— Tim
Archive for the ‘Gentleman Tim’ Category
The USS Garter Belt
17
Jul
The “USS Garter Belt” with Errol, Barbara Stanwyck, June Allyson, Cass Daley, Linda Darnell, Dick Haymes and Sterling Holloway.
“Can you imagine a battleship manned entirely by women?”
— Tim
The Gentleman from New Guinea
13
Jul
His name is Errol Flynn and into his twenty-six years he has crowded enough experience to satisfy a dozen men. While other actors played at life in stock company repertoire, he has been living it, with dauntless gaiety. Prospecting for gold in New Guinea,being ambushed by natives,negotiating peace between savage tribes, captaining a pearl-diving crew and a copra-trading ship, receiving plaudits as an Olympic athlete – all these activities have just been preparation for the greatest adventure of all, Hollywood.
Adventurer by instinct, he is now actor by accident, he says. However, having “happened into the movies” because of their call to his dramatic sense, and because he “hadn’t yet done them,” he finds them such a challenge that he feels he must make good, in order to prove himself to himself.
Lean and brown, gay and glamorous, no more engaging personality could be found to portray the reckless Captain Peter Blood in the Sabatini tale which records the exploits of a young Irish doctor, who is sold into slavery and turns pirate.
Flynn inherited his craving for excitement from his active ancestors. He is fighting his duels in “Captain Blood” with his historic family sword, which was presented to Lord Terrence Flynn by a loyal follower of the Duke of Monmouth in 1686, the period in which the film is set.
As a boy, Errol made sporadic attempts, invariably failures, to live up to the dignity of his scholarly surroundings. His father was a professor of biology at Cambridge. When Errol wasn’t reading adventure stories, or playing games, he cast fleeting glances at his books, in English and French schools.
Fame as a boxer, which he won at nineteen at the Amsterdam Olympics, failed to satisfy his budding, restless vitality. Probably swaggering a bit in his strong, young manhood, he went to New Guinea where, as British Agent, he was sent out to make peace between native tribes. Learning their dialiects was not difficult, because they have few words and no tenses.
“I would point to objects and try to copy their grunts or shrill exclamations. After a time we would get together, more or less. Maybe,” his smile flashed, “that was where I got my training as an actor. I should be in pantomime, what?”
Silver Screen Magazine, January 1936
— Tim
Robbie Hood: Welcome to Nowood
05
Jul
Robbie Hood is a modern Australian retelling of a classic tale. The 6×10 minute series from director Dylan River is a story about Robbie, a thirteen-year-old misfit with a heart of gold. He and his two best mates – little Georgia Blue and big Little Johnny – skirt the law to right the wrongs they see going down in their hometown of Alice Springs. Robbie Hood will drop on SBS On Demand on Friday 5 July, and air on SBS VICELAND on Tuesday 9 July at 9.35pm.
— Tim
July 4, 1936
04
Jul
July 4, 1936
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
“Errol joins Nigel Bruce, C. Aubrey Smith and other members of the Hollywood Cricket Club with the Vancouver Cricket Club at Brockton Point in Stanley Park.”
“The ground was packed with an enthusiastic but non-cricketing crowd consisting principally of teenage girls anxious to see and get close to Errol Flynn.”
— Tim
“The Bachelor”
02
Jul
July 2, 1937
Harrison Carroll
LA Evening Herald Express
“Never one to abide by Hollywood custom, Errol Flynn bought a small sailing yacht yesterday and announced that no women will be allowed on board.
In keeping with the policy, the star revealed he has decided to re-christen the yacht “The Bachelor.”
Which, of course, led someone to remind Flynn that he himself is no bachelor–still being married to the exotic French actress Lili Damita.
“She can’t come aboard the yacht either,” declared the Irish actor. “I never saw a woman yet who stand rough sailing without getting either sick or frightened. And I intend to have some real fun in this boat.”
The yacht, of modest size compared to most owned by Hollywood celebrities, was purchased by the star from George Arthur, the producer. It carries an auxiliary motor as well as sails.”
*******
Errol sails The Bachelor, aka Cheerio II
— Tim
