I realised that my April 1st post was a little foolish and not so appealing, so I deleted it, say “sorry” and hope to give you a little more pleasure with this guaranteed authentic Berlinale picture of Errol and Patrice dancing rock'n'roll. Have a nice Sunday.
— Inga
Anonymous
April 3, 2011 at 9:20 am
Hi Inga,
No need to apologise for trying to inject a little fun on April Fools Day and seeing as I was the 'fool' I can say that I appreciated the joke.
The post was also leading into a discussion about Flynn's popularity in Europe, which interests me a lot, so I'm a little disappointed that you have removed it.
best wishes,
Brian.
Anonymous
April 3, 2011 at 9:51 am
Brian, I'm so sorry because I relaised too late that I also deleted your comment!!!! Really really sorry because it was so interesting and well-written. Is there any chance that you might post it again as a new complete article and then we could continue the discussion? Would be great!!! Thank you!
Anonymous
April 3, 2011 at 1:33 pm
Hi Inga,
To be fair my post was mainly waffle and my take on the situation from magazines and newspapers that I have read. Would be very interesting to get hold of actual statistics on how Errol's films fared financially here in the UK. I will look into that in the near future but meantime the 'How Popular was Flynn in Europe' subject would make for interesting discussion here.
best wishes,
Brian.
Anonymous
April 3, 2011 at 4:05 pm
I did not find it waffle, but very interesting. Maybe our authors from other European countries could contribute a little to that subject, too.
Anonymous
April 3, 2011 at 5:23 pm
Hi Brian;
Your post was very interesting and I sent you a detailed reply (held up by David's Spam filter) with dates and details of the onset of Errol's popularity since May 1950 when his first movie was shown in Germany and Austria. One cannot compare his popularity in the UK to his popularity with CONTINENTAL Europe and I also gave the reasons.
It is a pity that Inga deleted the post.
My best regards,
Tina
Anonymous
April 3, 2011 at 5:26 pm
I enjoyed the April Fool;s joke very much, too!
Anonymous
April 3, 2011 at 5:35 pm
Hi Inga;
What a pity that you deleted your post as it was a great one and had interesting discussions with great possibilities.
Take care,
Tina
Anonymous
April 3, 2011 at 5:40 pm
I'm really sorry, Tina, I didn't consider that the comments would be lost, too!!!
Anonymous
April 4, 2011 at 1:17 am
Hi Inga;
I's o.k, we all make mistakes! I am not going into all the details of my previous post, which was quite extensive, but here is a synopsis of it.
It was just a little history to the inside to Errol's Continental European popularity, which excludes England – UK – Britain as they refer to the rest of Europe as “The Continent”.
Brian in his post missed to see that I was talking about Continental Europe and not England when he stated that Errol was not a cinematic god in England, in contrast to my statement that he was in the Continental Europe.
Errol never was on a movie screen until May 1950 on the continent.
Just in case anybody forgot, which would be great as I don't like to think about it either, we were on the other side of the fence. As times progressed and things became somewhat normal and the American movie industry started synchronizing their movies for the European market into other languages we finally had the premier!
May 24, 1950 with Captain Blood, Errol's entry into our lives when he leaped of the screen! And a WOW it was, a new never seen genre of movies entered, an experience was born. Maybe other European countries had another date, but 1950 it was.
Needless to say with the movies that followed he was a smash hit. The cinemas where sold out every day, people stood in line to get their ticket and worst of all come hell or high weather, the movie only played for one week. That was the rule in those days until they got smart and posted “Due to popularity held over for one more week.”
As England never was at war with the USA they had the privilege to see him on a contentious basis throughout the war years, in contrast to the rest of Europe.
If England did not appreciated Errol it was their loss!
Brian stated that non of his movies made any impact not even Robin Hood. In my humble opinion this is hard to believe, but Brian has to know I am certainly no judge of it. He also stated that Burma did him in, something like to this effect.
Again, in my humble opinion, somebody still has to explain to me how a nation's media could condemn the actor for a movie script of which he is not the author? Should they not have directed their complaints and attack to Warner Brothers after all it was them who manufactured the movie without giving the British credit and when warned about it shrugged it off by saying “I's only a Movie.”
I would say pretty ignorant on both sides of the fence.
Taking the actor to task, who did a first class job with the provided script is an ill-bred, inconsiderate, boorish behavior by an otherwise respected media. It is unbelievable how often in his life he was made to be the scapegoat for others.
Anonymous
April 4, 2011 at 1:47 am
Hi Tina,
Did you save a copy of your post? Or is it lost? Would be very interesting to read it. I can imagine that the reaction to Errol's films in Germany/Austria would be much different than in the UK but your original post began with the rather bold statement that Errol was a cinematic god in Europe – defintitely not the case in the UK, which is the only part of Europe I am qualified to comment on. I would love to see figures for continental Europe and can imagine that the backlash of Flynn films streaming in there after the war could have done good business.
best wishes,
Brian.
Anonymous
April 4, 2011 at 3:21 am
Hi Brian;
No I didn't save it, and it was quite long – it is lost. Also it was held up in David's Spam collector. Two more posts of mine today are held up. I never thought that Inga would delete her post, there was no reason for her to do so, really a pity as it started to get into some good discussion. But what the heck we all live and learn!
I just replied to her and gave a little synopsis of it. I am not going through all of it again. Basically what does it matter. It's all such a long time ago. It just so happened that I was there when it all materialized and became reality and I lived it!
You see Brian you did not read that I especially stated Continental Europe. You all had the privilege to see Errol's movies throughout the war year we didn't, we were on the other side of the fence and acquired the privilege only in 1950 after America found us worthy to see the movies and for them to capture a new market. Furthermore, synchronization into other language had to take place.
Errol and other stars hit us like a swift migration from outer space and a new genre of movies was born for the Continent as the British refer to it as such!
For us, we saw Captain Blood 15 years later and for us in 1950 a new star was born as it was in 1935 in the USA and possibly in England. Errol had his early carrier all over again with a nation who was starved of this kind of movies. God bless you that you have no experience of what is was like to live in such environment!
No bold Statement of mine, Errol at that time was for us a cinematic god. There where other stars too, but Errol had the lead, with his charisma and the stories told about him kept us in awe and always looking for more. I remember when the teacher said: “Today is a holiday and we are going to the cinema and see Errol Flynn in “Sea Hawk” It was a holiday indeed! I remember closing my eyes when he was galley slave, I was so sorry for him I cried!
I have so many stories from that time, when I smuggled myself into the British Army cinema (reserved only for British soldiers and their families) to see Errol. Hearing his actual voice not the synchronizes stuff we heard in the movies. Of course not understanding a word he spoke. Plus, how I acquired the military money to do all these things. How I smuggled myself into the military bookstore to purchase Hollywood books, which I still have. It was exiting to do all these tricks. My friends always used to tell me “they are going to put you into jail one day!” Anyway I got away with all of it!
Anonymous
April 4, 2011 at 12:55 pm
Hi Tina,
I fully understand your not wanting to rewrite what you originally posted. It is infuriating when you lose a 'long' post, I have done it many times.
Yes, I did read your original post very, very carefully Tina, it began with the statement that Errol was a cinematic God in Europe – that was what piqued my interest and that was the statement that I found very bold.
best wishes,
Brian.
Anonymous
April 4, 2011 at 1:24 pm
Hi Tina,
Just to clarify: I didn't miss any of your post. I read it all and I read it very carefully. I got it totally! All of it! I just find statements like 'Errol was a cinematic god in Europe' very bold and a little misleading.
I certainly never said that none of Errol's films made any impact over here in the UK Tina. I don't quite get where that has come from as I stated very specifically that Errol received a lot of positive press coverage from 36-39 and his films through this period were very well received critically.
best wishes,
Brian.
Anonymous
April 4, 2011 at 4:31 pm
i thought that your joke was cute for April Fools.
Anonymous
April 4, 2011 at 5:26 pm
Hi Brian;
I did write Continental Europe in my original post, but as Inga deleted it am not able to proof it.
About Errol's movies being popular in England I only said what I remembered out of your post and I stated “Something like that or something to the fact”
I couldn't quote it perfectly as again it was deleted.
You are saying 36 -39 his films where very well received “Critically”, What about the public? Critiques are just the press – media opinion, which is no here or there, the public reactions are the important thing in this equation. Where the cinemas full or empty, did the magazines published interest stories, etc.etc.etc. – that is important.
I think I have stated this before I personally never read critiques as I like to make up my own mind and maybe that goes for a lot of people too.
Why would Errol Flynn be awarded the “Bambi” price for best foreign actor? See my statue I made up!
May all be as it is – it is not that important, but like Galileo said his famous words when after the inquisition he turned around and defiance proclaimed: “E pur si muove” = “It still turns or moves.”
And defiantly (ha-ha-ha) in the same context: Errol was a cinematic god on the Continent!
Kind regards and I see you smiling!
Tina
Anonymous
April 5, 2011 at 4:58 pm
Erm… any reactions to the actual picture?
Anonymous
April 5, 2011 at 5:53 pm
What Picture – Inga?
Anonymous
April 5, 2011 at 5:57 pm
The Berlinale picture I posted? I had not seen it before I found it on ebay…
Anonymous
April 5, 2011 at 6:20 pm
Hi Inga;
As your question is posted so late in this post I did not clue in to the meaning of it.
The picture is great it shows Errol in good spirit – being really happy!
Thanks for posting it and the post shows success as you received many replies, only you never replied to my long post to you, but I understand why. It is my opinion that's all and there is actually nothing to comment on it. Flynndefender is just rattling on!
Take care,
Tina
Anonymous
April 5, 2011 at 7:11 pm
My reply to your long post is actually “in Arbeit”, Tina. I was quite baffled by it, and as you said, there was nothing to add from my side at that moment – you stated it all beautifully and truthfully, and I couldn't have said anything else as I wasn't there then. So I left it standing there in its beauty and let my thoughts wander further. I plan on going more into depth with this subject, but it takes time, so that's why there was no answer so far. I hope there will be one in the near future, even if it's only losely connected with the topic.
Anonymous
April 5, 2011 at 8:09 pm
Dear Inga;
God in heaven don't worry about it all, as you say you and I am sure Brian was not around either. I just know what I know from that time.
What would be a great analysis would be to know the the statistics of the movie visitors to his movies of that time 1950 – 1955, but how to get that would be like looking for a needle in a haystack again. Me and my haystack! There most likely is no records at all. I would say they most likely never kept any anyway.
Let's start other conversations and maybe we may get some participants too. Something of real interest – question is what?
Take care,
Tina
Anonymous
April 6, 2011 at 5:39 am
I agree, the statistics would be the key to everything, and I'm sure they kept some, even back then. Just remember the numbers I posted in my “Captain Fabian” article. They showed that the visitors were recorded. But I think you would need to be a real researcher to get accesss to such stats…
Anonymous
April 6, 2011 at 5:38 pm
Hi Inga;
There is no REPLY button on your post, I will answer it here!
You write:
I agree, the statistics would be the key to everything, and I'm sure they kept some, even back then. Just remember the numbers I posted in my “Captain Fabian” article. They showed that the visitors were recorded. But I think you would need to be a real researcher to get access to such stats…
It would be wonderful if such things existed, but the big question is how to get a hold of them. We would need to talk to a Statistics Professional only I don't no any – yet! As they say: Was nicht ist kann noch werden! (What there isn't – still can be!)
Take care,
Tina