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Archive for the ‘Behind the Scenes’ Category

Around the Horn

22 Sep

September 20, 1935

Los Angeles Times

I Cover Hollywood

By Lloyd Pantages

There is a very exclusive club on the Warner Brothers’ lot called “The Cape Horner” and to become a member you must have rounded the Cape at some time or another. So far the roster includes Errol Flynn, Lionel Atwill and Warren William. That IS exclusive.


…

Back in the days when wooden ships sailed the old trade routes, rounding Cape Horn was an infamous part of many sailors’ lives.

In 1933 a group of sea captains that had all sailed Cape Horn established the Amicale des Capitaines au Long Cours Cap Horniers (AICH). Their aims remain the same today:

“To promote and strengthen the ties of comradeship which bind together in a unique body of men and women who embody the distinction of having sailed round Cape Horn in a commercial sailing vessel, and to keep alive in various ways memories of the stout ships that regularly sailed on voyages of exceptional difficulty and peril, and of the endurance, courage and skill of the sailors who manned them.”

For those who want to join the club!

The AICH welcomes new Cape Horn sailors and honours them with a token certificate of achievement. To be eligible for this certificate one must show perseverance and actively participate in the ship’s watch system for an extended period of time on a sailing ship rounding Cape Horn by sail from 50° South in the Pacific Ocean to 50° South in the Atlantic Ocean (or vice versa). The length of the voyage should be at least 3000 miles under sail alone.

A sailor that rounds the Horn is entitled to wear a gold loop earring. Tradition has it that this should be worn in the ear that faced the Horn as it was rounded.

There are immense privileges to sailors who have rounded the horn. They include being allowed to dine with one foot on the table. If one has rounded the Cape of Good Hope as well then such a sailor would be permitted to put both feet on the table.

In terms of tattoos, one may obtain a tattoo of a fully rigged ship once a true rounding of Cape Horn has been achieved.

And finally, in order to be able to “spit into the wind” one would need to have made three true Cape Horn roundings.

One of the true Cape Horners was Captain James Cook, master of the Endeavour 1766-71 who sailed around the Horn in both directions.

A question remains, however: i.e. when exactly did Errol ’round the horn?

— Tim

 
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Posted in Behind the Scenes, Flynn and..., Gentleman Tim, Newspaper & Headlines, Ships & the Sea, Travels

 

The Fidler-Flynn Fiasco of ’41

20 Sep

HOLLYWOOD –

On September 20, 1941, Errol engaged in one of the most notorious nightclub fights in Hollywood history when he slapped gossip columnist Jimmie Fidler, whose wife then stabbed Errol in his ear with a fork. Below are excerpts and summaries from various accounts of :

“All the blood came from the veins of Flynn. He charged that Fidler’s wife, Bobbie, stabbed him in the ear with a fork. Movie celebrities at surrounding tables in the Club Mocambo verified his story of Mrs. Fidler’s use of her fork as a fencing foil. The Fidlers were sitting with Samuel Zagon, Hollywood attorney, and his wife, when Flynn and Bruce Cabot walked into the celebrity-jammed room. Flynn spied Fidler, called him names, and started to poke him. Tables were overturned. Fidler’s coffee was decorating his shirt front. His wife was screaming. Blood was squirting from Flynn’s ear lobe and a dozen men were grappling with the fighters. The scene resembled the riot of stunt men in the night club sequence of many a Flynn movie. The manager was about to cell the cops when Phil Ohman’s band struck up “the Star Spangled Banner” and all hands stood at attention, dribbling blood, sweat, and rose buds from the overturned vases of one of Hollywood’s most expensive drinkeries. The gladiators retired to pose for photographs and issue statements.”
…

“I put my left fist up against his chin and gave him a slap with my right hand on the side of the head. I said ‘You’re not worth a fist.’” But then “his wife became angered and I tried to hold her to one side, still gripping Fidler, but finally she jabbed at me with a fork, which would have stuck me in the eye had I not turned my head. Instead it pierced my ear. I must say that I admire Mrs. Fidler, God bless her. She has the courage to try to defend her husband — much more courage than he himself has.”
…

“I slapped him. In Ireland that’s tantamount to the worst insult a man can give another man … I want to add, however, that [Mrs. Fidler] showed bad etiquette and used the wrong fork — she should have used the entree fork.”
…

“Fidler claimed Flynn had come over to the table, ran his mouth, tried to punch him, lost his diamond cuff links in the process, accused Fidler of stealing said cufflinks, gone back to drinking, taken a lady to the dance floor, passed his seat on the way there, and up and tried to punch him again.”

“And when things were just about to get real, the band leader started into “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

“Like the Cafe Trocadero and Ciro’s, the Mocambo was a world-famous nightclub on the Sunset Strip catering to celebrities. Located at 8588 Sunset Blvd. [map], it opened on January 3, 1941, featuring Mexican-themed decor said to have cost over $100,000 (about $1.6 million today) and dominated by glass-walled aviaries that housed live macaws, cockatoos, parrots and other birds.

During its 17-year run, the Mocambo was the scene of a number of celebrity brawls. In 1941, a movie agent named William Burnside cold-cocked restaurateur Michael Romanoff there, for reasons now forgotten. “I wish they had let me go just for a minute and I would have annihilated him,” Romanoff said later. In October that year, Errol Flynn punched Los Angeles Times columnist Jimmy Fidler at Mocambo in retaliation for purported derogatory comments Fidler had made in his column.
…

Phil Olman was a premier pianist, first in New York performing and recording with George Gershwin, Irving Berlin and Paul Whiteman, et al. Then he left for the left coast, where he specialized in teaching actors and pianists how to play piano in Hollywood films, in addition to recording and playing the top celebrity nightclubs. He is known for songs like “I Love a Parade”, “Penthouse Serenade”, “Funny Face”, “Each Time You Say Goodbye [I Die a Little]”, and many, many more. Unfortunately, I could not find any recordings of him playing the Star-Spangled Banner!

youtu.be/OTCDTQryp1U…

— Tim

 
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Errol Enjoying Italy — Shortly Before the Fall of ’53

16 Sep

Shortly Before the Fall of William Tell

September 12, 1953

And September 16, 1953

— Tim

 
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Posted in Behind the Scenes, Gentleman Tim, Newspaper & Headlines, Travels

 

He Collapsed with His Shoes On

12 Sep

On September 12, 1941, Errol collapsed in an elevator. He was diagnosed and hospitalized with nervous exhaustion, leading to weeks of delay in the filming of They Died with Their Boots On.


…
Very notably, this incident occurred nearly three months prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, serving to support, along with other medical ailments and injuries, the U.S. Armed Forces’ rejections of Errol’s applications for active duty during WW II.

P.S. Errol appears to me as though he may be ill, possibly anemic, in the Boots publicity photo above. What do you think?

— Tim

 
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The Freedom Bonds Act of 2001

11 Sep

In September of 1942, as a reward for the town of Libertyville, Illinois’ record-breaking war bond sales in 1942, the town’s Liberty Theater was chosen to be the location of the world premiere of Errol’s first of five World War II films, “Desperate Journey”, which, much more notably now than then also starred Ronald Reagan. Far more notably at the time was the fact that Jimmy Cagney hosted the event.

This historic event of September 1942 was cited in the Freedom Bonds Act Hearings of 2001 U.S. Congressional Hearings of 2001, as follows:

From the Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 14][Pages 20376-20379]

FREEDOM BONDS ACT OF 2001

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2899) to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to issue War Bonds in support of recovery and response efforts relating to the September 11, 2001 hijackings and attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center, and for other purposes, as amended.

The Clerk read as follows:

H.R. 2899

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Freedom Bonds Act of 2001”.

SEC. 2. ISSUANCE OF FREEDOM BONDS.

Section 3105 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“Freedom Bonds.–The Secretary may designate one or more series of bonds or certificates (or any portion thereof) issued under this section as `Freedom Bonds’ in response to the acts of terrorism perpetrated against the United States on September 11, 2001.”
…

Mr. KIRK of Illinois:

Mr. Speaker, I want to rise in strong support of H.R. 2899, the Freedom Bonds Act of 2001. This legislation draws upon the heritage of our greatest generation. During World War II, war bonds were one important way that every American could help make sure that our men and women in uniform had what they needed for victory. My own district is home to Libertyville, Illinois. Libertyville sold more war bonds per capita than any other city in America. Libertyville oversubscribed every bond quota assigned, and this achievement led to a unique honor.

In the fall of 1942, a young sailor reported for duty at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center. Like the 3 million Americans who entered the Navy there, James Cagney trained for war. On September 10, 1942, he was able to leave the base and paid a unique honor to Libertyville’s war bond drive by opening a major Hollywood movie there, Desperate Journey. Desperate Journey was a war thriller starring Errol Flynn and Ronald Reagan and it opened at the Libertyville Theater. Tickets went for a $25 war bond, and the evening was a smashing success, raising $110,000 for the war effort.

Mr. Speaker, in these tough times after September 11, we return to our values in tested ways to support our country and the cause of freedom. This legislation recalls that spirit of Libertyville to enlist the help of every American in our cause against terrorism. I would hope that this legislation receives quick action and that Libertyville can help launch our State’s freedom bond effort.

— Tim

 
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Posted in Behind the Scenes, Co-Stars, Errol Helping Out, Flynn and..., Gentleman Tim, Special Events

 

What is Errol Doing? — Where, When, and For Whom??

07 Sep

Added ~ Sept 7 – 9:45 PM EST

Added ~ Sept 7 – 10:45 PM EST

— Tim

 
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Posted in Behind the Scenes, Flynn and..., Gentleman Tim, QUIZ PAGE

 

Arno the Arnochist — Raising Hell at the Hotel Del

05 Sep

September 5, 1980 / May 1942

Errol Flynn’s Antic Stay at the Hotel Del Coronado

Excerpt from Esquire Magazine, May 1942. The Writings of Errol Flynn. “It Shouldn’t Happen to an Actor”

Friendship with Arno meant you were a cinch to lose most of your friends. There were times when the only answer seemed to be to change my name or leave the country. Like that time at the Coronado Hotel The Coronado Hotel is an austere establishment where rich old folks go to play until they die. The waitresses get off weekends to visit their grandchildren. You are kept awake nights by the dull thud of guests dropping dead.

Disaster, ever Arno’s sidekick, struck one day in the dining room of that hotel. Eating was always a problem because Arno insisted on eating with me. If you chased him out of the restaurant, he would just come in another door. When the door was shut he would wail for some customers and come in again camouflaged between their legs.

On this particular day I had (I thought) double-locked him in my room upstairs. One of the hotel’s younger set – a quaint little thing of about seventy – always complained that the dining room was cold, in spile of the temperature being a good eighty. She also maintained it was so dark she couldn’t see, though you could take snapshots in there at night and they would have been overexposed. So she announced she would provide her own lighting. Soon a tall stand-lamp arrived and was installed behind her chair. When lit the first night it was found to contain a 200-watt bulb of such brilliance that it temporarily blinded everyone who looked in her direction. The waitresses were the ones who suffered most They would serve her something and turn around to get something else, and everything would immediately go black. They would usually drop whatever they were holding. One of them partially solved the problem by wearing dark glasses. Of course nothing much could be done about the heating arrangements. From the heat generated by her lamp, people at adjoining tables already perspired freely throughout meals, but the frail little old lady sat serenely under her 200-watt umbrella and remarked how cold she was. She . finally achieved some measure of comfort by coming into meals wearing several silver fox furs. This was partly the cause of the trouble.

One night I was sitting in the dining room over a bottle of wine when a cat passed by the table. I knew this cat slightly. He was a prosperous executive-looking kind of cat and apparently had the exclusive use of the kitchen and dining room. Business was good with him. Suddenly there was a commotion at the dining room entrance. There was a scraping of chairs; the head waiters began moving around agitatedly. The hair on the back of the business cat shot up as though someone had got by the secretary he didn’t want to see.

It was Arno. How he got out of the room I don’t know. He had just started to give me a brief nod, a sort of double take, when he saw the cat. That was enough! They broke beautifully from the gate without a second’s difference in the start hugging the rail the cat skidded around several tables three lengths ahead of Arno. At the far turn, Arno had shortened and was coming up on the outside. Coming into the stretch it began to lode like a photo finish when the cat taking a desperate gamble, swerved sharply under the frail little old lady’s table. Arno, trailing by barely half a length now, saw dangling in front of him the fox fur and! It was horrible.

The screams of the waitresses, the hoarse shouts of the men, the smash of crockery, rose to a sudden deafening explosion as the 200-watt lamp crashed to the floor and broke shivering into a thousand pieces. Arno had the little old lady’s silver fox fur by the throat in a killer’s grip. On dark nights, the sounds still ring in my ears. All in all, the hotel was very nice about it After I had paid for the damage the management said I could come and stay there practically any time – alone.
…

Here’s Errol at the Hotel Del pool … sans Arno

— Tim

 
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Dr. Guido to the Rescue

04 Sep

September 4, 1953

Errol Flynn Stricken by Arthritis

VENICE, Italy *

Errol Flynn, swashbuckling star of dozens of films, is suffering from spinal arthritis, his physician Dr. Guido Cassone, said today. The doctor sped to Flynn’s hotel through the canals of Venice when the 44-year-old actor complained of severe pains in his back.

Dr. Cassone said Flynn was afflicted with a type of arthritis brought on by the dampness of this city of canals. He said the condition resulted from a fall about four years ago.

OR, was Errol actually kicked in the spine, resulting in a much more serious injury and condition than reported in the international news?

* This was during the 1953 Venice International Film Festival.

— Tim

 
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Sean Injured in Da Nang

01 Sep

September 2, 1968

Errol Flynn’s Son Wounded On Assignment In Vietnam

Da Nang, Vietnam (AP) -Sean Flynn, working as a cameraman for the Columbia Broadcasting System, was wounded slightly by grenade fragments Saturday during a counterattack by U.S. Special Forces on an enemy squad 85 miles south of Da Nang. Flynn, 27, son of the late actor Errol Flynn, and Associated Press photographer Dana Stone were with the Special Forces as they retook a small outpost overrun by the enemy Friday near the special forces camp of Ka Thanh. Flynn was hit in the chest but did not require hospital care, and returned to the Da Nang press center. Flynn calls Paris, France, his home. He was wounded slightly in February 1966, while covering U.S. troops in South Vietnam.

Sean under fire during the 1968 “Mini-Tet”. Photo by Tim Page.

— Tim

 
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Four’s a Crowd Draws a Crowd

01 Sep

September 1, 1938 – 12:30 Matinee

“The cream and black tiles glistened and the neon sign spelled out its welcome. The new Lafayette Theater, with its modern Art Deco design, was opening! The line stretched down the block as people waited to see Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland in “Fours A Crowd.”


…
Here’s the Original Trailer

— Tim

 
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