The Flynn-Inspired Masterpiece was released Forty Years Ago Today
“[George] Lucas described Star Wars [to 20th Century Fox executive Alan Ladd Jr.] as an amalgam of Buck Rogers, Captain Blood and The Sea Hawk, two Errol Flynn swashbucklers. Ladd [who had been greatly impressed by American Graffiti] had grown up with the people who starred in and made these movies and was willing to take a chance on Lucas.” Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas, page 136.
— Tim
Hanging out with Helen Mirren, Rod Stewart, and a host of Hollywood and Rock ‘n’ Roll others …
See the show in Beverly Grove …
— Tim
Hollywood Citizen News – Behold Them Minus Hokum by Peter Pry – December 1, 1934
Errol Flynn, newly arrived Irish actor, will have to call out the police reserves for protection
when the local gals discover that he is independently wealthy and doesn’t need to act for a living.
Flynn has lots of that appeal too, and is a husky specimen. He hewed a fortune out of a gold mine in
New Guinea, he represented Ireland as a boxer in the Olympic games of 1928, he has braved cannibals,
is 25, and has never been married! He has only been acting for two years. And he refused the role
of Oberon in A Midsummer’s Night Dream because he didn’t want to start his film career by
playing the king of the fairies.
Los Angeles Evening Express – Harrison Carroll – December 3, 1934
Actors making their debut in Hollywood usually proceed cautiously. Not so, Errol Flynn,
the 25-year-old Irishman signed by Warner Brothers. In his biography charge, which all
newcomers are asked to fill out, Flynn gave some answers that made the boys eyes pop out.
For one thing, he listed actors as his pet aversion. And there were some hotter ones but
we can’t go into them.
Flynn is 6 feet 2, weighs 180 pounds and his hands are calloused. He is a descendant of
Fletcher Christian , of the crew of the famous British ship, the Bounty. He was once a
pearl fisherman and he made a good stake for himself prospecting for gold in the heart of
New Guinea. In 1928, he represented Ireland in the boxing events of the Olympic Games.
And his description of Douglas Fairbanks Jr. will get a chuckle out of Hollywood. Young Doug,
he says, has dveloped an Oxford accent so thick that it is hard for even English people to
understand him.
Los Angeles Examiner – Lloyd Pantages – January 29, 1935
Errol Flynn is not only a good looker, but a swell actor, so keep your eyes open for this gentleman.
Los Angeles Evening Herald Express – Elizabeth Yeaman – February 5, 1935
Despite the fact that Errol Flynn is an extremely handsome young Irishman and fairly bursting with
personality, Warners have cast him as a murderer for his film debut here. He will be the villain in
The Case of the Curious Bride, in which Warren Williams has the lead of the sleuthing attorney.
Hollywood Citizen News – Elizabeth Yeaman – March 26, 1935
Errol Flynn, the husky Irish actor at Warners, gets his second film assignment. He will be seen as a
pirate with Robert Donat in Captain Blood. Now it is uncertain if Jean Muir will have the
feminine lead.
Tanikiu Tumas to King Karl Holmberg for the articles and Flynnspiration!
— Tim
More morbid news. There’s no Moore, no more. Godspeed Roger.
much moore from before from shangheinz, no less:
— Tim
The link, info and imagery below include a wealth of Munn shots
and multiple Munn mansions.
One of the illustrious Munns was Countess de Munn,
and this brief story below is one of her most Flynntastic,
written by the legendary Lloyd Pantages.
————
Lloyd Pantages – Los Angeles Examiner I Cover – May 27, 1936
The Countess De Munn started out to Hollywood
with a South American wildcat as a present for
ERROL FLYNN, but while walking it on the deck
of her yacht the kitty jumped overboard and SANK.
So FLYNNSIE is minus a zoo at the moment.
————
— Tim
In Luke Flynn:
Luke is in In Like Flynn, playing his “later-in-life” Grandfather Flynn.
— Tim
Evening Herald Express – Harrison Carroll – May 16, 1938
Errol Flynn has wired for reservations at La Conga for the night of May 21.
ERROL FLYNN AIDS AMERICAN IN FIGHT
Los Angeles Examiner – May 17, 1938
Havana, May 17. Errol Flynn, Hollywood film actor, received the thanks today of an unidentified American he saved from serious injury during a fight in a night club here last night.
Fists, bottles and chairs were flying when Flynn intervened. The American who was involved escaped with a broken nose. Flynn was not hurt.
He was accompanied by his wife, who refused to take the matter seriously.
ERROL FLYNN, FRIENDS IN HAVANA CAFE FIGHT
Evening Herald Express – May 17, 1938
“I think this all so funny”, quoth Lili Damita, stage and screen beauty, who was a spectator while fists and bottles flew in a free-for-all-fight at the Eden Concert Night Club with Errol Flynn taking a prominent part in the fighting.
The fight started last night when one of the members of Flynn’s party got into an argument with a man at a nearby table. A minute later, chairs and bottles began to fly.
Flynn, who often plays rough and tumble parts in the movies, joined in with two or three effective punches at those who got in his way. The only casualty was an unidentified American who received a broken nose and a cut eye. Flynn and the others were unhurt and continued their party.
Flynn’s only loss was the disappearance of a valued cigaret lighter.
Louella O. Parsons – Los Angeles Examiner – May 26, 1938
Errol Flynn is lost again between Havana and Hollywood.
Ed Sullivan – Hollywood Citizen News
Errol Flynn gets in June 4.
Louella O. Parsons – Los Angeles Examiner
Lili and Errol Flynn, no longer “among the missing” planed in yesterday morning from Chicago.
— Tim
An EFB Four Score News Report
Los Angeles Evening Herald Express – Harrison Carroll – May 1937
“In an open letter to the graduating class of the Black-Foxe Military Academy,
Errol Flynn expounded with some typical Errol Flynn philosophy – urging the boys
to seize adventure from life before settling down to careers. The star is now
embarrassed, trying to think of informative or tactfully discouraging answers to
24 members of the class, who have written him, demanding details on how to do it.”
Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Hats Off to Black-Foxe Military Institute
Sean attended Black-Foxe for two years in the Fifties, but, not enjoying its boarding-school isolation and regimentation, left before graduating to live with Lili in Palm Beach.
The school can be seen in the cold war film “My Son John” with Robert Walker, Helen Hayes and Van Heflin. Walker’s real sons, pictured below, also attended the school. (Walker died during the shooting of this film, which had to be finished with film he shot in a Hitchcock film shot a few years earlier.)
— Tim
