The Errol Flynn Blog

I went to an old movie Palace a few years ago to see the orginal Robin Hood with Doug Fairbanks (silent, 1922) accompanied by pipe organist from a copy of the orginal score that was played during the film. It was an amazing experience!

More at the Douglas Fairbanks ROBIN HOOD Photo Album!

Coming Next… outtakes from Doug Fairbanks Robin Hood and a parody by Will Rogers of Doug playing RH!

— David DeWitt

I do believe today is Olivia de Havilland's birthday.

Best wishes and many, many more!

— Shamrock

A brief note –

Moments ago on BBC America's “Graham Norton Show” American rock star Alice Cooper claimed to be the owner of the sword Flynn used in Captain Blood. Hmmm…..that's news to me and I'll bet it's not authenticated, but who knows….I do know Cooper's last CD, “Dirty Diamonds” was pretty good. The old boy can still rock with the best of them, and he's an Errol Flynn fan, too!

— Shamrock

The American Film Institute squandered another opportunity to list one of Errol Flynn’s films on their latest “Greatest Films of All Time” list. I wasn’t surprised to see that such classics as CAPTAIN BLOOD, THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE, THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD or THE SEA HAWK (to name a few) are missing because it’s been obvious to me for many years that certain “influences” involved with the AFI harbor anti-Errol Flynn sentiments. This is something the powers-to-be over at the AFI will undoubtedly publicly deny.

<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” /> 

Screw ‘em.

However, the June 22^nd cover dated “Entertainment Weekly” magazine features an article by Marc Bernardin titled “the Greatest Action Films of all Time” and Bernardin lists THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD as # 18.

Kudos to Bernardin for including an Errol Flynn film.

In general, I agreed with most of the films on Bernardin’s list, although someone needs to finally tell the world’s critics that while Akira Kurosawa’s THE SEVEN SAMURAI is indeed a good film, it pales in comparison to the film it inspired, a Western called THE MAGNIFICIENT SEVEN. But placing Kurosawa’s name on a list is really chic amongst film critics and film writers, but I always laugh out loud when I see all the print devoted to THE SEVEN SAMURAI. Give it a rest, boys. THE MAGNIFICIENT SEVEN is the one that matters.

Anyway, since Marc Bernardin is one of the few film writers out there in la-la land willing to cite Flynn’s influence (“Errol Flynn is the king, nay, the Pope of derring-do”) that I’m willing to forgive him for jumping on Kurosawa’s over-rated bandwagon.

End of mini-rant.

Coffee courtesy of Dave.

No animals were killed or injured during the composition of this rant although I mangled a VHS copy of THE SEVEN SAMURAI.

— Shamrock

Happy Birthday, Errol Flynn!

To celebrate, I have partnered with Verizon and Sonopia to provide a new cell phone brand: Zaca Wireless!

— David DeWitt