The Errol Flynn Blog

Last Of Robin Hood cover the last two years of Errol Flynn’s life and career. By and large this accurate film was superbly written and directed by Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer. The stars Susan Sarandon, Dakota Fanning, and Kevin Kline are all magnificent in their roles. Kline in particular is uncanny in his portrayal of Errol Flynn which is right on the money. The audience quickly forgets we are watching Kline and take him for Flynn himself. The producers even uses some actual footage of the real Errol Flynn which perfectly meshed with Kline’s performance. This film, which is never boring, grabs the audience by its throat from the very beginning and doesn’t let go until the very end. Watching the Last Of Robin Hood, is like watching a train wreck. You can’t avert your eyes but at the same time you are overwhelmed with shock and grief. Here we are seeing the last sad, pathetic days of one of Hollywood’s greatest stars. We are appalled to see how low Errol Flynn sank in both his career and personal life. Death came as a kindness. As ususal the film industry completely overlooked this film’s achievement and it’s wonderful cast. The DVD box says it runs 94 minutes but even including five minutes of credits, it finished at 90 minutes. Lokk for our former blogmate Robert Florczak listed prominently in the credits as a Flynn consultant. Ralph Schiller

— rswilltell

I just saw the Warner Archive DVD of the MGM-British film “The Day They Robbed The Bank Of England” (1960). This is a great film with a wonderful cast starring Aldo Ray, Hugh Griffith, Albert Sharpe, beautiful Elizabeth Sellars, and a young Peter O’Toole in only his third film. O’Toole is always worth watching even in bad films but this one is a small masterpiece. Griffith just won an Oscar for “Ben-Hur” (1959) the year before. O’Toole’s very next film was “Lawrence Of Arabia” (1962) for director David Lean!

— rswilltell

I just watched Orson Welles’ masterpiece ‘film noir’ ‘Lady From Shanghai” (1947) starring Rita Hayworth, Orson, and Everett Sloane. The ship in the film owned by the rich trial lawyer played by Sloane is actually the Zaca rented from Errol Flynn. Flynn is reported to have made a cameo appearance in the film but where? This is no trick question, I honestly couldn’t spot him anywhere. Where is he? Or is this just a legend? Thanks Ralph Schiller

— rswilltell

For whatever reason, The Last Of Robin Hood was not released today in the Chicago area.   Can anyone verify if it opened elsewhere today in the USA?   If yes, can you post some reviews?  Thanks Ralph

— rswilltell

In recent years Errol Flynn fans saw the passing of many of his leading ladies from his films.  These include Cornell Borchers, Ruth Roman, Eleanor Parker, Beverly Aadland, and Patrice Wymore.  

Can you EF scholars name all the surviving Errol Flynn leading ladies from his films still alive today?    Here are two hints, one name immediately comes to mind.   Two of the leading ladies were child actresses at the time they worked with Flynn.  

  Thanks Ralph

— rswilltell

Officially, the much talked about and anticipated film ‘The Last Of Robin Hood’ with Kevin Kline and Susan Sarandon opens nationwide in the USA on Friday August 29, 2014.   It will be interesting to see what the Chicago Sun-Times film critic Richard Roeper has to say about the film.   He succeeded the late Roger Ebert.    Roeper has little interest in old Hollywood legends and previously panned the film ‘Hollywoodland’ which was about the strange death of George Reves, the actor who starred on the 1950’s television series ‘The Adventures Of Superman’.   In the end I would say he was correct about that one but for different reasons, it was boring.   See you at the movies.  Ralph

— rswilltell

Warner Archive is releasing three more Errol Flynn titles from their collection.

‘Another Dawn’ (1937) with Flynn wasted in the entire film holding Kay Francis’ endless coats and furs.

‘Escape Me Never’ (1947) Flynn is out of character playing a total cad in this period film.

‘The Warriors’ (1955)  Errol Flynn’s last movie swashbuckler.  The DVD is in widescreen.   When Flynn fans finally see a good copy of this film they may re-evaluate their opinions upward.  Peter Finch, Joanne Dru, and Christopher Lee also appear.

Ralph

— rswilltell

Errol Flynn’s co-star and leading lady of his 1957 film ‘Istanbul’,

Cornell Borchers died on May 12, 2014 at age 89.  She died in Germany.

She was born in Lithuania of German ancestry and was a star of the German cinema before coming to Hollywood. 

Her other major Hollywood films were ‘The Big Lift’ (1949) with Montgomery Clift, and ‘Never Say Goodbye’ (1956) with Rock Hudson and George Sanders. 

Universal Pictures was hoping Miss Borchers would be the next Ingrid Bergman or Greta Garbo.

— rswilltell

The reviews trickling out on the modestly budgeted Last Of Robin Hood have so far not been good.   However the expensive, big-budget, grade ‘A’ production of Grace Of Monaco was screened at the International Cannes Film Festival.    The reviews for this film which stars Nicole Kidman as Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco are bad.  In fact Kidman’s performancce is accused of being as frozen as her botox-enhanced face.

Ralph Schiller

— rswilltell