In Southern California from Northern Ireland, sailing on the Sirocco, 79 years ago, ~ July 20, 1939.
Rosemary, Errol, Lili, Professor Flynn, and Marelle. The Professor was on summer break as Dean of Sciences Faculty at Queens University in Belfast.
— Tim
July 19, 1935
Filmland learned for the first time today the romantic history of the diamond that Errol Flynn, dark-headed Irish actor, put upon the finger of Lili Damita, who is now his bride.
It was five years ago that Flynn came into possession.
A young adventurer, he was working as a British agent in New Guinea to help preserve peace among the native tribes. One day, he made a gold strike in the jungle.
Trekking back to civilization, Flynn sold his discovery for $10,000 in gold. He decided to leave New Guinea, but couldn’t carry his new found riches. So he put the money into rough-cut diamonds.
It was one of these diamonds that the young actor, soon to play the starring role in the Warner film, Captain Blood, had made into the engagement ring his bride now wears.
Harrison Carroll
Evening Herald Express
Errol, Lili, and Man’s Best Friend, on the very-appropriately named Lookout Mountain – with a glimpse it appears at Diva Damita’s new diamond:
— Tim
Questions, not a quiz.
Anyone know the story behind this photo – location, approximate date, name, the species of Errol’s companion, where one can find that shirt, etc. ????
— Tim
“In Like Flynn will be released later this year through Umbrella (Films)”
“[It] will be in cinemas by October 2018 in Australia.”
“It’s a different film and kinda unlike anything that’s come out of Australia.”
— Tim
Received a great email from Audie in Portugal who has a question and an interesting story about how Errol reaches so many people even today!
I read MWWW in the late 70’s/early 80’s in paperback edition, borrowed from a friend and was hooked!
It wasn’t until much later while at a St. Simons Island, GA, USA library I found a book about his son and himself and was hooked all over again.
My future (and now) husband (living as expats in Portugal) attended a Flynn celebration in St Augustine, Florida when Rory was supposed to be there at a “Sea Hawk” film in 2015.
Even tho she was not there, my future husband and myself enjoyed the festivities. We will always remember that time as “young” oldsters.
I have followed (lurked) this blog since a bit before then and have collected many books about ELTF.
My all time wish about MWWW’s is to know about the first edition copy, printed in England in which “Tiger Lil’s” comments were deleted for the USA edition. If anyone knows, I would be very much interested in what she had to say about him.
Does anyone know?
I have several first edition books about our favorite playboy and also have several first edition books by David Niven, who has several amusing (or not, in David’s case) anecdotes about his Hollywood friend.
From a somewhat long time lurker (only about 4 years, now), I very much like the daily edition of this great blog.
Keep up the good work David!
Warm regards,
Audie
And an addendum:
About giving books to interested Flynn fans, here is another personal Flynn story.
There happens to be a bird loving gentleman who frequents the park next to the pier on St. Simons Island, GA. He arrives in the morning with his lawn chair and several bags of day old bread. Once settled in, he tosses up bread tidbits and watches the starlings (and now sea gulls) play their swoop and grab game in mid air. The amazing thing is that the birds respect him and never leave their “calling cards” anywhere near where he is sitting. They light upon his head and his arm, when extended, for the treat. He can individually identify them and one he calls Niki because of the recognizable white brand on its wing. The locals call him “Bird Man” and he has been the focus of a couple of news worthy articles.
The first time I met him, somehow within the first 10 minutes of conversation settled on Flynn. Not a usual topic for a first meeting. He told me that his middle name was Errol and it seems as though he was conceived one night after his parents watched an amorous Flynn movie.
While making plans to visit the Flynn blowout at St. Augustine Florida with my future husband on our first date… I had noticed a duplicate first edition copy of MWWW in my library and gave it to him. He was very grateful and hesitated to take it but after knowing of the duplicate, he accepted the book, smiling.
I didn’t have a chance before we left to let “Bird Man” know that the man I introduced to him (and also this blog) is now my husband and we moved to Portugal a year ago. Maybe he will reading this and I am raising my hand from far away, wishing him well. I will call him by the name he wished his parents had used, “Ian Errol”.
I love this blog and it is the only one I read faithfully every day. Thank you everyone for your contributions.
Audie in PT
— David DeWitt
REMEMBERING GILLIAN
www.dancemagazine.com…
ERROL AND GILLIAN
Dame Gillian travelled to Sicily in 1953 to film The Master Of Ballantrae. In the credits Gillian Lynne’s part is listed as “Marianne, a dancer favoured by Captain Mendoza” but it wasn’t long before it became clear that she was favoured by the Hollywood legend who had the leading role, one Errol Flynn.
Asked how their affair came about, she says: “It was very difficult for it not to come about! He was a gorgeous man and he was very witty, very funny and well educated actually. It wasn’t all about sex, it was all about fun. We liked each other.
“I would never have been chosen for the role if he hadn’t liked me because they were looking for a blonde woman with big boobs and then they saw me dancing at the Palladium. I was thin with tiny boobs and dark hair but I was sexy. I’m a sexy dancer. Most dancers are sexy. We had a lot of quite steamy scenes, nothing in the bedroom, thank God. All out in the sun.”
Their on-set fling lasted for two months, with the couple enjoying drinks in the bar of Palermo’s exclusive Villa Igiea and taking boat trips up and down the Sicilian coast. In the decades that followed, Dame Gillian went on to become one of the country’s most successful choreographers (Cats, Phantom Of The Opera) and has directed more than 50 shows in the West End and on Broadway as well as a number of TV productions
— Tim
“After more than a century lived in and out of the spotlight, the Oscar-winning actress is still going strong,
serving as an inspiration to millions around the world.”
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM AROUND THE GLOBE, OLIVIA!
ARGENTINA: Cumpleaños Olivia de Havilland sopla hoy 102 velitas
m-lacapital-com-ar.cdn.ampproject.org…
DEUTSCHLAND: Promi-Geburtstag vom 1. Juli 2018: Olivia de Havilland
mobil-stern-de.cdn.ampproject.org…
www-augsburger–allgemeine-de.cdn.ampproject.org…
ESPANA: A punto de cumplir 102 años, Olivia de Havilland sigue conservando su espíritu combativo
www-lanacion-com-ar.cdn.ampproject.org…
ITALIA: Olivia de Havilland, l’ultima diva della golden age di Hollywood compie 102 anni
Tanti auguri a Olivia de Havilland! 102 anni della diva di Via col vento I
Olivia de Havilland, l’ultima diva della golden age di Hollywood compie 102 anni
POLSKA: Olivia de Havilland, Melania z “Przeminęło z wiatrem”, kończy 102 lata
kultura-onet-pl.cdn.ampproject.org…
UNITED STATES:
— Tim
Speaking of Football … Some believe this fellow below looks a lot like Flynn. What do you think?
P.S. Note the Flynn-like logo on his blue French Football Federation uniform.
— Tim
“ERROL FLYNN EN CARTEGENA”
What would you do if the most popular actor in the world arrives at the door of your house at that time, greets you with your name and asks for permission to enter?
The first thing would be to be amazed and that is what happened to Don Antonio Fuentes, founder of the first record company in Colombia, the one with the yellow seal, the one with the Clock Tower of Cartagena.
Don Toño, as he was familiarly called by his employees and neighbors in La Heroica, was born in Cartagena on May 18, 1907, had toured several countries and even fell in love with the Hawaiian guitar. Upon returning to [Columbia] he set up the Emisora Fuentes and determined to rescue the autochthonous rhythms of the Caribbean. In 1934 he made the first productions of figures such as Guillermo Buitrago, Esther Forero, Los Trovadores de Barú, Lucho Bermúdez, Los Corraleros de Majagual, Pedro Laza, Rodolfo Aicardi, Los Hispanos, Gustavo Quintero and dozens of other groups.
La Heroica, Cartagena:
I always asked the artists if they had “some verses” out there and with that, I was able to do a whole song and a success. Sometimes the musicians would tune or give one more note and Don Toño would simply say, “leave that so that’s what you’re going to like”, as indeed it happened.
Thanks to the contacts of Don Toño Fuentes, the recordings were reproduced in countries such as Mexico, Cuba, Argentina, Venezuela and the United States. He had a recognition in many countries and was the great ambassador of Colombian music.
For his part, Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn, known as Errol Flynn, was the most popular actor in the decades of the 30s, 40s and 50s and was born in Hobart, Australia on June 20, 1909. He was nationalized as an American and became a star for his characters of heroes, where he combined great kisses with his adventurous movements.
One of those roles was the first version of Robin Hood, where despite appearing in green tights, a hat with feather and leather gloves, conquered the hearts of thousands of young people who melted to see the way they twisted the lips of the protagonists of the stories.
He is remembered for his roles in films such as “The Light Brigade’s Charge”, “Robin of the Woods”, “The Private Life of Elizabeth and Essex”, “Camino de Santa Fe”, “They Died with Their Boots on”, “The Island of the Corsairs”, “Swords Crossed”, of a roll of more than 50 films.
As a fan of yachting he sailed to Cartagena, according to Don Gabriel Pulido, promoter of Discos Fuentes in Bogotá. When he arrived at the walled city, he did not have a hard time finding the house of Don Toño Fuentes, where he was well received, tasted good rums, ate up the head of a cat, dined on the beaches and danced the best of coastal music.
It was an unforgettable visit [after which] he continued with films, romance, and adventure.
On October 9, 1959 he traveled to Canada in order to sell his yacht and when he was going to ride the plane back he felt bad, a doctor gave him a few days off and on October 15 he died a heart attack. The idol of the cinema left, after scarcely 50 years, [but not until after] enjoying the rum and rumba of Cartagena.
____________
Here’s a Sound on Sound account of Don Tono and Disco Fuentes:
www-soundonsound-com.cdn.ampproject.org…
— Tim
