Dear fellow Flynn fans,
this is another possible missing masterpiece in Errol’s filmography due to a one punch (rather a rum punch) tussle with Canadian millionaire Duncan McMartin at the Windsor Hotel on the Bahamas. Our Hollywood hero would forever claim that his old back injury backfired on him and therefore he had to renounce the role of Albion Hamlin, a farmer-laywer, who handles the estate of title giving Lydia Bailey during the Haitian revolution.
The bahama court drama of was settled with a 14.000.- fine for the former flynntimo Duncun, who said the he could not remember but a pad on his old friend’s shoulder. A far cry of the initial quest of $230.000.- for the pain gained and the picture lost.
Tyrone Power also did turn down the Lydia lead, which went to Dale Robertson instead. The 180lb former prizefighter and WWII hero had been approached before for the movie “Golden boy”, but at that time DR saw his future in training polo ponies and indirectly launched the career of William Holden.
Director Jean Negulesco also had Flynn ties, since he was the second unit director of “Captain Blood”. Watch his work here: www.dailymotion.com…
and form your own opinion on number fourteen of bygone opportunities.
Enjoy,
— shangheinz
Gentleman Tim
February 19, 2018 at 5:49 pm
Intriguing possibility, haitiheinz. Even with Flynn in it, the French (and South) may not have been too happy with this film, but I’m sure the native girls would have been thrilled to stain Errol all over, at least as much as they did the future Lt. JFK, Cliff Robertson.
Aviator Hughes may have helped put the kibosh on Flynn in this one, too. He couldn’t stand the thought of Jean getting close to Errol. She was a hot one, with a thing for Errol.
books.google.com…
[img]https://i.pinimg.com/236x/2e/d6/e2/2ed6e257f6be2c2037579359d44bd937.jpg[/img]
shangheinz
February 19, 2018 at 6:45 pm
[img]http://www.theerrolflynnblog.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/negu.jpg[/img]
This actually should read Un-directed by, Gafferman Tim, since Jean Negulesco was as famous for the films he didn`t get to direct as for those he finally made. “The Maltese Falcon” (he got the hook for an even unexperienced John Houston), the unfinished “Something`s gotta give” (the late Marilyn Monroe`s last outing alongside Dean Martin) and the unflynnished Don Juan of 1946 (originally projected with a Korngold score):www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-jean-negulesco-1486414.html…
O o what could`ve been…
rswilltell
February 20, 2018 at 6:51 pm
Heinz does it again! Ironically although a good movie based on a great novel “Lydia Bailey”, it was no film classic. Why because Fox under Darryl Zanuck was cutting corners. If either Tyrone Power or Errol Flynn top lined the film he would have upped the budget. Tim is right, President Kennedy personally chose Cliff Robertson to play himself! There was little similarity between them but Cliff Robertson was always a class actor of the first rank! Ralph Schiller
shangheinz
February 21, 2018 at 2:44 pm
[img]http://www.theerrolflynnblog.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/image-6.jpg[/img]
So, dire rector Negulesco got cut short by Darryl Zanuck. But he came back strong in later years with films as this set foto proves. Somehow the postponement of Errol’ s Don Juan seems like a prelude to his unflynnished Will Tell. Maybe a lot of Negolesco’s take on a victimized Donnie G. found his way into ” Crossed swords”, by all means a spoofy movie, almost an “Opera buffa”… Thanks for the input Rushstreet Ralph!