Is there actual, concrete evidence Errol was nominated in 1957? All I found was “rumors”. Newspapers of the time have zero mention but one article mentioning “talk”… In Jan, 1958 they were suggesting a nomination. He wasn’t in LA until October, 1957. Then went to NY, and then Detroit, Cincinnati, Africa, Paris and so on. On Feb 17th, 1958 when they actually nominated actors he wasn’t mentioned. He wasn’t nominated that year. In February, he left to go to Africa. March 26, 1958 it just states that it was a pity Errol’s role in Roots of Heaven was bypassed. His relationship with Beverly Aaudland was new young and the majority of people didn’t even know it existed at the time. He was still with Pat in Jan 1958. Below is an article from the Oscar night he would have been considered for. The reasons for no nomination couldn’t have been related to Castro as he didn’t meet him till Dec, 1958. Also, he couldn’t have been in a hotel room with Bev and the Nora’s girls as they first me her in August of 1959. Bev and Errol were still testing their relationship while he was in Africa. So no, Bev wasn’t the reason Errol dropped the nomination, either.
— Selene Hutchison-Zuffi
shangheinz
January 28, 2022 at 7:15 am
Errol, the perennial promoter, was never shy to blow his own trumpet, but the Flynn fanfare fizzled fast: www.theerrolflynnblog.com…
Ralph Schiller
January 28, 2022 at 3:34 pm
There is a great deal debate about this on the Errol Flynn Blog FB page. However other than the Tony Thomas interview there is no evidence to back-up that Errol Flynn was ever nominated for an Academy Award Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in “The Sun Also Rises” (1957). He should have been and once again nominated for his superb performance in “Too Much Too Soon” (1958). The Motion Picture Academy 0f Arts And Sciences would never humiliate an actor by nominating him for an Oscar and then reneging and retracting it. On the FB page, there is fanciful speculation that the actors must formally accept their nominations before the Academy announces the nominees and that Errol Flynn for altruistic reasons turned down a nomination that could have revived his career in a whole new direction! George C. Scott was nominated for “Patton” (1970) and said publicly he did not want it. He insisted that if somehow he actually wins the Oscar he will refuse to accept it. He won and kept his word. George C. Scott’s Oscar is still sitting in the Academy. Dustin Hoffman trashed the Academy Awards as a garish sentimental process but when he won his Oscar he then ran up onstage to accept it after all! If one believes the legend that Errol Flynn had turned down his well-deserved nomination then look on Youtube at his appearance on the national CBS prime time game show “What’s My Line?” on December 1, 1957. Flynn was the mystery guest that night and after the blindfolded panel guessed his identity, panelist and prominent columnist Dorothy Killgallen predicted that Errol Flynn would be nominated for an Oscar Academy Award for his performance in “The Sun Also Rises”. In a camera close-up Errol Flynn’s eyes are full of shining stars as if to say ‘at last”, as he gives a humble smile of gratitude for the influential columnist.
Selene Hutchison-Zuffi
January 28, 2022 at 8:31 pm
Thank you Ralph. Exactly no evidence. They thhought he was going to…never did. I dont live with rumors. I try to prove them or disprove them. Same with gossip and crazy stories.
Jack Marino
January 29, 2022 at 11:07 am
The way nominations work in the Oscars, is every studio pushes the film, actor, writer, composer and they put ads in the trades FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION for best Supporting actor Errol Flynn in the SUN ALSO RISES. They do this to all the people they want to be voted on to get the nominations in a few months.
When the vote at the academy is taken only 5 winners the top 5 vote-getters in each category is at that time are unofficially nominated, you will never find it in any newspaper.
Today they announce it the day of the vote.
Flynn was in a hotel room with Beverly and Deirdre two 15-year-old girls, one his daughter and the other his girlfriend. Deirdre was there when the phone call came in from his agent, the studio, or the Academy. That is how the voting selection works in nominating.
Errol turned the nomination down. He explained to the girls that he believed how can one actor win the best actor when all five actors don’t play the same role. This is what he told Deirdre who was 15 at the time. He wasn’t a stupid man and he knew parading a 15-year-old girl on his arm the press will ask a lot of questions and the DA of Los Angeles will be snooping around and all hell would break loose. I would take Deirdre’s word as the truth than some old news papers, that had no clue he turned the nomination DOWN
Errol then left LA and headed for Africa to shoot ROOTS and Beverly went with him. All these news papers you read will not have Errol Flynn’s name as a nominee since these papers will all printed after he turned it down.
He did win the nomination it just wasn’t made public sine he refuse it.
Now if he was with Patrice and not Beverly she would have made him accept it, gone to the Oscars with him, I feel Errol would have won the Oscar and made a classy speech. It would have changes his whole career and his attitude about being accepted by his peers in the industry. Which is what he always wanted.
It didn’t happen and we all know the rest of the story
David DeWitt
January 30, 2022 at 7:57 pm
Jack, If the Oscar nominations were in 1957 and Deirdre Flynn was born in 1945 she wouldn’t have been 15 years old until 1960. Deirdre would have been 12 in 1957. So I don’t think the hotel story is actually true. I am not saying you were not told that story. But I don’t think it happened. According to Rory‘s book, she did not meet Beverly until 1959. The only time Errol had Rory and Deirdre traveling with him when he was involved with Beverly was August,1959 when he was filming The Golden Shanty. Beverly could not have been in any hotel room with Deirdre in 1957.
Ralph Schiller
January 29, 2022 at 2:40 pm
This is no more than an apocryphal shaggy dog story. Then how did Tony Thomas get wind of it? And then why did not Flynn correct him in the radio interview? Certainly the mercurial George C. Scott never accepted it and yet somehow he was officially nominated and even won the Oscar!
Jack Marino
January 29, 2022 at 9:59 pm
Ralph, the studios take out an AD in the trade papers FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. It’s all about PR for the studios and the film they want to be nominated for. Tony read the trades, I always read the trades. They put up 10 candidates from all over the different studios, anyone can pay for an ad FOR A CONSIDERATION must actors agency will pay for that. Again, these ads are out there until the day of the vote.
Once the vote is taken the TOP FIVE candidates are NOMINATED. The Academy must call the actor and make it official. Once he or she says YES then it hits all the news and trades that so and so is nominated for best actor or best supporting actor, that is when it becomes OFFICAL.
Errol Flynn turned it down so his name is never mentioned as officially nominated in the final 5 mominess. As far as the academy is concerned the 5 top vote-getters are considered nominated. When they accept the nomination then it becomes official. That is how it works, I have friends who are members in the Academy they have told me who they voted for during the nomination and for the Oscars.
Errol Flynn was CONSIDERED for a nomination which Tony mentioned had to be before the vote was taken. Once the vote is taken then only the TOP 5 nominees are then NOMINATED. Errol turned it down. That is why it was not in the newspapers only his consideration was. When someone says he wasn’t nominated doesn’t know how the process works.
shangheinz
January 30, 2022 at 11:28 am
Ralph, there is no doubt in my mind the story happened as Jack referred it to us. Only Errol may have been talking to the hotel night manager. How else do you explain two eager teenagers anticipating to attend the Oscars, that the sure fix nomination didn‘t materialize. Call it method acting a la Flynn. “…but kiddo, rejoice, we will be going to Africa instead…“
Still it‘s a shame 20 Cent Fox didn‘t come through for him, he wouldn‘t have stood a chance against Alec Guiness in the best actor‘s category, but even Eddie Albert could have edged Red Buttons as supporting actor that year. And winning an Academy Award might have given Ol’ Errol a few extra years as well as better roles in the process.
Ralph Schiller
January 31, 2022 at 1:49 am
Frankly Heinz, I sincerely doubt it. As far as Errol Flynn turning down the nomination because of his relationship with a 15 year old girl? Be advised in Hollywood, middle-age men having sexual relationships with under-age minors is not uncommon. In fact Benny Hill said “Hollywood is the place where they separate the men from the boys… with a crowbar!”
shangheinz
January 31, 2022 at 9:25 am
Funny Benny was only half joking. I can‘t say if the telephone call happened, but I am questioning if anyone from the Academy Awards was on the other line. Errol may have opted for face saving action- very understandably so. I have no doubt whatsoever that he would have accepted an Oscar and been living happily ever after. But there may be a simpler explanation for the non nomination. „“The Sun also rises“ hadn‘t been nominated at all at the 1958 ceremony. Seems rather odd considering the cast. Also Tyrone Power should have been a sentimental contender for one of the prices. What about Hemingway‘s book as source for the screenplay or Peter Viertel‘s adaptation for screen? Henry King‘s direction or even the stuntmen’s efforts in the stampede!? www.oscars.org…
Jack Marino
January 31, 2022 at 10:59 pm
Ralph, Errol turned down oscar because he was running around with a 15 yr old girl who looked 25. This was ERROL FLYNN who had a reputation of recklessness when every other actor was doing the same thing could get away with it. When you are in the ‘OSCAR” spotlight after the nomination is official the media probes everything about you and common sense dictates that Errol wasn’t going to take any chances at this stage of his life. Besides Errol didn’t care about the awards like 99% of actors do. In the 50s they would call the studio, agent, or the actor directly, Errol wasn’t under contract to 20th so there was no need to push Errol in the film as they would Ty Power who was under contract. Geoge C Scott was in another time and he made it known after making Patton he wasn’t interested in Oscar. He has made his view known all his career.
Errol turned it down because if Beverly and those that refuse to believe this don’t really know Errol Flynn
Ralph Schiller
February 1, 2022 at 4:36 pm
Tyrone Power was no longer under contract to Twentieth Century Fox when he made “The Sun Also Rises”. His last film under his original Fox contract was “Untamed” (1955) with Susan Hayward. Power was now back at Fox for a single film as a free-lance actor.
David DeWitt
February 1, 2022 at 12:03 am
To add to this great discussion we have this explanation. Doesn’t sound like he withdrew at all, himself. And if he withdrew in 1957 at the start of his relationship with Beverly why was his name still in contention on January 21, 1958?
It just doesn’t seem plausible that Errol would have a 12 year old Deirdre in tow at a hotel with his 15 year old “companion”, or that Nora would allow such a meeting. And where was Rory, who writes in her book they didn’t meet Beverly until 1959? Rory was 10 years old in 1957. The story just doesn’t add up.
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