Kudos to King Karl for keeping us current on all the King of Swashbuckler news fit to print!
— Tim
Archive for the ‘Main Page’ Category
Trial and Tribulations Begin — January 11, 1943
12
Jan
“Actor Errol Flynn, left, sits at his counsel’s table with defense attorney Robert E. Ford, awaiting the start of his trial on Jan 11, 1943 in Los Angeles, on charges he committed statutory rape upon 17-year-old Betty Hansen, seated at left behind Flynn, and Peggy Larue Satterlee, 16-year-old Hollywood night club entertainer. At the left of Ford is Mickey Satterlee, Peggy’s sister. (AP Photo)”
Defendant: Errol Flynn
Crime Charged: Statutory Rape
Chief Defense Lawyers: Jerry Geisler and Robert Neeb
Chief Prosecutors: Thomas W. Cochran and John Hopkins
Judge: Leslie E. Still
Place: Los Angeles, California
Dates of Trial: January 11-February 6, 1943
Verdict: Not guilty
SIGNIFICANCE: Despite the outcome, the Errol Flynn trial focused national attention on Hollywood’s sexual mores, which both titillated and shocked many Americans. The trial also put the phrase “In like Flynn” into the American language.
In 1942, Errol Flynn was at the height of his swashbuckling Hollywood career. In 10 years, the handsome native of Australia had made 26 movies—among them such overnight classics as Captain Blood, The Adventures of Robin Hood, and The Sea Hawk. Flynn lived a boisterous, daring life that was also devil-may-care. He worked hard, drank hard, loved hard. Women everywhere had fallen for his splendid physique, his cleft chin, and his enticing dimples, and women everywhere were available to him.
At a party in September 1942, Flynn met 17-year-old Betty Hansen, who arrived with a studio messenger and who dreamed of moviedom fame and fortune. By dinnertime, Hansen had thrown up from too much drinking.
The next day, Hansen told her sister that Flynn had taken her upstairs to clean up, then seduced her in a bedroom. A complaint was filed with District Attorney Thomas W. Cochran, who recalled a similar complaint by one Peggy Satterlee after a voyage aboard Flynn’s yacht. That charge had been dropped.
Flynn’s stand-in stuntman, Buster Wiles, later said Satterlee’s father had earlier approached Flynn with a demand for money, or, said Wiles, “he would lie to the police that his underage daughter had sexual relations with Flynn.”
Flynn was arrested in October. He hired Hollywood’s ace lawyer, Jerry Geisler.
Fans and sensation seekers thronged Flynn’s neighborhood, spying through binoculars, prowling over his 11-acre property, mobbing the courthouse at his preliminary hearing, pulling at his buttons and shoes.
Selecting the jury on January 11, 1943, Geisler purposely took nine women, gambling that the females’ attraction to the movie star would outweigh concern over the seduction of innocence.
Prosecutor Cochran opened with the Betty Hansen charge. Geisler’s crossexamination proved that her testimony was confused and that she was currently awaiting action on a possible felony charge with her boyfriend, the studio messenger.
Above trial history from:
law.jrank.org…
— Tim
Flynn along song Vol. 1
10
Jan
Dear follow Flynn fans,
Errol appeared in many a song, not only in this one: www.theerrolflynnblog.com/2019/01/07/oklahoma/
Here’s a first of many more to come, written by Cole Porter featuring Flynnmates Frank Sinatra and Rosemary Clooney.
Cherry pies ought to be you
Oh, by Jove and by Jehovah, you have set my heart a flame And to you, you Casanova, my reactions are the same I would sing thee tender verses but the flair, alas, I lack Oh go on, try to versify and I'll versify back Well, let me see now, cherry pies ought to be you Autumn skies ought to be you Mr. Pulitzer's prize ought to be you Romeo in disguise ought to be you Columbine ought to be you Sparkling wine ought to be you All of Beethoven's nine ought to be you Every Will Shakespeare line ought to be you You are so enticing, I'm starting to shake You are just the icing to put on my cake You mean I'm yummy Heaven's blue ought to be you Heaven too ought to be you Everything super-do ought to be you Asphodels ought to be you Orson Wells ought to be you Uncles like Kip Cornell's ought to be you Towels from Ritz hotel's ought to be you Sweet Snow White ought to be you Ambrose' light ought to be you (Hey hey, that's good) Eleanor wrong or right ought to be you Errol Flynn loose or tight, watch it, ought to be you You are so exciting, I can't even laugh, wanna top that one If you're fond of biting, I'll bite you in half To continue Whistler's ma ought to be you Elliot's pa ought to be you Everything hip-hurrah ought to be you Ought to be you, ought to be you, ought to be you Ought to be you, ought to be you, ought to be you Ought to be you, ought to be you
Enjoy,
— shangheinz
Supreme Failure
08
Jan
The Supreme Court cowardly rewards the greed-driven deceit of Ryan Murphy, FX, and all in the film industry who selfishly perpetuate such conduct.
Bravo, Olivia, for standing up against and exposing these self-serving frauds.
In the words of Olivia’s superb attorney, Suzelle Smith.
“We and Miss de Havilland are very disappointed that the U.S. Supreme Court passed on this opportunity to confirm that the 1st Amendment does not protect the publication of intentional lies in any medium, including so called docudramas,”
“The California Court of Appeal has turned the 1st Amendment upside down, and without doubt more harm to individuals and public deception will result. One day someone else who is wronged for the sake of Hollywood profits will have the courage to stand on the shoulders of Miss De Havilland and fight for the right to defend their good name and legacy against intentional, unconsented exploitation and falsehoods. Miss De Havilland hopes she will live to see the day when such justice is done.”
— Tim
In Like Flynn 2018
04
Jan
Well it is now 2019 and there is no info on this film that I can find except that now IMDB has increased the budget to 20 mill from 10 mill. I know they released it in Australia but that’s it. What gives?
— twinarchers
400 flock to Lock, Stock and Errol
04
Jan
Dear fellow Flynn fans,
Errol is one of the most photographed actors from the Hollywood of (G)old era. Almost every aspect of his amazing life is well documented. Even his weaknesses have been exposed, not least by the man himself in his outstanding autobiography “My wicked, wicked ways”.
This blog gives you news by the minute, unearthing auld articles, authentic anecdotes and auric odes by its members. A true tribute many other actors of stature lack or can only envy.
Now has every story been told and every stone turned?
My EF FB site “Lock , stock and Errol” tries to add an angle now and then and was able to welcome ist 400th follower these days:
Looks like Flynn gets never out of fashion.
Enjoy,
— shangheinz
1938: Errol’s Greatest Year in Cinema?
02
Jan
May 14, 1938
August 4, 1938
October 14, 1938
December 24, 1938
Plus brief appearances in film shorts Breakdowns of 1938 and For Auld Lang Syne.
— Tim
For Auld Lang Syne
01
Jan
Eighty Years Ago
Featuring Errol and a host of Hollywood stars in the 7 minute short For Auld Lang Syne,
James Cagney introduced himself and proceeded to identify the attending guests as they arrived at this benefit function, most of whom stepped up to a microphone to be interviewed on the radio by George Jessel, although the only voice heard during the “arrival” sequence is that of Cagney’s.
Cagney introduced Rudy Vallee as the M.C., and Valle presented the Benny Goodman Orchestra in a swing number and then introduced Dick Powell who sang “Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride” from 1938’s “Cowboy from Brooklyn.” Donald Crisp comes on and introduces himself as the co-M.C. and then he introduces Paul Muni, who makes the appeal to the theatre audience to make donations to the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital.
In order of appearance on-screen was: Cagney, Hugh Herbert, Glenda Farrell, George Jessel, Humphrey Bogart, John Barrymore, Bette Davis, Harmon Nelson, Hal Wallis, Louise Fazenda, Basil Rathbone, Marie Wilson, Freddie Bartholomew, Paul Muni, Errol Flynn, Lili Damita, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Gene Krupa, Dick Powell, Donald Crisp and Muni again.
…
To Fans of Flynn Around the Globe:
— Tim
