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Flynn Knows Good Music when he hears it! With Jack Benny entertaining Troops!

03 Mar

               

— David DeWitt

 
28 Comments

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  1. Anonymous

    March 3, 2011 at 2:04 am

    Thanks for posting this great photo, David! Makes me smile (and giggle). :-)
    I just read about this in Tom McNulty's book…this photo must've been taken in Hawaii (in Honolulu, I think), as both Errol and Jack were wearing Hawaiian leis (sp?) — those flower wreathes. :-)
    Tom wrote that their “routine” for the troops consisted of Jack playing his violin (mock-badly) and Errol plugging his ears against the noise. Just writing about it makes me laugh. :-)

     

  2. Anonymous

    March 3, 2011 at 6:49 am

    Thanks, David and Rachel! I wonder if any of the soldiers who were once entertained by Flynn are still alive and willing to share their experiences…

     

  3. Anonymous

    March 3, 2011 at 4:35 pm

    Hi all,
    This wonderful photo is just music to my ears?! I met Jack Benny once when I was in LA in 1967 (I was only 13 then) He was a guest star in “The Smother Brothers” show around Christmas recording an act on stage. I was really impressed. This was after the show when I met the brothers also, nice guys.
    Never met Errol unfortunately, although I stayed in the same hotel on Gibraltar where he stayed in late 1950 or 51. He entered the register as Errol Flynn and the word Pretender (as the previous guest mentioned his name plus the words “Pretender to the Spanish throne”), his guest with him remarked the word “Godverjaande” as an entry an and London address. Still wondering what that means. It could have been Pat Wymore. Somewhere I still have a copy (although faded) of that page, if I retrieve it somehow I will put it on the website.
    Jan
    Spain

     

  4. Anonymous

    March 3, 2011 at 7:44 pm

    Great picture!
    Apparently this picture was taken on July 7, 1951 and Errol was on its way to Korea to entertain the troops or the picture was taken already in Korea!?!
    I am not sure at which trip he made his famous jokes about himself? Was it at this one or at other ones he made?
    “Hundreds of people saw me off – all lawyers”! or was it in 1943 in Alaska where he also entertained the troops. Or at any other time when he entertained the troops?

     

  5. Anonymous

    March 3, 2011 at 7:56 pm

    Tina, I think the joke you quoted he made in 1943, in connection with the trial. But the picture was obviously taken later, Errol looks older there, so the date you gave should be correct.

     

  6. Anonymous

    March 3, 2011 at 9:13 pm

    Hi Inga;
    I don't think it was in connection with the trial, more like it with Lili and other incidences he had. He also once said that he will stop acting and concentrate on litigation only, can't remember the actual words just another joke of his!

     

  7. Anonymous

    March 4, 2011 at 6:02 am

    Hi Tina, I mixed up the years, I think, the USO tour was in 44. And I'm still convinced it was then. Will check when I'm home. Take care!

     

  8. Anonymous

    March 4, 2011 at 12:10 pm

    OK, so according to Tom McNulty's book, the lawyer joke was during the USO tour in early 1944. Please check p. 178: “It's wonderful to be here, of course, but I don't think I'll ever forget the send-off I got back in Hollywood. The airport was crowded with people seeing me off. There must have been 500 of them – all of them my lawyers.” You can also check it out online. I would say there is quite a connection to the trial, but correct me if I'm wrong.

     

  9. Anonymous

    March 4, 2011 at 3:59 pm

    Super Sleuth Inga!
    Here I have two pictures of two different times, plus I have a third date, but no picture – when Errol entertained the troops. He must have done his fair share of entertaining the troops!

    Here he is with Harry Mendoza – Magician – at the USO Camp Show
    in Alaska – Fort Richardson on November 28, 1943

    Here he is in Korea at Taegu in 1952!
    He also entertained the troops in December 1944 in Alaska, but I have no picture, maybe one of out other members has one and post it here, which would be wonderful!
    Take care!

     

  10. Anonymous

    March 4, 2011 at 4:02 pm

    I knew I read it some place! Tom McNulty's book is one of my treasures!

     

  11. Anonymous

    March 4, 2011 at 4:59 pm

    Hm, I think there is an urgent call to Robzak!!! I thought the USO tour to Alaska was somewhere early in 1944, I didn't know there were two of them… Because the source given by Tom McNulty for the quotation was from May 1944, and I thought this referred to a tour just prior to May… Dunno, maybe I'm on a completely wrong track and there WERE two tours. If not, your first picture, Tina, may well be one from this one tour… Where did you get your dates?

     

  12. Anonymous

    March 4, 2011 at 5:23 pm

    Hi Inga!
    As I said, Errol did his share of entertaining the troops and there where many of them. You are not wrong, the records of his good-will tours are not well recorded, which is very sad. There were many War Bond Tours, Speaking sessions like the one in South America – etc.etc.etc.
    My pictures are from the tours I stated and the dates should be correct, but I am not staking my life on it.
    Sorry to say, but I have no idea where I got them from as I am collecting for a long time and people send things to me too. I maybe should have kept some records, but I didn't do that. Never entered my mind as I didn't think I would ever use them until I joined the Blog and that was not only two years ago – I think – approx!

     

  13. Anonymous

    March 4, 2011 at 5:47 pm

    Great photos, Tina — thanks for sharing!
    If you got any more photos to post here, please do. :-)

     

  14. Anonymous

    March 4, 2011 at 6:22 pm

    Correction – I made a mistake in the year Errol was in Korea it was not 1952 – is was 1951 – July 9th!
    It was a USO tour with Marjorie Reynolds, Dolores Gray and Jack Benny.

     

  15. Anonymous

    March 4, 2011 at 6:37 pm

    Hi Rachel!
    Which ones do you want? I have so many it would clog up the Blog!
    I always post some from time to time!
    Take care!

     

  16. Anonymous

    March 4, 2011 at 6:43 pm

    Darn thing it is twice again and I don't know why!
    Please David could you remove one of them?
    Thank you so much!

     

  17. Anonymous

    March 5, 2011 at 1:04 am

    I'm almost afraid to! I don't know how these comments are linked. If get rid of the wrong one we may lose all the other comments associated with it, as before – including the rare photos. Yikes! Look to see if you have a way to delete your own comments? I think you can do this… the way I see comments in the admin is different than the way they appear here, so I am leary taking something out and dragging away comments linked to the one I delete. Try to see if you can do it yourself, then let me know and I could do it but perhaps with unintended results!

     

  18. Anonymous

    March 5, 2011 at 3:11 am

    Hi David;
    I am sorry – this is not a problem at all, please don't worry about it, so it sometimes doubles the comments – big deal!
    We all have our small and big problems and so has cyberspace – thumbs up for the “Age of Computers!”
    Take care and all the best to you!
    Tina

     

  19. Anonymous

    March 8, 2011 at 4:42 pm

    Hi Tina,
    A few years ago I bought a copy of the above photo that you have said was taken in Taegu, Korea in 1952. The seller that I bought from was under the impression that the photo was taken in Cuba in the mid-late 50s. After closer inspection, when the photo actually arrived, Errol looked a little too lean for the photo to have been taken in the late 50s but I have been under the impression that it was taken in Cuba for years now. Do you have a source that verifies the Korea connection – would love to final nail the when and where of this actual photo.
    best wishes,
    Brian.

     

  20. Anonymous

    March 8, 2011 at 5:51 pm

    Hi Brian, here's a link that confirms that it was taken in Korea: www.us… Just scroll along the timeline and you'll find it.

     

  21. Anonymous

    March 8, 2011 at 11:06 pm

    Thank you so much guys… nice to put the pieces together. I have a few more photos that have had me asking questions, looks like it could be a good idea to put them up here and see if we can put some time and places to them.

     

  22. Anonymous

    March 9, 2011 at 2:13 am

    Hi Brian;
    Good to hear from you again! I feel bad as I know I owe a communication or two and a disc! I have not forgotten, but things very pretty bad for me since last fall and are still sketchy, therefore my absence!
    I have this picture for a long time, but god help me I have no idea how and when I got it. Maybe from a war efforts site? I roam the Internet for years and I find things here and there as I am sure we all do. The best sites I find information are with Google Images.
    I will keep my promise – take care – Tina

     

  23. Anonymous

    March 9, 2011 at 2:15 am

    Hi Brian;
    Good to hear from you again! I feel bad as I know I owe a communication or two and a disc! I have not forgotten, but things very pretty bad for me since last fall and are still sketchy, therefore my absence!
    I have this picture for a long time, but god help me I have no idea how and when I got it. Maybe from a war efforts site? I roam the Internet for years and I find things here and there as I am sure we all do. The best sites I find information are with Google Images.
    I will keep my promise – take care – Tina

     

  24. Anonymous

    March 9, 2011 at 2:22 am

    Hi Brian;
    We have a super sleuth amongst us and her name is Aresia!
    Thank you Aresia for finding the source of my picture! I hope all is clear for you now Brian!

     

  25. Anonymous

    March 9, 2011 at 2:25 am

    That would be fun Brian!

     

  26. Anonymous

    March 9, 2011 at 6:54 am

    Tina, too much honour… Anybody could find this. Just a question of how to use your material. And yes Brian, it would be fun to look for further explanations. Btw, did you get my message concerning Boris Smirnoff?

     

  27. Anonymous

    March 9, 2011 at 9:33 am

    Hi Tina,
    Please don't worry about the e-mai or the diskl; I know how it is to fall behind on correspondance. I think one or two people are waiting on e-mails from me. I finish University in May and can't wait for a bit of freedome and the opportunity to get back into 'Flynn'.
    When I get a minute I will post a few photos that have me stumped, more so for the people who are actually with Errol.
    Hope all is well with you.
    best wishes,
    Brian.

     

  28. Anonymous

    March 9, 2011 at 9:37 am

    Hi Inga,
    Yes, I did get the e-mail. Been extremely busy though… will have a reply for you this week and er…. Escape Me Never…. that seems to have escaped my mind. Will sort that too.
    Hope you are well.
    best wishes,
    Brian.