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Seventy Years Ago —— Silver River/Sheila Graham

09 May

SHEILA GRAHAM – Hollywood Citizen News – May 8, 1947

I was on the set when Errol Flynn knocked out Barton MacLane
for a scene in Silver River. I’ve often been told the
story of the star who punched too soon, and the guy who forgot
to duck, and never believed it. But this I saw. Poor Errol.
It really hurt him more than MacLane. “It was the first time in
12 years,” he assured me, “that a punch of mine ever connected.”
Barton, of course, is used to movie risks because he’s usually
cast as a heavy. In the old days when a punch connected with his
jaw, he’d fight back, when he came to. Now he writes it off as an
occupational hazard.

Here’s what is reportedly the only known photo of the literary Garden of Allah gal,
Sheila Graham, and her over-the-hill beau, F. Scott Fitzgerald – on Revolution Boulevard in Tijuana!
Fitzgerald used to get angry and drunk at the thought Errol might possibly flirt with Sheila,
by far the best looking of what she called the “unholy trio” of Hollywood gossip columnists-
her, Hedda and Louella.

Below is Flynn vs. MacLane, preceding Errol’s knock out punch.

— Tim

 
4 Comments

Posted in Films, Flynn and..., Gentleman Tim, Main Page, Newspaper & Headlines

 

What Number One Hit?

07 May

In what number one song did the singer sing about going to Mexico with Errol Flynn?

– Errol was in the news quite a bit for traveling south of the border before (and after) the release of this song

– It hit the top of the charts in the same month Errol was appearing with one of his most beautiful co-stars, with the same first name initial as his.

– It was performed by a very well-known big band.

– It was recorded again, about seven years later, by one of the most popular singers of all time, a major celebrity who knew Errol from having worked with him several years earlier in a Warner Brothers film.

– Errol’s name was replaced in recordings with “You know him” (rather than “Errol Flynn”), but it was a direct and widely recognized reference to Errol.

– In live. professional performances of this song, and amateurversions sang by female fans of Flynn, Errol’s name was sometimes sang as the true lyric. (i.e. “Errol Flynn” rather than “You know him”)

— Tim

 
8 Comments

Posted in Dates & Girlfriends, Gentleman Tim, Main Page, QUIZ PAGE, Travels

 

Pushin’ Like Flynn — Four Score and 100 Yards Ago

06 May

An EFB Four Score News Report*

Los Angeles Evening Herald Express

Harrison Carroll – May 7, 1937

If photographers had been outside the Club Marti the other midnight they could have shot an even more unusual shot of a Hollywood star. Errol Flynn discovered that his tiny English car was out of gas. On a dare from a friend he hoisted up the automatile by its rear end and pushed it wheelbarrow fashion to a gas station 100 yards away.

* As always, all credit and thanks to King Karl Kognoscenti Holmberg for the records making these EFB News Reports possible. Mille Grazie, Karl!

— Tim

 
6 Comments

Posted in Errol Flynn Cars, Gentleman Tim, Main Page, Newspaper & Headlines

 

IN LIKE FLYNN BEGINS!!!

04 May

PER THE IMBd: This biopic depicts Errol’s roust-about early life in Australia, before he became an internationally famed celebrity. In those days he was an adventurer, opium smuggler, gambler, street fighter, womanizer, and gold prospector. The film, based on Flynn’s early autobiography “Beam Ends,” was written for the screen by Luke Flynn, who found the inspiration as a result of travels through Australia in the footsteps of Luke’s iconic grandfather.

__________

Characters beyond Errol’s days of Beam Ends have been previously mentioned also, including Olivia De Havilland and Michael Curtiz. See, for example this previous IMBd cast of characters:

m.imdb.com…

And a possible “former wife” featured in this new article:

www.dailytelegraph.com…

Starring Thomas Cocquerel & Isabel Lucas

— Tim

 
19 Comments

Posted in Author Errol Flynn, Beam Ends, Films, Gentleman Tim, Main Page, New Articles, New Guinea, Promo, Ships & the Sea, Sirocco, The Early Errol, Travels

 

The Elephant in One of the 118 Rooms

04 May

An EFB Four Score News Report

In 1937, at her 118-room beach house in Santa Monica, Marion Davies threw William Randolph Hearst a birthday bash to end all birthday bashs. By all accounts, this circus-themed extravaganza was a sight to behold. One sight, however, surely didn’t please Citizen Hearst, though. That was the sight of Errol Flynn and co-troublemaker David Niven dressed-up as a two-man elephant “shovel brigade”. The elephant in the 118-room beach mansion, of course, was WR, the birthday boy himself.

… Only Flynn would have the nerve to pull such a prank against the career-breaking Citizen Hearst.

LOS ANGELES EVENING HERALD EXPRESS – May 2, 1937

Huge Stories and lots of photos on W.R. Hearst’s Birthday Party.
One photo with Cary Grant and many other revelers, including
Randolph Scott and Marion Davies as trapeze performers, calling
themselves The Flying San Simeons. Errol Flynn and David Niven
made up a shovel brigade, wearing blue and white striped sweatshirts
with tight fitting trousers, Miss Davies costumed as Russian Circus
performer on Merry Go Round. Others attending:

Basil Rathbone, Hal Roach, Walter Wanger, Clarence Brown, Harold Lloyd,
Henry Fonda, Lloyd Bacon, Mervyn LeRoy, James Gleason, Charles Boyer,
Leslie Howard, Samuel Goldwyn, Frank McHugh, Lucien Hubbard, Hal Wallis,
Pat O’Brien, Gary Cooper, Ben Hecht, Walter Winchell, Alice Faye, Stu Erwin,
Pandro Berman, Carole Lombard, Aileen Pringle, Anita Louise, Ginger Rogers,
Marlene Dietrich, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Charles Ruggles, Tyrone Power Jr.,
Clark Gable, Adrian, King Vidor, Caesar Romero, Jackie Coogan, Louis B. Mayer,
zillions of others.

— Tim

 
1 Comment

Posted in Flynn and..., Gentleman Tim, Main Page, Newspaper & Headlines, Special Events

 

Errol’s Adventures of Robin Hood — 80th Anniversary —— May Day, 1937 —— The Stories Begin

03 May

An EFB Four Score Anniversary Production

The Adventures of Robin Hood – The Stories Begin

Published on May 1, 1937 – Perfect because of the May Day connections to the legend of Robin Hood.
Movie Released in May of 1938.

LOUELLA PARSONS – LOS ANGELES EXAMINER

How do you like the idea of the dashing young Errol Flynn as the adventurous Robin Hood?
We hope you do because you’re going to see him in one of his next pictures in the role,
of the legendary hero who stole from the rich that the poor might live. Interesting that
young Flynn, who has so often been called Douglas Fairbanks’ successor, should inherit one
of the most popular of the Fairbanks’ roles.

According to Jack Warner, who definitely settled on the Robin Hood idea just before he left
for New York, this will be an outdoor Technicolor special with an effective background for
Robin Hood’s romantic adventures. Since it is not a musical Reginald de Koven’s tuneful
operetta will not be included although Warners own the libretto by Harry Smith. Olivia
de Havilland, who has made her most successful pictures with Flynn, will be his starring
partner with Patric Knowles in a featured role.

— Tim

 
6 Comments

Posted in Film Anniversaries, Flynn as..., Gentleman Tim, Main Page, Newspaper & Headlines, Special Events

 

The Gamblers!

30 Apr

An EFB Four Score News Report:

Wouldn’t this have been wunderbar!

Dostoyevsky: Directed by Max Reinhardt! Starring Errol Flynn, Bette Davis, Edward G. Robinson and Basil Rathbone!!!!

A LITTLE FROM LOTS
Film Daily – Ralph Wilk – April 30, 1947

Feodor Dostoievsky’s celebrated novel, The Gamblers will be directed for Warners by Max Reinhardt with a stellar cast including Edward G. Robinson, Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, and Basil Rathbone.

Louella O. Parsons
Los Angeles Examiner – May 3, 1937

You can’t blame Warners for becoming enthused over Edward G. Robinson all over again since the previews of Kid Gallahad, for Eddie is really swell! There’s not going to be any letdown either, for now he is scheduled for Max Reinhart’s The Gamblers, and what a cast they are recruiting for Dostoievsky’s famous novel, with Eddie, Errol Flynn, Bette Davis and Basil Rathbone heading the list! Milton Krims, who scripted Green Light, and Harold Heinz arecollaborating on the screen play that unites almost every big star on the Warner lot. It goes into production in a few weeks and precede’s Flynn’s
Robin Hood.

Here’s a lushly produced version from 1977:
What roles do you think Errol, Bette, Edward G., and Dear Baz would have played in the Max Reinhart version?

And here’s a loose adaptation of the novel(la) from MGM, titled “The Great Sinner”, with Gregory Peck and a stunningly gorgeous Ava Gardner, leading a cast of acting legends, including Ethel Barrymore, Melvin Douglas, Walter Huston, Agnes Moorehead, and Frank Morgan.

— Tim

 
3 Comments

Posted in Flynn and..., Flynn as..., Gentleman Tim, Main Page, Newspaper & Headlines, Publicity

 

Four Score Ago — 4/29/1937 — Deuce

29 Apr

Los Angeles Evening Herald Express
Jimmy Starr – April 29, 1937

Already ranked as one of the movie village’s tennis greats,
Gilbert Roland took it upon himself to name Hollywood’s 10
best racquet wielders.

On the set of Paramount’s The Last Train from Madrid, Gilbert
put Garbo in the top spot among feminine tennis players, while
Errol Flynn equals her in the men’s division. Others are
Marlene Dietrich, Cedric Gibbons, Constance Bennett, Gary Cooper, Carole Lombard, Harold Lloyd, Elizabeth Allen and Ronald Colman.

— Tim

 
1 Comment

Posted in Flynn and..., Gentleman Tim, Main Page, Newspaper & Headlines, Tennis

 

What Did He Say?

27 Apr

What did Errol say when he first saw this chandelier? Where and to whom did he say it??

Added April 28, AM EST

Added April 28, PM EST

— Tim

 
7 Comments

Posted in Flynn and..., Gentleman Tim, Main Page, QUIZ PAGE

 

News from New Zealand

26 Apr

Errol helps save south South Island from broken bottles, monkey parades, idle, dissolute and aimlessly wandering youths.

from THE SOUTHLAND TIMES (April 2017)

“Movie Screening”

“The first Sunday movie screening in Invercargill was in February 1910 when there was a “cinematograph entertainment” on a Sunday to aid the hospital fund.

After lying low for many years the issue arose again in 1961.

The arguments were predictable. Most churches waved their arms in horror at the thought that a day of rumination and self-flagellation should be polluted with entertainment, yet the dissolute youths of the town needed films of good character to stop them breaking bottles.

GC Tapper told the council committee investigating the question, “Although not enthusiastic about picture theatres being open on Sundays I now hold the view that something must be done about the idle youths wandering aimlessly about the streets on Sunday evenings and a six month trial with suitable films is now definitely called for.”

The Baptist Union said, “We consider that it is a violation of the sacredness of the Lord’s Day upon which our Christian community is based. We do not believe that there is any evidence of a real need for this because, from observation, there has not been seen any large groups of young people aimlessly wandering our streets on a Sunday night.”

The Catholic Church said, “There is no objection to the screening of films on Sundays. Once our people have fulfilled their obligation of worshipping God on Sundays, they may take part in any form of lawful recreation.”

Another submitter said, “If the opening of cinemas on Sunday evenings would reduce monkey parading, why does it not do so on Saturday evenings or Bank holidays when they are open. Furthermore, increasing facilities for Sunday sports, and the official recognition and sanction of them, have already drawn thousands of young people from the church services and robbed the Sunday Schools of their teachers.”

The Master of Ballantrae, a movie of an improving nature, was screened on Sunday, March 12, 1961. The Master of Ballantrae was a 1953 British Technicolorfilm starring Errol Flynn. It was an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s famous novel of the same name.”

— Tim

 
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Posted in Films, Flynn-related, Gentleman Tim, Main Page, New Articles, Newspaper & Headlines

 
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