DECEMBER 26, 1939
SIDNEY SKOLSKY PRESENTS
Errol Flynn and Guinn Williams sent Orson Welles a Christmas gift – a ham with a beard on it.
— Tim
Archive for the ‘Behind the Scenes’ Category
Dear Prudence
22
Dec
Dear Prudence,
A “more skillful swordsman” than Errol? I think not. Though you sure we’re one talented and rediantly-beautiful swashbucklerette, in both B&W and Technicolor.
“Against All Flags, 1952. This was one of the last Hollywood swashbucklers starring Errol Flynn. Maureen O’Hara proves his equal with her swordplay as Prudence “Spitfire” Stevens. In fact, O’Hara swore she was the more skillful swordsman, which might be true, as Flynn was slowing down. Usually he did his own stunts, but he declined the Douglas Fairbanks-style broad-sail-riding stunt here, having already broken an ankle and delaying production two months.
Fortunately for Universal Pictures, they had Russell Metty as cinematographer. He was the fastest Technicolor ace around, and he shot a second pirate movie, Yankee Buccaneer with Jeff Chandler, while Flynn recuperated. Co-star Anthony Quinn competes with Flynn in all sorts of skullduggery, supposedly on the island of Madagascar. The film’s secret weapon? Jokes that were purportedly inspired by Flynn’s randy sex life.”
— Tim
Doggone, Arno’s Gone!
21
Dec
December 22, 1939
ERROL FLYNN’S DOG IS TAKEN BY KIDNAPPER
Police and humane society officers, as well as Tailwagger Foundation officials, today we’re investigating the latest case of “dognapping” in Hollywood.
Latest victim of the racket that has spread on so widely is Arno, a German Schnauzer belonging to Errol Flynn, film star.
Arno was lured into a black sedan just outside the gates of Warner Brothers Burbank studio yesterday.
Eldon Crowninshield, an electrician, saw the dog, which is well known on the movie lot, enter the car, but thought nothing more of it until Flynn reported to studio police that his dog was missing.
The Swashbuckler’s “Heart Dog”
— Tim
Hit Him Like You Hit Roark
16
Dec
Eighty Years Ago
Third Week of December, 1938
LOS ANGELES EXAMINER
By Erskine Johnson
Headlines that told of a short but terrific fight between Errol Flynn and Aiden Roark, polo player and studio executive, are scarcely dry when Flynn returns to work on his new picture, Dodge City. And oddly enough, his first scene requires him to leap out of a barber’s chair and slug Douglas Fowley. Several times director Michael Curtiz films the scene but Flynn makes his pulled punches look bad. Finally Curtiz becomes exasperated. “Hit him like the newspapers said you hit Roark, ” he demands. Flynn grins and in the next “take” he makes his pulled punch look like the real thing, and Fowley sails back on a pile of mattresses laid out to break his fall.
* Douglas Fowley was a long-time movie and tv bad guy, as well as the father of hyper-wacko Kim “Alley Oop” Fowley.
— Tim
MGM’s Eye Out for Flynn
16
Dec
Third Week of December, 1934
Los Angeles Examiner
Cover Hollywood
The MGMers should be happy to know that Errol Flynn, whom they have talent scouts looking for in England and Australia, to say nothing of New Zealand, is right here in the Hollywood’s at the moment. Because they saw him in an English version of Mutiny on the Bounty, they now want him for their own version of the same picture. So, seeing as how the Gent is actually under contract to Warner Brothers, they will have to do some borrowing if they really want him.
— Tim
No Pink Tea was This Battle
15
Dec
Eighty Years Ago
Excerpts and Summaries of News Reports from Around the Globe …
An eyewitness to the brawl between Errol Flynn and Aiden Roark says that Roark called Flynn a North Ireland so-and-so.
No pink tea was this latest battle, eyewitnesses said. No fists this time swished through the air past their intended target. This one, ringsiders aver, was a knock-down, drag-our affair.
Flynn was a valiant defender of his birthplace, the north of Ireland, against celebrated polo-player (and executive assistant to Darryl Zanuck) from South Ireland.
Flynn was the victor by a knockout.
All afternoon, Roark had been passing sly remarks about Flynn’s heritage and acting. The star of Robin Hood objected and, according to elite rungsiders, told Roark to “shut up.” When he didn’t, Flynn let him have it.
Late in the day, when fifty or more film celebrities gathered to prepare for dinner, Roark continued his heckling of Flynn. He didn’t think much of Flynn’s Thespian ability, and less of North Ireland, and gave voice to these dislikes several times, punctuating his feelings by grabbing Flynn’s collar.
Flynn countered with a beautifully timed right hook.
Roark went down. He staggered to his feet and went down again under Flynn’s crashing right fist.
Bud Ernst, Hollywood radio man and friend of Flynn, grabbed the actor and Bruce Cabot seized Roark. At this point, one of Roark’s socialite, polo playing friends rushed forward and struck Flynn a hard blow on the mouth.
With a roar of rage, Flynn shook loose, knocked down his second antagonist and turned to meet Roark, who had shaken free. The actor then again landed a looping right hand on Roark’s jaw and Roark topped over – for good this time. He was unconscious for 20 minutes.
The hostess, Mrs. Jock Whitney, then dined with Flynn, Ernst, and Cabot, at
a Beverly Hills nightclub.
This is the first time that Flynn has hit the Hollywood headlines with a fight, although he, and Lili Damita, were mixed up in a fracas in Havana.
A philosophic attitude of Warner Bros. was due to two things: (1) Their he-man star won by a knockout. (2) The story broke a few hours before the preview of Flynn’s war picture, The Dawn Patrol.
Reticent to discuss the incident, Flynn said: “I’m sorry it happened; it’s just one of those unfortunate affairs. But some of the remarks were too pointed, and I had to defend myself.”
— Tim
High Sorority
15
Dec
EIGHTY YEARS AGO TODAY
DECEMBER 14, 1938
EVENING HERALD EXPRESS
By HARRISON CARROLL
Get Bruce Cabot and Errol Flynn to tell you about the other night when they wandered into a country club where a sorority dance was in progress. The two stars just wanted to get a drink in the bar, but the young ladies spotted them and started a rush. Flynn and Cabot thought it was fine until they got their bar check—$36… *
_______
Photos from the era …
* $36 in 1938 equates to approximately $643.10 in current currency.
— Tim
Clubbing with Cubby and Cousin*
08
Dec
Reported on December 9, 1938
Eighty Years Ago Today
in the LOS ANGELES EXAMINER
HOLLYWOOD PARADE
By Ella Wickersham
After many false alarms, Franchot Tone actually entrained yesterday morning for New York.
Just prior to one of his “departures,” Pat DiCicco tossed a farewell stag party for him that started with cocktails at Pat’s valley home and then carried on to Club 17, where Franchot’s friends, Joe Frisco and Pat Rooney III, put on a special show for him.
The reveling stags were Errol Flynn, Bruce Cabot, Henry Fonda, Johnny Meyers, Mischa Auer, Bud Ernst, George Peabody Jr. and Cubby Broccoli.
Note the secret passageway.
* DiCicco and Broccoli were cousins, purportedly connected to Lucky Luciano.
— Tim
North to Unalaska
04
Dec
Pauper for a Princely Sum
03
Dec
Reported December 3, 1936
HOLLYWOOD CITIZEN NEWS
by ELIZABETH YEAMAN
The highly publicized reunion of Errol Flynn and Lili Damita and their departure for a “second honeymoon” in Europe may all be called off. That is to say, the trip to Europe may be canceled. Warner’s will decide today if they shall summon Flynn back to take the adult male lead in The Prince and the Pauper</em. This picture is growing daily in budget and production plans. Some enormous sets have been built, and the studio expects the film to be one of its most ambitious efforts. Now Bobby and Billy Mauch, the twin child stars, have the leads, but the are little known to the public and can't be regarded as a box office lure. Errol Flynn is well established with the fans, and while the role for him is of far less scope and importance than any he has been given in the past, it could be built up a little and his presence would insure a certain fan following. The point is, a picture which costs a lot of money needs some star with fan appeal to insure return on the money invested.
Ian Hunter was mentioned frequently for the role now pending for Flynn.
Reported December 14, 1936
by SHEILA GRAHAM
Errol Flynn demanded— and received— a $20,000 bonus for cutting short his European reconciliation trip with wife Lili Damita, returning instead to Hollywood for the leading role in the kiddie story, The Prince and the Pauper*
* A “kiddie story” beloved by adults around the globe.
—
BTW, I wonder if Errol ever read this advice from Mark Twain? I’d bet he did.
— Tim
