A few more pages covering Flynn’s first motion picture debut in the U.S. Even Olivia, a newcomer, gets full coverage.
— Topper
Archive for 2024
Errol Flynn in the Early Days!
03
Mar
Taking a break from the book articles, I thought I would present some seldom seen magazine clips of Flynn during the days of Captain Blood.
(You gotta love Olivia in her pirate outfit,…never in the film of course)
Enjoy!
— Topper
Mail Bag! Brian Twist’s Classic Film Posters and Movie Art!
26
Feb
Brian Twist is one of the old hands in all things Errol Flynn! He writes today that he has launched a (terrific looking) new website of classic film posters and movie art and I want to share it with everybody!
He also has a new Facebook page: MOVIE SCENE …
Check out MOVIE SCENE on Facebook, too.
Thanks, Bri!
— David DeWitt
Virginia City World Premier March 15, 1940!
24
Feb
During the filming of THE SEA HAWK, which began on February 1st, Warner Bros. decides to take a break from production and present the premiere of VIRGINIA CITY in Nevada. A 17-car train with the film’s cast, along with reporters and guests leaves Burbank, Cal. about noon on March 15th. The affair is an outstanding success through the 17th. Then it is back to wok on THE SEA HAWK on Monday morning of the 18th.
— Topper
A Pair of 1940 Portraits of Errol Flynn!
17
Feb
These two color photos are from a portrait shoot for Warner Bros. by famed still photographer George Hurrell. The shoot was about January 24th to 27th 1940. Both were part of a large series of pictures that would be released starting with EF-334 through to EF-363.
The first one was released as a French-Canadian magazine cover for Le Samedi (The Saturday), on November 23, 1940.
The second one was featured later on as a full page spread in the U.S. magazine, Screenland, August, 1943 issue (and later still in Errol Flynn, Movie Star).
Enjoy!
— Topper
The Story of William Tell (plus) September 2, 1953, to End of Year!
10
Feb
Part 4 finale:
Flynn’s troubles with producing his film about William Tell continue. An Italian court and local police are now involved for non-payment of a large variety of bills. Flynn then begins his quest to find investors to complete the picture.
Errol’s most positive highlight of this year is the birth of his daughter.
He will continue for years to come to find a way to get his William
Tell story produced …but to no avail.
All that is left is approximately 25+ minutes of Cinemascope color film, with no sound, in storage in film cans in Boston, Mass.
“It would have been a great film,” commented actor Roddy McDowall after viewing the tranche of the picture.
— Topper
Bartender Who Last Served Errol Flynn is Dead at 94!
05
Feb
Suzy W sends us an interesting Mail Bag item she found at croatiaweek.com… …
Excerpt:
“His first language was Croatian. Conceived in Croatia and born in Canada, he would visit the lands of Croatia for the first time in 1969 after the death of his parents.
“He grew up in Vancouver’s east end where his mother ran a boarding house. His father was an itinerant miner and was often away from home working at mines across Canada and the USA.
“The depression years of the 1930’s and then the war years of the 1940’s was hardscrabble for the family who often found refuge at the movies. They loved action/adventure and swashbuckler movies. Steve’s favorite actors were Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Errol Flynn.
“[Steve] Cvitkovich worked many jobs during his life including commercial fisherman, dockworker, grain worker and limousine driver. But it was his work as a bartender that was the through line of his career.”
Thanks, Suzy!
— David DeWitt
Story of William Tell Continues from Early July 1953 to September 1st!
04
Feb
Part 3
Filming continues and construction of the village nears completion,
but the financing is becoming more of a problem everyday with the
Italian investors. Things are looking bleak…
(to be continued)
— Topper
Steve Hayes 93rd Birthday! Jan. 31, 2024
01
Feb
Today is my dear friend Steve Hayes 93, Birthday. Happy Birthday old boy!! Steve, was born Ivan Hurbert Hayes he was born on January 31, 1931, in Streatham, England, UK.
He came out of England to be an actor and he got a contract deal on 20th Century Fox. He had a speaking role in Botany Bay with Alan Ladd and James Mason.
The day he arrived he met a girl named Gloria and she took him up to Errol Flynn’s home in 1949. Both Flynn and Steve were British nationals and Steve had no place to stay. Errol invited him to stay with him at Mulholland Farm. In the two months that he lived with Errol, he stayed in the bedroom that Jack Barrymore stayed in. The room was painted a mustard yellow and it had the famous balcony that overlooked the driveway. Steve, told me he would sit with Errol in his den, and formal living room, they would go for a swim in Flynn’s pool and overlook the entire San Fernando Valley. He would spent time with Errol in the sauna and all Errol would talk about was his films, filmmaking, the dynamics of Hollywood, all the women he met and knew and the most important was his knowledge of ships and of the sea.
CAN YOU IMAGINE BEING 19 YEARS OLD AND HANGING OUT WITH ERROL FLYNN UP AT HIS HOME! TALK ABOUT FREAK LUCK
He eventually got into writing and producered many films such as, Time After Time (1979), Capitol (1982), and Conan the Adventurer (1997).who was an actor, and writer-producer and he still writes westerns. You can see his credits on IMDB
He is the Louie Lamour of England. In the 1950s he met Louis Lamore here in Hollywood and he taught Steve how to write Westerns.
Steve came out to Hollywood in 1949 he lived with Errol Flynn, and Errol introduced him to everyone at his level in the movie business. He even dated Ava Gardner and was close to Marilyn Monroe and Rita Haywood
Steve has written a two-volume book about his time living in Hollywood, called GOOGIES: COFFEESHOP OF THE STARS they are both a great read and he met a lot of these insane Hollywood legends.
He has been on my Radio show three times and everyone loves his stories. The photo of him was taken when he was in his 80s and the black and white photo was his headshot when he was acting in Hollywood. Steve is a raconteur of old Hollywood, he knew and ran with James Dean and Steve McQueen before they were actors.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVE! IT WAS GREAT TALKING TO YOU TODAY!
— Jack Marino
