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Archive for the ‘Wives’ Category

Le Hollywood Honeymoon

23 Jun

June 21, 1935

Harrison Carroll
Evening Herald Express

Honeymooners Lily Damita and Errol Flynn showed up at the Trocadero only a few hours after their marriage in Yuma and got a royal reception from the stay-up-laters.

*******
“Cafe Trocadero was an upscale nightclub that opened on the Sunset Strip in 1934 and immediately became the place where Hollywood stars went to be seen. Photographs of the stars out on the town at the Troc one night might appear in The Hollywood Reporter the next day, as both Cafe Trocadero and THR were owned by William R. Wilkerson. A black tie French-inspired supper club, at 8610 Sunset Boulevard in the posh Sunset Plaza section of the Strip, it was one of the most famous nightclubs in the world.”

— Tim

 

Damita Flim Flams Flynn

18 Jun

Marriage Makes News Around the Globe

U.S.A.

June 17, 1935
Evening Herald Express
Flim Flam with Sidney Skolsky

Lili Damita and Errol Flynn have made plans to elope to Yuma this week.

June 19, 1935
Evening Herald Express
Lili Damita, Errol Flynn Flying to Yuma to Wed

It took a handsome Irish actor, Errol Flynn, to lead the elusive Lili Damita, vivacious French film actress to the altar.

At least the couple took off at a Los Angeles airport in a black and yellow “monoplane of romance” and headed in the general direction of Yuma, Ariz., with the announcement that they would be married at a civil ceremony there.

“I’ve been engaged four times, but this is my first marriage,” the actress said. “But our honeymoon will have to wait. Errol has to take some film tests and so do I.”

The plane was piloted by Ted Brown. Bud Ernst, friend of the couple, who had planned to take Lyda Roberti to Yuma also for a double wedding, accompanied them, although his fiance had to stay behind. An unromantic studio called her to work and sent her out on location.*

AUSTRALIA

ROMANIA

* Ernst & Roberti & took the flight and tied the knot a few days later:

1.bp.blogspot.com…

— Tim

 

A Really Big Show

02 Jun

Errol Shows in Hollywood – Featuring Errol, Lili, Ed & Louella

***

May 30, 1938

Ed Sullivan
Hollywood Citizens News

Errol Flynn gets in June 4.

***

June 2, 1938

Louela O. Parsons
Los Angeles Examiner

Lili and Errol Flynn, no longer “among the missing,” planed on yesterday morning from Chicago.

— Tim

 

Lili Damita, War Hero?

29 May

During legal proceedings against Errol, Lili Damita testified that she suffered an injury while serving her country during World War II. What was that alleged injury, and under what circumstances did Tiger Lil’ allegedly incur her alleged injury?

1. An STD spying for the French underground?

2. A head injury working for the Red Cross?

3. A sprained ankle performing for the USO?

4. A fall from a horse at Camp Pendleton?

5. A fist-fight with Bette Davis at the Hollywood Canteen?, or

6. A cut hand smashing a bottle of Veuve Clicquot over Errol’s skull?

— Tim

 

Days in the Cays

07 May

The most highly coveted of ornamental plants, the delicate, exotic and graceful orchid represents love, luxury, beauty and strength. In ancient Greece, orchids were associated with virility. There are numerous kinds of orchids but the black orchid is regarded the most intriguing and powerful of all. The Greek word “orchis” means “testicle” and is a symbol of virility. Ancient Greeks believed that they could control a baby’s gender by eating orchid roots. If they wished a son, the father would eat a large and new orchid tuber. If they wished a daughter, the mother would eat a small tuber. This belief, and other perceived magical sexual and spiritual powers of orchids, helped them remain popular into modern times.

Perfect for Virile Errol’s Hollywood Hot House, described below!

May 10, 1938

Harrison Carroll
Evening Herald Express

When Errol Flynn gets back from his Bahamas trip in about three weeks, Hollywood will get a floral novelty. He is bringing several hundred cuttings of a black orchid, found when he and Lili Damita were exploring the southern tip of Cat Cay Island.

His agent got an enthusiastic wire today ordering the ‘for sale’ sign off real estate the star owns on the tip of Laurel Canyon and instructing him to start building a modernistic hot house in which to grow the exotic blooms. Flynn plans to raise them for the Hollywood market.

***

Fascinating footage of Cat Cay Island circa when Errol first sailed there, shortly after he purchased Sirocco:

— Tim

 

Wrestling with Lili

18 Apr

April 22, 1935
Lloyd Pantages
Cover Hollywood
Los Angeles Examiner

“Lili Damita has developed a sparkling interest in Man Mountain Dean – of all people.
Every time he gives forth in a local match, Lili can be found hanging over the canvas at ringside…”

Here is some Pathe film of perhaps such a match, a late 1934 contest between Jumpin’ Joe Savoldi and Man Mountain Dean at the Olympic Auditorium in LA. Anyone see Lili hanging over the canvas? Maybe she was studying some of Jumpin’ Joes’s famous flying kicks for her early dates and dalliances with Flynn.

— Tim

 

No. 1 for Apple Records

31 Mar

What was the first record pressed by Apple Records ?

It wasn’t “Those were the Days”

Na, it wasn’t “Hey Jude”

It wasn’t performed by The Beatles, but, rather, by a very famous singer who knew Flynn.

For many years few ever heard the recording, but a beautiful Flynn Mother Should’ve Known:

— Tim

 

At the Del with Pat Wymore!

27 Jan

— David DeWitt

 
 

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.

m.imdb.com…

To Fans of Flynn Around the Globe:

— Tim

 

Friday the 13th, December 1935

14 Dec

BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIAN

FLYNN. WIFE TO N. Y. HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 13 (A. P.)— Errol Flynn and his wife, Lily Damlta, French film star, were en route to New York today to attend the the premiere of his new starring picture, “Captain Blood.”

Captain Blood had its premiere on December 26, 1935 at the Mark Strand Theatre in New York City[18] and was released in the United States on December 28, 1935.”

www.nycago.org…

— Tim