!~ [Third week of September, 1955]
The “French Riviera” “controversial Bikini”, along with the “prettiest sightseeing [in the Mediterraranean] is discussed on the following page, page 27. The Ward Room where Errol likely dined is on p. 47.
In the Med, September, 1955 – Just how & when Errol saw her:
— Tim
Virile Errol’s Royal Pain in the Ass
24
Apr
Mystery Solved!
Who Brushwhacked The Baron-to-Be in Manhattan? Madame Natalie Paley LeLong,that’s who!
Here is Man Ray’s photographic portrait of Errol Flynn’s notorious “Princess Naomi Tiarovitch”, who, to my knowledge, has never been identified before in any document or forum. In fact, she is specifically never identified by her true name in any work I have seen regarding Flynn, including, of course, not in My Wicked, Wicked Ways. Using the “Errol Code” I have confirmed that she twice travelled on the same ship from Europe to New York with virile Errol*. The first time she was carrying with her a rather infamous hair brush. She was on a separate SS Paris passenger list than Errol, and she did not identify herself as Russian, nor as a princess – but she was indeed both. Mr. Flynn was telling the truth – in Errol Code!
This 1934 photographic rendering by Man Ray was published the same year Errol got the “brush off” from notorious Natalie:
And here’s a lovely portrait of her hanging in the Museum of Modern Art:
A website devoted to her life & career:
With her Royal Family, Natalie (aka Natalia) standing next to also prominent older sister Irina (aka Irene):
* Under different names and biographical descriptions.
— Tim
Santa Fe Trail DVD
24
Apr
For some reason that I don’t remember, this film is in the public domain and there are many versions of it available. The image below is far superior from the other pictured, and from what I have read its the best version. It also contains another feature as a bonus. Marengo Films puts it out but the copy I received the other day has a different cover than the one shown. As long as its from Marengo you are safe. This is one of Flynn’s better western films and maybe Warners will put out an official version at least as good looking as Virginia City. Has anyone else purchased this film and if so what have you found out? Diamond put out a version of One Eyed Jacks with Marlon Brando and one person has purchased 19 different versions of that film which all come from the laser disc release that was official.
The image below is another version I have and it’s the one to stay away from, a Diamond release. Very poor quality.
— twinarchers
“They Died With Their Boots On”-Some “Then & Now” Outtakes
23
Apr
Here are a couple of samples that won’t be in the book, mostly because they just aren’t good enough, but also because I don’t want it to be Flynn-heavy. The publisher who first expressed interest convinced me to widen the scope of film choices to include more films from recent times, something I reluctantly agreed to even though seriously cutting into the samples from classic films.
Often, film locations will be discovered, only to pose difficulties in positioning oneself in the precise spot from which the movie’s cameraman filmed the scene (David can attest to this, having joined me on a search I was doing to set up a shot for a scene from “Charge of the Light Brigade”). Also, although only official stills are being used for the book, there are occasions when no stills were taken for a particular scene and I use a screen grab to locate and set up a “Now” shot for my own interest. This is the case in the two samples shown here. I may not be publishing them, but they are fun for me to share with fellow fans on the blog.
The wide sample is a composite of screen grabs and my location photos. I will often put a composite together to show a wider view of the location that the panning movie camera didn’t capture in one framing (see the duel with Friar Tuck in my “Then & Now” page). The two stitched screen grabs show Flynn on horseback in both shots, and required me to shoot from two positions to replicate the panorama. The results are less than satisfactory (there are condominiums and overgrown trees now in the way), but I think we Flynn fans can appreciate it more than would the ordinary film fan.
Also included is a sample from another scene from the same basic location, a better lining- up of my “Now” shot but less interesting because the scene doesn’t highlight Flynn.
Enjoy!
— Robert
Who is it? Who is it?
23
Apr
Who is She or He?
1) He or she was born in France.
2) His or her father was a famous Parisian.
3) His or her portrait – painted before meeting Errol – hangs in a leading museum.
4) Many considered him or her to be handsome or beautiful.
5) He or she was a friend of Noel Coward, as was his or her very close companion.
6) George Cukor liked him or her, also.
7) He or she had relations with a number of notable men.
8) He or she once made a movie with Merle Oberon.
9) He or she was almost in a movie with Errol.
10) He or she is mentioned in MWWW, but not his or her wife or husband or partner.
— Tim
