The Errol Flynn Blog

— David DeWitt

The short documentary produced by Warner Brothers was about Errol Flynn’s Cruise of the Zaca which took place in 1946.  The Cruise of the Zaca was a special engagement presentation at the 2021 Coronado Island Film Festival. (CIFF)  The well attended film was shown at the Sacred Heart Parish Hall Theater on Saturday morning November 13, 2021. 

At the conclusion of the showing, film historian and renowned movie critic, Leonard Maltin acted as moderator of a panel that included Errol Flynn’s daughter Rory Flynn and Academy Award Winner Actor and Flynn family friend, Richard Dryfuss.  By the way, Dreyfuss received the Coronado Island Film Festival 2021 Cultural Impact Award.   

Maltin shared his perspective of Errol Flynn’s career and personal life.  He summed it all up by stating that “Errol Flynn was an underrated actor who wasn’t given due credit for his acting ability and made “Good Copy” for the way he lived his life, both on and off the silver screen.”   

Just prior to the showing of the film, Rory Flynn shared background with the audience about her father as a slideshow showcased a number of photos with Errol Flynn as a toddler right up to the height of his career.  She told stories about her father, her mother Nora Eddington and her grandfather, who were all shown onboard the Cruise of the Zaca. 

Richard Dreyfuss shared his love and admiration for Errol Flynn’s acting ability and career.  He remarked, “How damn good looking Errol Flynn was.”  

The Cruise of the Zaca is a 17 minute film about a voyage taken by Errol Flynn, Errol’s wife Nora Eddington, Errol’s father, Professor Theodore Thomsom Flynn(who was an renowned marine biologist), painter John Decker, actor Howard Hill, director Charles Gross, cameraman Jerry Corneya and Professor Carl Hubbs and several scientists from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography of the University of California.  The purpose of the trip was to give his father and members of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography the opportunity to research rare endemic plant life and animal species.  The trip started in August 1946 travelling south along the Mexican coastline  before stopping in Acapulco for a short stay.  The Zaca was used for the movie, The Lady From Shanghai which starred Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth.  Once filming was completed on the Zaca, Errol Flynn continued the cruise traveling through the Panama Canal and ending up in Jamaica.

David Rocco

David Rocco and Richard Dreyfus

 Rory Flynn with David Rocco

— David DeWitt

There are so many mistakes about Errol Flynn’s birthplace. The Flynn family moved to a boarding house called Westella on the other side of Hobart to Sandy Bay known as North Hobart. They then moved to Mildura a 2 story semi detached house. Still in North Hobart they lived there till young Errol was around 5 years old. Errol was born at the Queen Alexandria hospital. Anyone that knows the early life of Errol and has shared information about his birthplace knows the truth I really HATE when people put up so many false statements in a published story.  One great book to get is by Don Norman called The Tasmanian Story. Don was a great friend of Errol’s. it was not Captain Bligh’s sword the family owned, it was Fletcher Christian’s sword. His father did not take him along a lot of the time. He was left to his own devices and so to his mother. His mother was not the outdoors type. She loved to socialize at party’s given by the rich members of Tasmania. She even went as far as to send a letter to her sister in Sydney after Errol’s birth and called him ” … baby.” They did have Tasmanian Devils in the yard when they were at Mildura. Errol’s father went to Hobart to take up the position of Professor of Biology and has many things named after him in Hobart.

And as for signs there is no plaque where he was born as it is now town houses. We looked into it but it was too difficult to place a plaque there. My Husband and I still run the Errol Flynn Society of Tasmania. The green sign at the end of The Errol Flynn Reserve was put there by us. We fought for years to get that sign placed there. The locals wanted nothing to do with it. NO CHANGE said the council and administration. It went in front of them so many times. And finally I called the nomenclature board which allows names to be erected and the leader of this board and his wife who did not like Errol tried to stop it every way we turned . Finally the council saw sense and allowed us to erect that sign. It is placed there as Errol was taught to swim there and also the beach is a leash free dog area where many many dogs enjoy freedom chasing balls, swimming, and as Errol loved his dog’s we thought it only fitting for it to be erected there. I suggest the Museum of  Lost Things lost do not know what they are talking about …

Errol Flynn: The Most Famous Tasmanian

— tassie devil

Anyone with actual concrete evidences that Errol was at The Cedars? Not new articles saying he was. Actual proof.

— Selene Hutchison-Zuffi

Dean Stockwell, has passed-

— Karl

— David DeWitt