The Errol Flynn Blog

Is this who should play Very Young Errol in the next big EF Bio-Pic? I think his Dad Orlando would say so.

— Tim

Olivia Dehavilland’s sister has passed away at age 96 …

— David DeWitt

Here are some newer Then & Now shots, with corresponding screen grabs from the film. I have often found that it would require a higher vantage point, perhaps a ladder or platform, to accurately line up shots with the original scenes, but I think these serve to give a reasonable idea of filming at this location (which is private). In the rare candid long shot, the group of men in a circle at the left are (l-r) Arthur Kennedy, Alan Hale, Ronald Sinclair, and Flynn. To the right of them in the hat and long white coat is Raoul Walsh. In the other rare candid long shot of the group at the middle of the bridge are (l-r) Alan Hale, a production assistant, Flynn, and Ronald Reagan. In the closeup still are (l-r) Alan Hale, Ronald Reagan, Arthur Kennedy, and Flynn. The screen grabs show that the scene was filmed in daylight with filters (and a matte added to the “night” sky), something decided upon because Flynn had, only four days earlier, refused to work at night. As you can see, the bridge is no longer there and a road now dips down from the earth berm to what was formerly the river bed. (As a side note, this very wash over which the bridge spans was where flood waters from the collapsed St. Francis dam tore through in 1928, making its way to the Pacific Ocean, over 50 miles from dam to coast. Along its path it entire towns were destroyed and up to 600 people died. At Piru, the location of this scene and photos, the wall of water may still have still been over ten feet high. After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, this catastrophe is the biggest in California history.)

— Robert

Like Flynn, he was one of the wild characters in the world we loved so much! You will be greatly missed …

Peter O’Toole as Alan Swann in My Favorite Year

— David DeWitt

Our mail bag is unusually active this week! Sonya Turner writes that she was researching her family history and came across this ad for Objective Burma. Screenshot from the PDF she sent:

Thanks, Sonya!

— David DeWitt

— David DeWitt

Rory Flynn shares this clipping with us:

— David DeWitt

We all know Errol Loved his pets … and they Loved him! … That being the case …

With the double-digits & wonderful spirit of December now upon us, I’d like to initiate an identification of and tribute to Errol’s astonishing lifelong menagerie of pets – his dogs, his horses, his cats, his monkeys, his parrots, his goats, his pigs, his fox, his lion cub, his peacocks, his sheep, his snake(s), and all others – commencing with ‘Man (or perhaps Dog) Friday’ and whatever native pets he may have had in Tasmania and mainland Australia – including, of course, any of the very rarely kept Tasmanian Devils or Tigers, platypodes, wallabies, kangaroos, and/or any other indigenous ‘pets’ he may have ‘held’ for any length of time through his father. And, as some of us will recall, he once had some ducks.

Together, with this identification of pets, it would be wonderful to include any photos, descriptions, and stories of interest, including how Errol came to obtain his pets, how he named them, where and when they were in his life, whatever happened to them, etc.

Also, any thoughts/feelings about what Errol’s profound love of animals said about him as a person??

To start things off, here’s one of many wonderful relevant photos! Anyone know the story on this one? Perhaps at Mulholland??

All photos & stories regarding Daisy (aka Man Friday), Arno, Onyx, Moody, Bes-Mudi (aka Bes Nov, Bes Novi & Besnovitch), Chula, Greno, Cold Nose, Peewee, Jack & Mike, Guyceewee, (and all others!) are greatly welcomed and encouraged!

P.S. Isn’t it intriguing that the Flynn coat-of-arms includes an heraldic canine, as on the elegant trivet at the top of this tab!?! Errol surely knew and appreciated that, of course.

THANK YOU TO TINA FOR THE GREAT PHOTO OF ERROL ABOVE!!!

— Tim