The Errol Flynn Blog

Dear Members of The Errol Flynn Blog, I have discovered some interesting news that concerns all of us at the blog. While seeking some information about a prematurely closed ticket of mine at the support desk for this blog at Domainmonger, I received the following reply:

Sorry that was closed. We just learned that our blogging platform is
closing up shop in a few months. We are working on a method to move
clients over to wordpress blogs, and will be getting back to you in the
next 2 weeks with that option. Until then, there nothing to do about the
spam issue, but the wordpress platform should fix this problem.

– Domainmonger Support

So it seems we will be moving!

I do not know what this means exactly for the style of the blog we are accustomed to or the functions we enjoy here as opposed to what will be available at the new home of The Errol Flynn Blog, but it is inevitable that we are going to seek shelter in a new harbor…

I will let you know more about the move as soon as I am offered the option to move us over to WordPress. I see no alternatives here, at the moment. We have four years of posts, comments and photos accumulated on this blog, and all of it will have to be exported to a new home! This may not be a difficult job for Domainmonger to accomplish but time will tell…

We'll make the transition as easy as possible for everybody, and I will let you all know what is happening and when as soon as I get the details of the process from Domainmonger. Meantime, we sail onward…

— David DeWitt

May I introduce to you Maria del Carmen Vivo Belando,

which gives me a great
pleasure and I
hope you will appreciate it as much

as I do for this wonderful post she brings
to us!

 

A
while back Maria del Carmen Vivo Belando contacted me via Facebook due to my
EF site.

Maria is living in Spain
and her family affectionately calls her Mamen,

combining Maria and Carmen into
Marmen.  Marmen is a friend of Ventura
Sala who we know

lives in Mallorca and with whom we
are very well acquainted on our blog. 

 

We
corresponded and we acquainted ourselves for which I am extremely happy and
grateful

as it started a wonderful friendship. In our conversations about Errol
she offered to translate

the Spanish video we have on our blog from Ventura posted by David
which you find on the

blog – titled “From Ventura Sala, a wonderful Flynn
docu!”

Click the red link: “Ventura Sala Docu” which is the Spanish video and follow the translation.  

 

I am told that some people could not find the video I am placing the URL here to:

www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/television/baleares-viaje-tiempo—errol-frynn-glamour-50/624731/…

Needless
to say Mamen went through enormous work to translate the important parts of

the
video concerning Errol which is the greater part of the video.

Mamen
doesn’t speak English and used an Internet translator to send me the
information.  

Her translations arrived in
segments and I corrected certain grammar problems which are

common in these
translations without changing the meaning.

 

I
urged Mamen to make the post to our blog herself, but I was unable to convince
her, I am

therefore posting it on her behalf.  

The
following words are Mamen’s correspondence with me and I thought that they are
a

wonderful introduction to the translation of the video and in particular
express her sentiment.

 

Mamen
writes:

When
I first saw the video tears came to my eyes. Errol Flynn was different, he was
special! 

Some
people tell me that they do not understand why I admire him because he drank a
lot, was

a womanizer, … But these people do not know how he really was, I
admired him as an actor and

wanted to know what kind of person he was. Now, that
I found out I admire him more!

I found pages of a newspaper in Mallorca where they talked about Errol in Palma and spoke of

the
family named Sala. Ventura spoke in interviews
and his mother too as Edward, Ventura’s

father, had died.  So I thought it would
be wonderful to meet Ventura
and talk with him.

One day by chance in an Internet forum, which talked about
Errol Flynn, I saw that one comment

was from Ventura Sala on the forum and his
email appeared. I was nervous and excited at the

opportunity to write and speak
with him, so I did not think and I sent an e-mail. We had contact

by e-mail. We
conversed and he was very nice and charming. One day my boyfriend had to go

to Palma and took me with him, so I contacted Ventura and said it would be my first visit to

Palma.

 

Although
I did not expect anything, Ventura asked me to
meet him and to see Palma,
where Errol

was teaching him swimming and told me all about it.  We met at the Yacht Club, he did not have

much time, he was waiting his family so we were all at the club, he showed me
where the Zaca

was docked, and told me stories of Errol, he showed me a photo
album and original documents.

The photos displayed on the video are all from Ventura. He gave me a
book about Errol in Palma,

and a cartoon whose
protagonist is Errol in Palma.
For me it was wonderful to meet him, he was

very kind for giving his time.
Ventura loves
to talk about Errol and collects a lot of things about him.

When Ventura
was a boy he was playing on the boat with Arnella. Errol taught Ventura how

to swim by
tying a rope around his waist and he threw him overboard into the sea.

 

Rory
Flynn is a friend on facebook with him and he talks to people from other
countries. 

I have to use the translator
because I do not speak English.

 

I
want to tell you a very nice story Ventura
told me. Once on the boat deck was Edward Sala

his father, and he saw that
Errol was going to the street with a hole in the pants on his behind.

Eduardo
said Errol your pants are ripped. Errol then went back to the boat and put tape
to

cover the hole. Errol went on deck and asked gracefully Eduardo: “Eduardo, can
you see

my ass”?  Eduardo said no. And he
was well into the street when he laughed out loud – hahaha!
He did not mind walking the streets of Palma
with a pair of trousers with a plaster on his ass.

That's what I like about
Errol, who was a simple person, a person close to the people, accessible. 

He was not your typical Hollywood
actor who lives in his mansion and does not allow anyone

near him. As Toni
Riera said who was a sailor on his yacht, he was a true sailor, he was a
friend,

he was one of us!

I would really like blogging on your blog, but I have to see how it works, I
cannot wait to have

time to enter your blog and participate in it. Ventura certainly also will be
pleased.  It is very nice.
Mamen

Errol
Flynn and the glamor of the 1950’!

The Sailing Club “Real Club Nautico de Palma” in the 1950's where Errol docked his boat!

This link brings you to the club of today:  www.realclubnauticopalma.com…

 

The
first part of the video tells of how many celebrities were seeking anonymity
and try to take

a rest in Palma de Mallorca, like Charles Chaplin with his
wife.  But among all the famous actors

who visited the island, none installed such depth with the Mallorcans as did
Errol Flynn. 

In December 1950, in Monte Carlo, he married
the young actress Patricia Wymore.

During their honeymoon trip aboard his yacht
Zaca, being surprised by a storm on their way

to Gibraltar they took refuge in
a port in northern Mallorca. During his stay he casually toured the north

coast of the island and he finally reached the pier in Palma where they landed.

JOSEP
PLANAS says: “I had a good relationship with the yacht club director Dr.
Porcel.

I
said to him, tonight we are here with Errol Flynn. There was a dance group
performing and

I made pictures of Errol Flynn in the yacht club.  It was a very spectacular event.”
“The island was unknown to him and he was very pleased that had been received
so well.

The people liked him right from the beginning and he promised to
return, perhaps to even

shoot a movie”.
In May 1955, as promised, Errol returned to Mallorca,
accompanied by his wife Patricia and

his daughter Arnella.

 

For
twenty years, that privileged adventurer had been one of the most famous
leading men

and had represented some of the most fascinating and heroic roles
in film history.  But at

the time, Errol
Flynn was ruined due to a failed movie production.  The producers had

canceled their contracts
and he had been abandoned by everyone.  
He decided to leave

America
with his family and live on the Zaca. 
Where he recalled his youthful adventures,

when he went to look for gold
in New Guinea.  Lost at sea and in command of his crew, Errol

Flynn could play the part of his life and could go on believing it that he was
a Hollywood

star while he discovered that the great Errol Flynn no longer
existed.

 

PERE
SERRA says: “He did not fall into decay at all with his image, he was
considered a

great film star and this is logical because the news at that
time did not come as rapidly as

now. On the other hand, in Palma films of Errol
Flynn had only been very recently released,

do not forget that in the Spanish
Civil War in Spain we did not see American films until after

1941 because there
was no money to pay for American films, so I have seen just lately the

movies
of Errol Flynn and so the Mallorcans when he was on the cusp of his fame.”

The Zaca docked at the yacht club.  Errol
Flynn initially settled in the Hotel Maricel and

then stayed at the Hotel
Bonsol, where he organized meetings with their friends.

MARTÍ XAMENA (owner of the Hotel Bonsol) says: “He stayed in the hotel. My
parents

attended to him very personally and they became good friends.”

ROGER TORO says: “Someone had recommended the Hotel Bonsol and he chose it
because

he was told it was a quiet hotel, where it would go unnoticed without
being disturbed.  He

himself initially
came up with this idea of a quiet place, being in a place where no phone calls

could reach him, but it seems that he found himself with his wish so well
fulfilled that it was

him who wanted to call a reporter.”

Finally Errol Flynn rented a house called Es Moli in one of the new tourist
areas near

Palma,
Illetas.  Errol Flynn from childhood
loved of the sea and he was as happy as if he were

sailing the seven seas.

 

Errol Flynn said: “On board the Zaca Pat cooked and comforted me, I
played with my

daughter Arnella.  From
time to time my friends came on board to eat and have a drink or to

set sail on
a cruise.  I read, I dreamed, trying to
find out who I was, worry that I do not drop

or as badly, or as low as people
thought.”
To hell with Hollywood
and the producers Errol Flynn thought!
Away from the cinema and the company, they have a life of their own and seem to
live outside

history. In Mallorca you could
enjoy the sea and live!

VENTURA SALA says: “My father started working on the yacht in 1956, he was
the helmsman. 

Errol at the time had a
crew of Jamaicans, but when they were here for a couple of months,

they wanted
to return to Jamaica and he
took on a crew of Mallorca, of which one was
my

father.

On
Christmas, he gave gifts to the crew and their families and I gave a kiss to
his daughter

Arnella. I took a photo and Errol approached me and said: Ah!
Small bandito!”

 

TONI
RIERA “EL INDIO” says: “I made friends with one of the crew of
the Zaca and asked

him for work.  He then
asked Errol if we needed a sailor and Errol said: Bring the mate!”

(Toni died several years ago and Ventura
told me that he probably never saw this

documentary on television).

In Palma Errol could pursue his great passions, like all those who admired his
manliness

and heroism, he was fascinated by the spectacle of bullfighting.  Accompanied by his friends

celebrated the
cape while drinking cognac.

The bullring
was a meeting of familiar faces and confirmed the attraction that it was for
the island.

 

The
spell of the island attracted other major stars of film, some of who would be invited
by

Errol Flynn himself as Ava Gardner and Rita Hayworth.

VENTURA SALA says: “Rita Hayworth came to Mallorca
and went to the Hotel Maricel,

and asked at the reception to place a call to
Errol Flynn. They called his room and he was

told that Rita Hayworth has
arrived and wanted to talk to him.  Errol
replied: I said I'm not

seeing anyone!  And that day he did not.”

The islanders live on a basis “Live and let live”, we did not ask questions,
but the presence

of a star charisma of Errol Flynn aroused the curiosity of all
people, like when he went to eat a

t the restaurant Sellé Catalá.

 

MIQUEL
MOYÁ said: “Once I had so much trouble that I closed the restaurant and
hid behind

the bar not to be disturbed, but I always did it with love, because
sometimes he drew his head

and say, hey what’s up?”
At night, in the Plaza Gomila, after dinner at the El Patio restaurant, we all
went to the Bar Llous.

PEP
DE LOS RIOS says: “We drank the frozen Daiquiri drinks, with crushed ice,
we had a

shaker with crushed ice for the champagne but we drank the Daiquiris
without sugar, which is

something undrinkable.”

Errol Flynn was captivated by the seascapes, views of the forest of masts
swaying in the

nautical club.  The
biggest joy was lost at sea and sailors remember the songs their grandmothers

sang during their childhood.  He
sometimes came to a cove paradise in Ibiza.

RIERA
TONI says: “We went there with Bonet, a famous diver, to find amphoras,
but could not

find anything because Bonet was a good friend of mine and instead
of looking amphoras, were

going to catch fish and then sell them in
hotels.”

 

The
world of Errol Flynn had nothing to do with the customs of the island. Although
he was

struck by these people that cling to old traditions and carry the burden
of dogma.

PERE SERRA says: “I think he was looking for peace, to live in peace and
escape his fame,

however, I think that really Errol Flynn was never the least
integrated with the life of Palma.

ERROL Flynn said in his memoirs: “I walk into a whorehouse with the same
interest as he

entered the British Museum or the Metropolitan in New York. What drives me is the same

spirit
of curiosity, there are the works of man, there is the art of man, there is the
eternal

pursuit of gold and pleasure.”

 

Errol
Flynn was distinguished by his simple and friendly nature. For him, life was a
fun game,

without prejudice.

TONI
RIERA says: “American gentlemen came to sign a contract, and when I told
him I said

there are some men who want to see you. And Errol said: Tell them
I'm talking to another man.

And he was talking to the dump.”

MIQUEL MOYA says: “In my restaurant there were two women at a table, and
Errol was sitting at

another table. Errol listened to what the women were saying, that he
was the most handsome man

in the movies. Errol did not like this review and
rose from the table, approached the women and said, ugly! ”

 

ROGER
TORO says: “People said he drank too much, and it was true, but he knew
drinking

because he was a gentleman, before and after several toasts.”

JOSEP
PLANAS says: “At a dinner to which he invited his friends over at three in
the

morning with everyone in the water. The only thing that escaped into the
water was me, and

for very little.”

ERROL Flynn says in his memoirs: “I did follow depression, drank, sailed,
I plunged into the sea.

When the Zaca
was docked in Mallorca, I bet with my friend
Manuel Cervantes to throw me

from the crosshairs of my ship. It was the kind of
bet that was done if he had not drunk a drop

of alcohol, but he did and since
the Zaca mast was over a hundred feet high, just devastating.”

MARTI XAMENA says: “He played with us like a kid, because he knew
fencing.  He was a

lovely person I can
not believe he spent so much time to play with some of the children.”
There were famous parties on the Zaca, which ended with the housing of the
yacht being

filled with bottles and sometimes a fight starring Errol Flynn
himself.

 

VENTURA
SALA says: “It was a powerful experience for me, because I saw the movie
Robin

Hood, the Charge of the Light Brigade, and then saw that person on his
boat.  I was going on

board during the
summer, it was a sailors tasks and I had no school so I spent much time on

the
boat and lived the experience as a child who was on a pirate ship, as in his
films.

As young and not so young dreamed of emulating his feats with their audacity
even film after

film, reality showed a man in decline.   His severe drinking problem accumulated and
showed

unfortunate consequences.

Since
then, the relationship of Errol Flynn and Patricia was very poor. Rumors of
infidelity that

raised suspicions aroused the demon of jealousy, caused the
estrangement.”

 

DE
LOS RIOS PEP says, “Errol Flynn I never saw him fall, he staggered a bit,
but I never saw

him ever to fall.”

 

Errol
says in his memoirs: “My biggest addiction is not the drink or drugs, or
sex, is curiosity,

is what has gotten me into all my problems, successes and
failures, I feel drawn towards the

light, toward the darkness, to the
brilliance, stupidity, the monstrosity,…”

RIERA TONI says: “He was not jealous, how could he be jealous if he always
had women.

The woman was jealous of him. “

Errol continued to decline and Patricia was consolidated as a singer, and even
made some

performances in the main theater of Palma.

Errol says: “If I had a Spanish ink pen I feel ready to
write my memoirs, but an

interruption, mental and moral block in my marriage to
Pat probably castrates anything of value.

The record of any marriage with few
exceptions, could only lead to recriminations tedious and

full of resentment.
“

 

It
is said that an alleged romance between Patricia and a famous Spanish dancer,
caused the

final break..

After his return
to America, he took refuge
in his house in Jamaica and
did not return to Mallorca.

ROGER TORO says: “He also said, and this … is it?   Where am I going with this?

And I said,
because of it, you are well known, you are admired, you are wanted. 

Errol said: Yes, I am wanted because I'm
famous because I had success. But I do
not

want to know the people I know who have been high and when they have given
you

the downturn, no one remembers you.”

Errol Flynn says: “I felt like a guy who had passed into
history and has

professionally reached the end. The gloom came over me.”

 

In
October 1959, he negotiated to sell the Zaca, he suffered a heart attack and he
was brought to

a hospital in Vancouver.
He died on October 14 in Vancouver.

VENTURA SALA says, “He represented another era, at a time when even living
things in

Mallorca were at a slower base but
more intense.”

RIERA TONI says: “He was a sea of good; anyone would have been delighted
to be with him.

XAMENA MARTI says: “It was the most humble man that a person can
imagine.”

MIQUEL Moya said: “A very human and very correct.”

JOSEP PLANAS says: “I hurt my shoulder because every time I looked at him and
said

“Friend”, he hit me on the shoulder.”

ROGER TORO says: “He was a great conqueror and he was a heavy drinker, but
he was a

great man, he was a gentleman in all respects.”

 

Errol
Flynn says in his memoirs: “If I have something of genius, is genius to see
life.”

Today, little remains of the presence of Errol Flynn on the island. The Hotel
Bonsol, survives

among a vast web of concrete. The Patio Restaurant remains
with the doors closed, waiting

for that someday return the old days of glamour.
Llous bar was once and today not even the

name exists.  And the Plaza Gomila, ceased to be one of the
busiest places on this side of the

Mediterranean. The Yacht Club, is awaiting the arrival of sailboats of legendary and intrepid
travelers.
Last, only a detail of the Villa Es Moli exists, a gargoyle that evokes the
figurehead of a pirate

ship and a hidden plate commemorating the passing of
Errol Flynn on the island.
No one fulfilled his wish that his ashes be thrown into the sea, they buried him
in Hollywood.

 

At
the funeral, a friend recited a poem of her beloved Robert Louis Stevenson:

Under
the wide and starry sky    

Dig
the grave and let me lie: 

Glad
did I live and gladly die,    

And
I laid me down with a will.

 

This
be the verse you 'grave for me:      

Here he lies where he long'd to be; 

Home is the sailor, home from the sea, 
  

And the hunter home from the hill.

But if I fall so Errol said, I want to make a request, that you put this verse
on my tombstone:
“Here he lies where he long’d to be, returned has the sailor
from the sea, back from the hill
is the hunter.”

— Tina

It was on a Sunday in February 2007 that the first post to this blog was put up. I thought it might be fun to repost it in February on the same date but got hung up, and missed the date and forgot all about it. I just remembered:

Published: Sun 04 Feb 2007 03:41 PM PS

Remembering Errol…
Excerpt:     None
Body:   

Who was Errol Flynn?

He it was who fought the evil-doers up there on the big screen when I was a kid growing up along the banks of the Snohomish River circa 1959.

I was ten years old when the great swashbuckler died, and clearly remember the day he died because I distinctly recall saying aloud… Oh, I liked him! when I saw his picture in my father’s newspaper and read that he had died in Vancouver, B.C. the day before. Vancouver was in British Columbia, Canada–less than two hours drive north from where we lived in a little logging community that surrounded a tiny lumber mill resting on the edge of the Snohomish River, near Everett, Washington. Not far to the south was the big city of Seattle–farther south, somewhere, was Hollywood where Flynn lived, I thought then…

All Movie Stars lived in Hollywood, I thought.

Where else would they live?

As a ten year old kid, my friends and I would play Robin Hood in the marsh between our houses. This area was about an acre of tall grass with a layer of mud and water under it. In the center of it was a tall tree with willowy branches. Nearby this tree was a cement block that was part of the foundation of a house or building long vanished from sight.

This cement block was a perfect place to swing on a rope from the tree, and land Flynn-like on the cement block, saying loudly “…Welcome to Sherwood, Milady!” as the other kids stood watching.

We created bows and arrows from tree branches (long bows) and shot at cardboard targets in a Tournament–and went about robbing the rich to give to the poor…

There were terrific battles between the Normans and the Saxons–in cardboard armor. We had long stick swords with handles that consisted of a short block of wood nailed across the end of the stick where are hands took up these sharply pointed “swords”. It is amazing that nobody lost an eye or was impaled when we whacked each other's cardboard armor to pieces but we all survived major injury.

It was disconcerting, however, to see the pointed end of a stick come tearing through your head armor (a small cardboard box with eye slits cut in it) and see the sharp tip whiz past your face… We were the Merry Men of Sherwood until dark and our Mothers called out our names to come home for dinner.

The day I read of Errol Flynn's death in my Dad's evening newspaper was a sad one for me and for the Men of Sherwood. But soon, I forgot all about him–and moved on to other childhood adventures. We built a two-by-four wide bridge across the swamp from the cement block to the edge of the sawdust pile–a distance of about a half block, for example. It was rickety, held up by posts driven into the soft swamp ground. We
scavenged everything we needed from the sawmill nearby. It had tons of discarded stuff to use for our scientific and engineering feats.

The days moved by quickly during those hot summer days of 1959–we climbed the Willow tree, and jumped off–catching branches to break our fall into the swamp's knee high muck. We sent expeditions into the surrounding swamp of green scrub, sticker bushes, and  thick-limbed trees to bring back scientific samples of flora and fauna. This was Stink Weed and Dandelions, and all manner of growing weeds. We boiled this up in

Terry Sullivan's mother's pressure cooker in their kitchen and went out to play on the rooftop of the Sullivan's garage. When we heard the explosion, it was nearly dark and Terry's parents weren't home, yet…

The mess was all over the kitchen walls, and their kitchen stank for a week. We got a real hiding for that one!

Other days were spent riding our bicycles round the two roads that came down into the Mill area–my brother never could stop that heavy framed bike with its oversized tires, so he just crashed into the grass or alongside Dad's car–or time was spent making tree houses. We had crew cuts in summer, collected bubble gum cards and seven up bottle caps (to go to the movies when you turned them in) and wore blue jeans all the time with a t-shirt. You could put a playing card held with a wooden clothesline clip onto the wheel of your bike to make it sound like a motorcycle as the card fanned against the spokes!

TV was a little black-and-white set with an arial on the roof of the house. There may have been seven channels including the Canadian channels. Sundays, it seems to me, there were sci-fi movies like the BLOB with Steve McQueen in a starring role. And there were Errol Flynn movies like Robin Hood, The Charge of the Light Brigade, and Dodge City. Red Skeleton was on, and Milton Berle…

I remember seeing Errol on The Red Skeleton Show. He played a bum and held up the remains of his yacht–a porthole!

Errol had a huge effect on young boys of my generation. He was the swashbuckling hero we all wanted to be! He sailed the Seas, he found Adventure and Treasure, and love–that part we could do without. He was always kissing GIRLS!

But he sure could swordfight! He could shoot arrow-after-arrow like you'd pull the trigger on a gun! And every one found its mark!

As the years passed I forgot about Errol Flynn.

I was in my twenties before he became interesting to me again. I had been reading some biographies of various people–adventurous people like Jack London, Frank Buck, Robb White, and Martin & Osa Johnson. Hemingway fascinated me. It was while reading about Hemingway that Errol's name came up. Errol Flynn! There was a reference to something Flynn said in a book called “My Wicked, Wicked Ways”. I wonder if I could find that
book anywhere, I thought.

It turned out that it was still very much in print and there was a paperback copy of it at my local bookstore. Then began some of best reading

I have ever come across in an autobiography. This story had it all… intrigue, mystery, adventure, laughs, tears… and it was all true!

Wasn't it?

Well… What wasn't true made a hellova story, and what was true was not always just a colorful story. You might read “My Wicked, Wicked Ways” as  a terrific novel–or a tall tale, yet, here is a legendary character that captures the spirit of adventure in the hearts of all young people who share the feelings of a young man who takes on more than he can chew at times but has his fill nonetheless of what life has to offer… he drank his fill both literally and figuratively of everything most others only dreamed of or read about in glossy magazines. He was kind, cruel–generous, mean, unpredictable, tormented, creative, foolish, brave, gullible, and had a genious for living larger than life. He
was intelligent, self-educated–a businessman, an internationally recognized actor, a writer, an explorer, a raconteur, a drunk, an addict. His life was a Shakespearean drama…

He was a lot of things to many people and he was less to himself than should have been. He was and is the quintessential bad boy–but he wasn't nearly as wicked as he was thought to be by those who didn't understand him, or those who envied him. He was dangerous. He was cultured, he was a joker, he was… curious.

He was a scientist, of sorts… that is, he knew the real world and wanted to understand it.

To experience it. All of it.

And for nearly fifty years, he did.
____________________________________

On that Sunday, February 4, 2007 we had 1 article.

Today’s blog has:

1250       Articles
2980       Comments

20       Photo Albums
443       Photos

Not bad…

— David DeWitt

Not sure if any of you lot have seen some of the behind the scenes shots of Orlando Bloom in the upcoming movie 'The Three Musketeers'  …..is it just me or is he looking very Errol Flynnish? (picture attatched)

So he's done the archery like Flynn in LOTR, He's been a Pirate like Flynn, now he's looking like Lord Essex …like Flynn.      Also found out the Orlando Bloom is now a father and his son is called Flynn! 

— Sam

— tassie devil

        He was the greatest action star of his day, and one hundred years after his birth Errol Flynn remains as popular as when he died nearly fifty years ago. In recent years Flynn has undergone a critical and popular revival with the publication of several first class biographies, notably Inherited Risk by Jeffrey Meyers, The Baron of Mulholland by his daughter Rory Flynn, and Errol Flynn Slept Here by Robert Matzen and Michael Mazzone. Warner Brothers has released three DVD box sets with other titles readily available.

            The demand for Flynn material is high.

            But in the months preceding his one hundredth birthday on June 20, there was a noticeable lack of interest amongst the film industry in celebrating Flynn’s centenary. One man wanted to change that. His name is Jack Marino and he’s a warrior filmmaker. I don’t bestow that title lightly. Jack has paid his dues and is the first to admit that his conservative views are often unappealing to the liberal Hollywood crowd. But one fact remains clear – Jack is immensely talented. He is currently enjoying the fruits of his labor with high volume DVD sales of his directorial debut, Forgotten Heroes, a film he made in 1988 but re-released on DVD after acquiring the distribution rights. Jack is an admirer of Hollywood’s golden age and wanted to do something to celebrate Flynn’s birthday.

            Jack brainstormed and came to the logical conclusion that he would host an invitation only affair at his home in Burbank. With his lovely wife Louise at his side, Jack began hatching his plan months in advance. His guest list was selective, if not secret. Jack was acutely aware that Flynn fandom was rife with crackpots and dimwits. Only the crème de la crème would be invited. During this period I spoke with Jack numerous times by telephone. E-mails were flying back and forth at a breakneck speed. We quickly determined that discouraging party crashers would be a priority, although we agreed that attractive, full-bosomed women over the age of consent would be admitted even if they lacked an invitation.

            Meanwhile, In Flynn’s birthplace, The Errol Flynn Society of Tasmania orchestrated ten days of events that included visits from Rory Flynn, her son Sean and nephew Luke. These events were highlighted by a film festival, a tour of Flynn’s birthplace in Hobart, the unveiling of a commemorative plaque, and a gala ball. Thanks to this group and the centenary committee, this celebration was a rousing success.

            Jack’s party would be the only celebration in the United States. My wife Jan and I arrived two days early and rendezvoused with David DeWitt who maintains the Errol Flynn blog. Joined by Karl Holmberg and his lovely companion, Lorie, we joined Jack and Louise Marino and Trudy McVicker for preliminary celebrations two nights running.

            Trudy McVicker is the acknowledged grande dame of Errol Flynn fandom. Friend and confidant to Tony Thomas, Earl Conrad, Lionel Godfrey, Rick Dodd, Don Norman and Lincoln Hurst (to name a few), Trudy is acknowledged in several key books. It is a little known fact that she was instrumental in preparing the manuscript on behalf of Tony Thomas for From a Life of Adventure: The Writings of Errol Flynn. This classic tome might not have seen print if not for her efforts. She does not enjoy the limelight and will undoubtedly chastise me for touting but a few of her accomplishments. Her attendance at Jack’s party is due to my wife’s influence and Jack Marino’s unabashed enthusiasm.

            Jack calls his friends “The Mulholland Drive Boys” after the infamous hillside home where Flynn frolicked throughout the 1940s. The home is gone, replaced by a modern dwelling currently owned by Justin Timberlake who declined our request to drink a toast to Flynn on the Mulholland property. Timberlake’s manager politely informed me via telephone that the property (now subdivided and mapped as Flynn Ranch Road and Torreyson Place) was off limits due to insurance liability issues. Fair enough; but a few of us Mulholland Drive Boys made the trek that morning for a quick photo session outside Timberlake’s gated driveway.

            That morning we also embarked on a whirlwind tour of Beverly Hills where David DeWitt and Karl Holmberg and I hastily snapped photographs of 601 North Linden Drive where Flynn once lived with David Niven. The Linden Drive home was the site of numerous parties that only bachelors of their caliber could have managed. Then we drove on to Forest Lawn in Glendale where we rendezvoused with Jack and documentary filmmaker Kent Hagen. We may have been the first visitors to Flynn’s final resting place that day, but not the last. And there would be one fortuitous visit later by a man I think is the luckiest Flynn fan alive. More about him later.

            These preliminaries all led us down the long hill from Mulholland and into the rolling hills of Glendale before returning to the Marino residence for the main event. The weather wasn’t cooperating. What they call “June gloom” had settled over Burbank and the sky spit rain from its gray clouds. And before we could take a breath and say “Bung Ho!” the guests began to arrive. They came from every corner of the United States, this select group of fans. But these were no average film fans. Jack’s friends are a fascinating, diverse group – actors, writers, photographers, artists, singers, and producers. They come from all walks of life and represent a creative nexus of intelligent, caring people. Their presence made the perfect memorial for Hollywood’s greatest swashbuckler.

            I was soon overwhelmed by the number of talented people. I met actor Dick Wieand, (he was Jason in Friday the Thirteenth, Part V, and had roles in the television programs Murder, She Wrote and Knots Landing). Dick is currently featured in television commercials for Advair and is a highly respected professional photographer. Dick is the nicest guy in the world. Actor William Smith, who had the pleasure of battling Clint Eastwood in Every Which Way You Can, attended with his wife Joanne. You’ve seen Bill in dozens of films and television programs. Bill is a long time Flynn fan and tells a great Flynn anecdote. I found him soft spoken and kind and he still has that killer-grip handshake! Karen Figalis, current owner of the former Flynn-Damita residence on Appian Way, spent several hours at the party. I was thrilled to meet the renowned artist Robert Florczak and his wife Annette who impressed me with their intelligence and kindness. They are truly two gifted, and extraordinary people. Steve Latshaw worked double-time setting up a film projection screen so that everyone could watch Mara Maru after the sun went down. And we did, alongside guest-of-honor Paul Picerni who co-starred with Flynn in the film. Thank you Steve!

            Louis Kraft, author of Gatewood & Geronimo and Custer and the Cheyenne, who is currently penning a volume about Flynn, had me spellbound. What a fascinating man and splendid author! I heartily recommend thatthose of you interested in American history should hunt down copies of his books. You won’t be disappointed.

            Polly Kranjcich made a replica of the pirate flag seen in Captain Blood and she also made several banners and flags that Jack had waving in the breeze. These included a replica of the Zaca’s rooster flag and Flynn’s enigmatic question mark emblem. Polly’s superb artistic effort added a swashbuckling flair to the proceedings. The Jolly Roger flag was magnificent and Polly’s work was admired by all of those in attendance.

            Beverly Aadland was unable to attend because of poor health, but she was represented by her husband Ron Fisher and their daughter Aadlanda. Ron and Aadlanda brought along some of Flynn’s personal belongings, including a gold cigarette case, a gold watch and his topcoat, and generously shared them with the crowd. It was a spectacular and magnanimous gesture on their part as many of the gueststried on Errol’s coat and had their photograph taken. The gold cigarette case presented something of a mystery as Karl Holmberg pointed out: “The truly most unusual occurrence of all was the guest appearance of Errol Flynn’s “personalized” cigarette case. That is the enigma of all enigmas in that no one seemed to know what all the symbology was about. Not unlike Egyptian hieroglyphics, it held a story within each of the differently arranged clusters of symbols, and taken all together, no doubt, amounted to an even broader statement … quite possibly the end result of the search for the Big Snook …”

            And then there was Carl Zetterstrom, the luckiest Errol Flynn fan alive. Somewhere about the time I had only my second beer (I swear!) the Florczak’s encountered Carl at Errol’s grave. Carl had traveled from Sweden, alone, in order to celebrate Flynn’s one hundredth birthday. He had saved his money in order to visit the United States. Florczak was justifiably impressed and immediately contacted Jack via cell-phone and requested permission for Carl to attend. And so history was made as Carl Zetterstom found himself in the company of the sweetest band of cutthroats in California. What makes this all the more endearing is the fact that Carl is a real gentleman. Meeting this fellow was a highlight for all of us.

            I don’t recall precisely when I realized the sun had broken free of the clouds, but suddenly the June gloom was dispelled and we found ourselves in the middle of a warm, sun-baked day so typical of southern California. In the weeks since I’ve thought back on that day and there are numerous moments and images I cherish….

            – The moment we gathered together and sang “Happy Birthday” to Errol, glasses raised in salute; and our toast to those that have gone before us: Lincoln Hurst, Tony Thomas, Earl Conrad, and Nora Eddington Flynn, followed by a special toast to Rick Dodd in England.

            – Jack and Louise Marino because there are no finer people, and being with them on such a momentous occasion was a privilege.

            – The moment much later that night when Greg Maradei came up with a can of Japanese beer at precisely the right moment to satiate my parched tongue. We still haven’t deduced who drank all of that alcohol, but when the beer was gone Greg came to my rescue.

            – Karl Holmberg and David DeWitt, side by side and engaged in a lively conversation.

            – Louis Kraft talking about Lt. Charles Gatewood. I could listen to him talk “history” all day.

            – A smiling Trudy McVicker wearing Flynn’s topcoat.

            – Dick Wieand telling stories and David DeWitt warning me with a big smile on his face “Watch out for this guy!”

            – The moment I raised my glass and toasted my friend Bob Peckinpaugh which elicited a “Who’s that?” response. Well Bob, you’ll have to attend the next party and set everyone straight!

            – Introducing myself to William Smith who gripped my hand and rasped “Sit down!” I did, and he said in an actor’s tough guy voice “Now sit here and talk with me for two hours!” Thanks Bill, It wasn’t exactly two hours but we’ll do it again one day!

            – Aadlanda, Beverly’s sweet daughter, and her father Ray, two rock solid classy people who added a high level of warmth to the proceedings.

            – Joan Marino, Jack’s little sister, who is every bit as intelligent and fun to be a around as Jack.

            – Robert Florczak and his wife Annette who were so nice I never wanted to leave.

            – Carl Zetterstom who engaged many of us in a vibrant and meaningful conversation and who proved that dreams do come true.

            – Steve Latshaw setting up the equipment which made it possible for all of us to watch Mara Maru with Paul Picerni after the sun went down.

            – Discussing certain bibliographic points with Karl Holmberg and David DeWitt.

            – Nearly 80 people attended this party and I’m still trying to put names with faces!

            – Kent Hagen getting it all on film.

            David DeWitt told me later: “I looked about me and felt we had all come to a marvelous party; each of us laughed and smiled and felt content; our hearts were warmed by every meeting, every glance and word between ourselves, every sight in front of our eyes… in the background you could hear Flynn’s voice somewhere, Korngold’s music… echoing in the air where Errol lived and breathed in life… Jack and Louise took care of everybody else first before themselves, perfect hosts. We all knew this was a one-of-a-kind moment, and we didn’t want it to end… we were the happiest cats in the kingdom, down by the river Dee… each of us a happy Cheshire cat… I know I was!”

            There was much more of course. And there are other tales to tell: the wild rides and the malfunctioning GPS; the Pakistani liquor salesman who insisted I bag my booze (“Da law! Da law!” He cried, “You no break da law!”); the gap toothed Marilyn on Hollywood Boulevard; my encounter with two rather likeable Scientologists who learned from me first hand that L. Ron Hubbard was a brilliant pulp writer long before he created Scientology; getting lost in South Central without a gun; Catalina Island bikini bimbos; and bellowing at two horrified young tourists in the hotel hallway long after midnight “My next book is an action-packed western!” (Yes, I was intoxicated).

            The following evening we enjoyed one last hurrah with Robert Florczak who had Karl, Jack and myself enthralled by some impressive rare photographs, including a still from Desperate Journey signed by Ronald Reagan. The four days had passed too quickly. I had a day left, well spent with relatives, and then back to Chicago on Tuesday. It was over, but we had done right by the old sport after all.

            A number of guests mentioned the positive influence one of Flynn’s films had on their lives. Flynn’s wild and ultimately tragic life continues to captivate us, but he has been unfairly maligned by two hack writers and Jack Marino isn’t happy about that at all. One of them, an ugly little man in England, is in Jack’s words “The best pro-abortion argument I’ve ever seen!” And while these two hacks have been publicly criticized for their lack of historical accuracy (and fraudulent claims) Jack is coordinating efforts with several researchers and writers to produce ongoing factual analysis of Flynn’s life and career. I don’t know where all of this will lead, but I do know this – Jack Marino is a force to be reckoned with.

            There is something intrinsically sad about a party’s end. But we came away from this one grateful to Jack and his wife for having masterminded a heartfelt celebration. Flynn was represented by the best and I suspect the old boy’s spirit enjoyed it as much as we did. But then it was over, and not even the bright California sun could dispel my melancholy. Or maybe I just had a hangover. On Tuesday afternoon I was standing outside of the hotel waiting for my wife when I heard a familiar sound.

 

Over the sea, hearty and free,

Troubles will soon be over….

 

            Where had I heard that old sea shanty before? A tall figure was approaching me with his back to the sun. I squinted into the golden afternoon light and discerned a tri-cornered hat, a broad shouldered figure in a long coat, tall boots and a belt buckle that gleamed like gold. A pirate in Burbank? Robert Louis Stevenson and Raphael Sabatini and a dozen other writers had created just such a character. As he approached I stifled a laugh for surely this was one of Jack Marino’s actor pals come to play a prank on me. It was just like Jack to pull a stunt like this. They probably paid this poor sod fifty bucks and dressed him in discarded costumes from the Republic Pictures cellar. I decided to go along with it.

            “Well, you old cutthroat!” I said bravely. “What brings you to Burbank!”

            He squinted at me, this black bearded corsair, and before me shimmered a composite of Robert Newton and Cornel Wilde and Ty Power and Basil Rathbone and Laird Cregar and that amazing Tasmanian his ownself staring at me from out of the past. His eyes gleamed and he flashed a row of teeth white as ivory. He smelled of the sea’s salt spray and rum.

            “Captain’s orders.” He said. He pulled a slip of paper from a deep pocket and handed it to me. I marveled at his accent. Not quite English and not quite Australian, but something from those long stretches of sea between the two.

            I unfolded the slip of paper and read the words written in black ink: Pirate Party on Catalina Island. Part Two. And after that was written the secret date. When I looked up he was half a block away and fading into the sunlight, and he was singing again. Or had I imagined him? No matter. Captain’s orders. Break out those sails and watch them fill with the wind that’s carrying us to Catalina. The eternal place where all things came and passed, and yet abide forever and would never change. Down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and sky. All I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by. I shrugged. Why not? Time flies when you’re having rum.

 

            For Errol, with gratitude.                                    

            Thomas McNulty, June, 2009

— Shamrock