Happy Birthday Errol. You were “a specimen of what a desperate and hard man will do to get on”. And you were “a simple, peace loving, home loving, law abiding man with the heart of a child”. You were a man of extreme adventure, and some larceny; and in your wake you left behind the story of an amazing life.
And then there was his legendary Birthday of ’39. Here’s how Louella Parsons reported it the next day:
“Errol Flynn’s 29th birthday yesterday was a dismal affair to put it mildly. He spent it in bed with plasters, doctors and all the trimmings after an automobile smashup the night before. He and Lili were driving along Sunset Boulevard when two pedestrians ran out in front of their car. In trying to avoid hitting them, Errol drove his automobile straight into a wall, cutting himself so badly that six stitches were taken near his eye and 12 in his lip. Lili was badly shaken but not hurt. Elizabeth and Essex, in which Flynn has been working with Bette Davis, has been held up for a week until Essex is well enough to do his stuff.”
Wow! That wall must have hurt as much as one of Lili’s champagne bottles!
I think you’re right, David! Harrison Carroll wrote this a few days later:
“The Errol-Flynn-Lili-Damita “automobile accident” certainly left two ribbers holding the sack. The very next night, Alan Hale and Donald Crisp had planned to deposit a broken-down horse on Flynn’s doorstep. They had bought the horse and are now too kind-hearted to send it to the glue factory … so they are stuck with it.”
Erskine Johnson attributed the injury to “a wave of bad luck … brought by Bette Davis’ mirror-breaking scene in Elzabeth and Essex”.
In a separate article, Harrison Carroll reported that Errol’s “father, mother, sister, and two cousins” “arrived by plane” just before his birthday. I wonder what they all thought of Miss Dynamita!
Just had to jump on the bandwagon! Yes David they indeed broke that particular mold. Tony, I knew a man that would chase his kids around with water pistols and never really grew up. Errol will stay forever Young! One more thing, Hollyrock sure gave him a great set of choppers..LOL
Cheez..June 20th already??!!
I believe the crash on Sunset was made up to cover-up a champagne birthday bash and gash by Lady Lil’, but I’m not positive these photos depict that particular Flynncident.
(I have a copy of another photo – with Errol in a white jacket and shirt, with black ascot – that may fit the bill, too.)
Do you know the date by any chance? (The calendar date, that is.) (Or, the one on Errol’s left, if that’s what she is?!)
twinarchers
June 20, 2017 at 6:52 pm
I getting a drink right now to toast him. A Deep Eddy’s Lemon I think.
Tony
June 20, 2017 at 7:08 pm
Happy Birthday Errol. You were “a specimen of what a desperate and hard man will do to get on”. And you were “a simple, peace loving, home loving, law abiding man with the heart of a child”. You were a man of extreme adventure, and some larceny; and in your wake you left behind the story of an amazing life.
Gentleman Tim
June 20, 2017 at 7:30 pm
[img]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/4d/04/14/4d041433a6932b40a050c9863168ec68.jpg[/img]
Tony
June 20, 2017 at 8:13 pm
I can’t help but smile looking at that picture. Thanks Gentleman Tim.
The Zaca
June 20, 2017 at 9:47 pm
Thanks David. He’d be 108 years old – gads – hard to fathom. There will never, ever be another like him.
David DeWitt
June 21, 2017 at 12:33 am
Agree! They broke the mold after he was brought into the world!
Gentleman Tim
June 20, 2017 at 11:54 pm
And then there was his legendary Birthday of ’39. Here’s how Louella Parsons reported it the next day:
“Errol Flynn’s 29th birthday yesterday was a dismal affair to put it mildly. He spent it in bed with plasters, doctors and all the trimmings after an automobile smashup the night before. He and Lili were driving along Sunset Boulevard when two pedestrians ran out in front of their car. In trying to avoid hitting them, Errol drove his automobile straight into a wall, cutting himself so badly that six stitches were taken near his eye and 12 in his lip. Lili was badly shaken but not hurt. Elizabeth and Essex, in which Flynn has been working with Bette Davis, has been held up for a week until Essex is well enough to do his stuff.”
Wow! That wall must have hurt as much as one of Lili’s champagne bottles!
[img]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/6b/bd/db/6bbddbe0ffef76f6e7883c2d0548f5a3.jpg[/img]
David DeWitt
June 21, 2017 at 12:32 am
This must be when Lili hit him with a champagne bottle!
Gentleman Tim
June 21, 2017 at 1:41 am
I think you’re right, David! Harrison Carroll wrote this a few days later:
“The Errol-Flynn-Lili-Damita “automobile accident” certainly left two ribbers holding the sack. The very next night, Alan Hale and Donald Crisp had planned to deposit a broken-down horse on Flynn’s doorstep. They had bought the horse and are now too kind-hearted to send it to the glue factory … so they are stuck with it.”
Erskine Johnson attributed the injury to “a wave of bad luck … brought by Bette Davis’ mirror-breaking scene in Elzabeth and Essex”.
Gentleman Tim
June 21, 2017 at 1:48 am
In a separate article, Harrison Carroll reported that Errol’s “father, mother, sister, and two cousins” “arrived by plane” just before his birthday. I wonder what they all thought of Miss Dynamita!
timerider
June 21, 2017 at 3:16 pm
I loved Lili! Wadda hot tamale!! Both of them were very young and tempered.
Gentleman Tim
June 22, 2017 at 2:28 am
right you are timerider!!
[img]https://media.giphy.com/media/74GMf1LtoWIco/giphy.gif[/img]
[img]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/27/28/08/272808e631287aabccba222641e0ce3a.jpg[/img]
ILIKEFLYNN
June 21, 2017 at 2:27 am
Just wanted to say, “Bung Ho, everybody!”
The publicity stuff is very interesting. Don’t have much to add but, Happy Birthday to Our Hero, Errol! He doesn’t look a day over 108!–A. R.
Bob Schaffer
June 21, 2017 at 12:50 pm
Amazing that he is more contemporary than we living mortals. To the Baron thru whom we are still living vicariously.
timerider
June 21, 2017 at 3:09 pm
Just had to jump on the bandwagon! Yes David they indeed broke that particular mold. Tony, I knew a man that would chase his kids around with water pistols and never really grew up. Errol will stay forever Young! One more thing, Hollyrock sure gave him a great set of choppers..LOL
Cheez..June 20th already??!!
shangheinz
June 21, 2017 at 4:35 pm
[img]http://www.theerrolflynnblog.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/image-5.jpg[/img]
G’bday Old Sport and “Happy Birthday!” to Aussie lass Nicole Kidman too, who shares Errol’s birthday.
Ada Klock
June 21, 2017 at 10:28 pm
Whether from a champagne bottle or a wall, that smile says it all!
[img]http://www.theerrolflynnblog.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/tmp_10690-1939-32b-June-21-after-anniv.-battle-1060696473.jpg[/img]
Gentleman Tim
June 22, 2017 at 1:23 am
Great photo, Ada! Thanks for sharing it with us!
I believe the crash on Sunset was made up to cover-up a champagne birthday bash and gash by Lady Lil’, but I’m not positive these photos depict that particular Flynncident.
(I have a copy of another photo – with Errol in a white jacket and shirt, with black ascot – that may fit the bill, too.)
Do you know the date by any chance? (The calendar date, that is.) (Or, the one on Errol’s left, if that’s what she is?!)
Tony
June 22, 2017 at 3:58 am
Hi Ada Klock,
I don’t remember seeing that picture before, thanks for posting it!
Tony