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Archive for the ‘Behind the Scenes’ Category

A Garden Variety Check? — Or was it for Judo Lessons?

25 Mar

Errol and the Judo Master/Prominent Nursery Owner, Sego Murakami

On March 24, 1947, Errol signed the check below to Sego Murakami, a Japanese-American Hachidan-ranked Judo legend. Why? Well, probably not for judo lessons, but, rather, for items and services for Mulholland Farm purchased from Sego’s landmark nursery, still in business and still in the family!


Errol’s Check to Sego



Historical Significance of the Sego Nursery


The Sego Nursery today.

— Tim

 

Another One for Olivia

24 Mar

Olivia holding her two Oscars following the Academy Award ceremonies on March 24, 1950. She won for her performance that year in “The Heiress,” and in “To Each His Own” in 1946.

— Tim

 

Partners at LaMaze*

18 Mar

* The “cafe”/restaurant/nightclub, not the natural childbirth technique.

The partners were:

Errol and Lili
Dolores and Cedric
Marlene and Gilbert(?)
Howard and Frances
______________

March 18, 1936

Louella O. Parsons
Los Angeles Examiner

Errol Flynn, Lili Damita, Gilbert Roland, Marlene Dietrich, Dolores Del Rio and Cedric Gibbons at the Cafe LaMaze in a party; at a nearby table Howard Hughes and Frances Drake.*

* The actress, not the explorer.

— Tim

 

A Giant St. Patty’s Day Quiz

17 Mar

Errol was once a guest at a giant St. Patrick’s Day Party. Where was it and who was the host?

– It may have been the largest St. Patrick’s Day celebration ever thrown by a private person.

– Many dozens of Hollywood celebrities attended.

– The millionaire host wore sunglasses the day of the party, reportedly because he had a black eye he earned in a fistfight while greeting or preparing to greet celebrities.

— Tim

 

Ides of March, 1933 — Errol’s First Public Screening

15 Mar

March 15, 1933

Sydney Morning Herald

EXPEDITIONARY FILMS LTD. “BOUNTY” PICTURE LAUNCHED!!

To-day, at the Prince Edward Theatre, the film, “In the Wake of the Bounty,” which Mr. Charles Chauvel produced recently, with Tahiti and Pitcairn Islands as the principal backgrounds, will be given its first public screenings.

At the Australia Hotel yesterday, the directors of Expeditionary Films Ltd., under whose auspices Mr. Chauvel has made the film, entertained members of the Press and the motion picture Industry at luncheon.

Mr. S. Utz (Chairman of Expeditionary Films, Ltd.) presided. COL. M. P. Bruxner, who is a member of the company, outlined some of the difficulties which Mr. Chauvel had to face In making the film; difficulties of transport; difficulties of organisation; and, finally, difficulties of censorship. The members of the company, being amateurs in the film business, had been amazed, and then appalled, at the amount of obstinacy and pugnacity which had to be displayed, before a film finally reached its public.

Mr. C. Brunsdon Fletcher spoke of the essential soundness and solidarity of the British Empire, in a world where every other nation was reeling beneath the shock of disaster (the depression). After all, it was human character, as expressed in national outlook, which remained the predominating factor. The producers of this film had done something decisive and valuable to make their country known elsewhere.

Mr. Hec C. MacIntyre (Managing Director of Universal Films – Aust) said that his Company considered it was only doing Its duty in trying to establish Australian films abroad. The launching of the Australian product In England, was no easy matter, either. The English exhibitor was conservative. He preferred to concentrate on English and American productions. Some of the earlier Australian films had been extraordinarily difficult to market. In Mr. Chauvel’s picture, however, he was confident that he had something to appeal to the tastes of the whole world.

Mr. H. Saxton (Secretary of Expeditionary Films) also spoke.

— Tim

 

Florida Spring Break for the Flynns

13 Mar

March 12, 1938

Louella O. Parsons
Los Angeles Examiner

Lili Damita leaves for Palm Beach shortly to meet Errol Flynn and come back through the Canal with him.

— Tim

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RORY!

12 Mar

— Tim

 

The Whereabouts of Flynn

10 Mar

Long before the United States of Mexico Ports of Entry to the United states of America were making big news, as they are these days, Errol was crossing through many of them. Here is one of his notable ones, his attempt to travel incognito through the border gate at Brownsville to Mazatlan (with Senora Damita believe it or not!)

March 9, 1939

Evening Herald Express

FLYNN IN TEXAS ON NEW FILM RUNOUT

Errol Flynn, dashing screen star who is supplying Warner Brothers publicists with a headache, was reported proceeding to Mazatlan, Mexico, today and running out on his film studio’s stunt for a picture.

Traveling incognito so far as it was possible – and it was pretty difficult after Warner’s offered a $500 reward for his capture. – Flynn and his wife Lili Damita, would only comment at the Brownsville airport today that they were “making a little trip.”

Then the couple took a plane to Mexico City. It waa understood Flynn’s plans included a hunting trip to Mazatlan. Warners wanted its playboy to go to Dodge City, KS, for the premiere of a picture by that name.


March 10, 1939

Harrison Carroll
Evening Herald Express

Warners wished they hadn’t offered $500 reward for information on the whereabouts of Errol Flynn. Within a few hours after the story hit the wires, the studio had received 143 telegrams from all parts of the country. Some of them were gags, but a large number brought actual information…and now the studio is faced with the headache of trying to figure out who deserves the reward.

Did tightwad J.W. pay up??? Doubtful!

— Tim

 

The (Grand) Son Also Rises

09 Mar

March 9, 2003
The New York Times Magazine

“A quiet spot by the Jamaica seashore, looking out at the activity in the ocean, hearing the wind sob with the beauty and the tragedy of everything.”

Errol’s Diary: April 4, 1954, Boston Estate, Jamaica

— Tim

 

aka F.X. Pettijohn — Errol Flynn, Like You’ve Never Seen Him Before

09 Mar

Footsteps in the Dark
Released March 8, 1941

“Ralph Bellamy said Flynn was “a darling. Couldn’t or wouldn’t take himself seriously. And he drank like there was no tomorrow. Had a bum ticker from the malaria he’d picked up in Australia. Also a spot of TB. Tried to enlist but flunked his medical, so he drank some more. Knew he wouldn’t live into old age. He really had a ball in Footsteps in the Dark. He was so glad to be out of swashbucklers.””

— Tim