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Archive for the ‘Mail Bag’ Category

Mail Bag! Three Dons of Industry!

04 Mar

Today’s Mailbag brings this from Travis MacMillan:

Hi:
Recently saw Suzanne Issa’ post on Facebook referring to her mother with Mr. Flynn in Jamaica from your blog.

Made me remember a photo I have of my late Grandfather – Dudley G MacMillan and Suzanne’s father Abe Issa with Errol Flynn.

Thought you’d like the extra photo for your blog.

Travis M.

Caption: Three dons of their respectful industry in the 40’s. The Dean of Advertising, Dudley G. MacMillan with his first blue-chip client, Mr. Abe Issa, the father of Jamaican Tourism. To this day, over 80 years later, we’re proud to still be the local Agency of Record for the House of Issa. But wait…. who’s that in the background, the most popular swashbuckler of them all, Errol Flynn who surely dominated the Box Office in his time but was also a key player in developing Port Antonio into its golden era of ‪Tourism, including the still popular rafting down the Rio Grande River‬.

 

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Thanks, Travis!

— David DeWitt

 

Mail Bag! Errol Reichow, on Mr. Errol Flynn, his namesake!

18 Feb

The Mail Bag brought a real treat today, and there was more in store as I opened the subsequent emails from Mr. Errol Reichow. Here is his first email to me:

Salutations Mr. DeWitt,
If you would be so kind as to post this picture to the Errol Flynn blog along with anything else you see fit it would be appreciated. I send my favorite picture to you of my namesake because it is by the pool where I grew up and the house I still have which is my own Shangri la. Please share the post if you decide to toss it up for those who may find interest.
My father (Otto Reichow) always used to tell me why he named me Errol. Zo mit his sic german acsunt I vould hear  ” If you have half the life Flynn has had then you will have had a good life”. Errol set the bar high and left behind a blueprint as ones did before him so we follow, walk along, and continue ahead down the path we all must travel but chose to in so many different ways which make our lives truly unique. Yes, my heroes gowning up were Errol Flynn (namesake), John Wayne, Bruce Lee, and countless other icons that added a spring to my step and kept a sparkle in my eye because that’s what inspiration does.
One could easily go on for pages about the stories but we all have caught bits and pieces in the wind that fill our sails and take us down memory lane and then with the next tack we are faced with present day reality yet look unto the horizon for a better tomorrow and try to keep a true course. It is said that some people should never die and others should never be born but that just isn’t the way life is so keep the best alive in memories and forget the rest for that is the natural progression and key to perseverance. From what I have heard Errol liked to live on his terms and why not it was his life and better to live it your way than somebody else’s interpretation.
There will only be one Errol Flynn and this picture, by my father’s pool, captures it in the twilight of a supernova. Errol has his Vodka and cigarette in hand as he waves with a smile maybe thinking thanks for a great journey and happy to have done it my way sport. With all the pain one can suffer in life and endure the hardships it is good to know that a smile can always be found just around the corner. This was one of the last pictures of Errol in the land that made him and tried to break him known as Hollywood. My father took Beverly and Errol to the airport to catch a flight to Vancouver and that was the last my father and the world ever saw of Flynn, but the spirit lives on for those who wish to remember and we remember because we want to not because we have to – that is how Errol and we all should live our lives.
So long Sport and thank you for a great name.
Errol Reichow
flynn
But there was more! In the next email …
Again, the attached picture is better resolution and this card is from the final memorial service held for Errol Flynn at Forest Lawn Glendale October 19, 1959. I am sure you can crop and enlarge the quarters. If you feel it is worthy of a post please do so.
EF
And finally these wonderful images!
Mr. DeWitt,
The attached picture is better resolution. I saw some old images of Flynn on your blog inquiring where these photos where taken, I believe the response was some hotel but I assure you it was from the home of my father Otto Reichow. The house is currently empty and is located at 1599 Sunset Plaza Dr in the Hills above West Hollywood. There are newspaper shots and various photos floating about from this location as a photographer had contacted my father and asked permission to come by and take some snaps. I have various shots my father saved and then others I see from time to time but felt compelled to clarify the location and mysterious gentleman to the right, my father.
Otto was also a pall bearer at Flynn’s funeral.
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Errol, we can’t thank you enough for kindly sharing these extraordinary photos with us! It is such a rare and wonderful thing when somebody comes forward with images like this, and we all appreciate it so much! Your namesake looks like he is full of mischief, and has the expression on his face of someone looking about for the next source of a bit of fun …
Thanks again, Errol!

 

— David DeWitt

 

Mail Bag! Roberto Memmo, anyone?

09 Feb

We got this email in the Mail Bag today from Annette who says:

Hi … I’m trying to find a way to contact Mr. Memmo the owner of Zaca. I have a beautiful watercolor of Zaca in San Francisco Bay … Any idea how I can reach him?

I suggested Luther Greene and the Sausalito Historical Society but can’t find Luther’s email address for the life of me! I once had a correspondence with a friend of Mr. Memmo, but that is lost, too, to the sands of time …

Any ideas?

— David DeWitt

 
6 Comments

Posted in Mail Bag

 

Mail Bag! Rory Flynn and Crossed Swords!

28 Jan

Here is a note sent to me from Rory who asks that we on the blog may be able to offer this writer some help with his book project:

Hello Rory,
I am writing a book about the movie “Crossed Swords” ( 1953) by Milton Krims shot in Cinecittà in Rome and Castle Lancellotti of Lauro (my hometown) with Errol Flynn and Gina Lollobrigida. I would like to know if you have information , documents and photos d’archive useful for reconstructing history .
Waiting for an answer, i send heartfelt greetings.

Vincenzo Castaldo (journalist)

If you have any info, sources, or other helpful information for this author please let me know via the blog’s email address, or publish it here in a reply and I will forward it to Vincenzo!

You may rate a mention in the book’s credits for your contribution …

— David DeWitt

 
 

MailBag! Robin Hood Autographs at Auction!

27 Jan

Our good friend Karl Holmberg sends us this today:

Autograph Auction TV Sport Historic Military Music
by Chaucer Covers & Auctions

05 February 2016, 10:00 GMT

Folkestone, United Kingdom
Live Auction
Lot 190: Olivia de Havilland and Errol Flynn autographed vintage photograph. Vintage magazine photo still from The Adventures of Robin Hood, 1938, signed by the two stars Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. Very, very rare. Dedicated. Small tear to the top left which would disappear if mounted well. Signatures are not affected. Good condition. All signed items come with Certificate of Authenticity. Can be shipped worldwide.

Robin Hood Autographs

Thanks, Karl!

— David DeWitt

 

Mail Bag! Captain Blood and Elvis!

19 Jan

John and Tom Theiman are twins and both a big Errol Flynn fans and John sendsus this note. English is not his first language:

I’ve got more Flynn news.In Captain Blood when Captain Blood signs Articles of Agreement with his crew the date is June 20th
1687. June 20th. Movie score for Captain Blood is great. Composer
is Korngold. He also does Robin Hood. Robin Hood ranked number 
11 movie score all time. But I believe Blood score is better. Blood is
a great movie, it holds up even today.

Elvis and Errol news. When Hal Wallis ran film test of Elvis he experienced the same thrill when he first saw Errol Flynn on the screen. Hal Wallis,Starmaker. Flynn lives in all of us who love him.
One of my two best friends loves Flynn, too!

See you later.

From Kentucky With Love, John and Tom

Thanks so much,John!

— David DeWitt

 

Dennis Mullen has a few words to say …

13 Jan

As you know, our chum and fellow Flynn aficionado Dennis Mullen is fighting cancer and has a GoFundMe Campaign sponsored by this blog. He today gave us an update and a few words of thanks for all those who care about his condition and are helping him to fight and win:

“Feels strange being a ghostwriter and copy editor while simultaneously being at a loss for words. I can’t thank all of you enough–or to my satisfaction at least–for not only your generosity, but also for your genuine empathy and compassion.

One of my goals is to properly correspond with you all once I am firmly in the recovery lane and we can chat about…..Caribbean adventure and/or Old Hollywood perhaps. Until then I’m not typing or reading so good due to severe rolling stomach pain, nausea, and blurry vision.

I’ve been day-dreaming about a “fair day in the tropics” these last few weeks. A simple line, yet full of promise and intrigue–two Errol Flynn attributes! I hope I can feel good again as this journey has been day-to-day hell for me and I am having a hard time coping both physically and psychologically. Thank-you everyone for thinking of me and helping me. I won’t ever forget it.”

Dennis Mullen, January 12th 2016

If you would like to help in your own area you can do so by downloading the poster below as a pdf, printing it and putting it up in your local community centers, library, or church. A little effort by a lot of people can make a hell of a difference.

sign1

— David DeWitt

 

Mailbag! TCM’s Welcome to Sherwood …

12 Jan

Hello! If you didn’t know, “Welcome to sherwood:the story of the Adventures of Robin Hood” (2003) is on TCM wednesday morning. 1/13/2016
at 2:30 am – hope you’re doing well!
                                           tom and john thieman

I am doing well, Gents, and thanks for the tip!

— David DeWitt

 

Mail Bag! Elizabeth Bentley-Stevens writes ..

27 Nov

I am constantly constantly surprised and delighted by what comes to earth, in our quest to know more about our hero. Thank you very much!

Elizabeth

 

We appreciate the kind words, Elizabeth! 

pirateseahawk

 

— David DeWitt

 
 

Mail Bag! Wallace Berry Remembers …

25 Nov

The Mail Bag brings a reply from Wallace Berry to a post by Gentleman Tim. See the original post

David, Pat Paterson had been on Zaca during its war service. Pat and Babe Lamerdin, Jack Geary and Eric Johnson had all been down in the So Pacific during WW2. They were the original crew that moved Zaca to Newport, and put her in the great condition she was on departure. My tie in was two fold – a Boston Blue nose schooner we owned and sailed on and being part of location/purchase of Zaca with Errol. At the time I was one of the founders of Sausalito yacht club. I was not a professional. I was still in high school.

At the time Flynn, in Newport, suggested a guest crewman spot for me to France on the upcoming trip – that was in the framework of Pat, Babe, Jack all going. My dad approved my going at the time – because of them. At the Mulholland meeting – their salary request was disputed – the next morning on the ship Pat advised I had the ship. And so it stood until departure from Santa Monica.

As to the “cabin Boy” bit – that cropped up with Nora about the time of Acapulco and lasted for about a day. The Hollywood gang had scampered off to LA and that left Bob, Bill, Vince (Hubbs man) and myself – save two or three Mexican crew hired there. We had the 17 Higgins runabout a nice little design and the 26 double ender powered with a little Grey engine. I remained aboard for a time doing light chores and spending time with the Pullen and Shoundoly families. The magazine, newspaper stuff created some reaction in my family (my Dad was KMAG in Korea, at the time) resulting in strong advice to bailout. My injury was also a cause for concern – that’s when I headed for Fort Sam Houston and Brooks hospital.

I did not return to my senior year instead did the GED while in Letterman Presidio and from there was first mate on a large motor yacht owned by the man who ran Pacific Telephone – he fired me and sent me in a direction that put me in the stock market as the youngest trader (for awhile – soon overtaken) …

Time to go, wb

Wallace, thanks so much! We are honored that you take the time to reply …

— David DeWitt