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Archive for the ‘Co-Stars’ Category

“A Four Star Production” – 80 Years Ago Today

05 Mar

March 4, 1940

Lux Radio Theater Presents: Trade Winds

Hosted by Cecil B. De Mille

Starring Errol Flynn, Joan Bennett, Mary Astor and Ralph Bellamy

“The Gangplank is Down Curtain Call” during which Errol invites all to the March 16 premier of Virginia City:

The Full Show:

2012 Review on Amazon:

“TRADE WINDS is a real piece of Hollywood history – produced and narrated by no less than Cecil B. DeMille, this radio play stars some of the biggest heavyweights on the silver screen circa 1940, working before a live audience in the Lux Radio Theater. A detective story operating on the plane of light comedy, it features clever writing and laugh-out-loud performances, and manages to undercut the sappiest of its moments with stingingly sarcastic humor. Fans of Errol Flynn, or of Old Time Radio in general, will revel in this tale of love, murder, betrayal and personal growth, as told by a group of master-actors.

The story is quite simple. Errol Flynn is Sam Wye, a sauve, facetious, womanizing detective out to capture fugitive heiress Kay Karrigan (Joan Bennett), who may or may not be guilty of murder. Wise tracks Karrigan all over the Pacific, but he is not alone in his quest for the $ 100,000 reward put on Karrigan’s head. Working with him and at times, against him, are long-suffering ex-lover Jean Livingstone (Mary Astor), and blockheaded but bulldogish detective Filo Blodgett (Ralph Bellamy). Wye eventually hunts down Karrigan, but just as quickly falls in love with her, leading to a whole avalanche of comedic shennanigans that include numerous double crosses and, rather late in the story, some genuine detective work as Sam desperately tries to save his beloved’s neck from the noose.

The cast is marvelous and the dialogue often priceless. They simply do not write dialogue like they did back then: Bellamy’s mixture of pompous diction with dumb-guy delivery is fantastic, Astor steals many scenes with her sarcastic one-liners, and Flynn is, well, Flynn – suave as Satan and cool as diamonds, yet possessing a heart of (almost) pure gold.”

— Tim

 

Fred and Errol

05 Mar

New York Times
Douglas W. Churchill

Fred MacMurray Will Co-Star With Errol Flynn in ‘Dive Bomber’ for Warners

Fred MacMurray Will Co-Star With Errol Flynn in ‘Dive Bomber’ for Warners

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Fred MacMurray will be co-starred with Errol Flynn in Warner’s “Dive Bomber,” which will go before the cameras in ten days with Michael Curtiz directing, the studio has announced.

— Tim

 

Dead or Alive?

16 Feb

February 16, 1937

Harrison Carrol
Evening Herald express

All movies are shot piecemeal, but the final scene of Another Dawn probably holds the record. Kay Francis and Errol Flynn did the first half of it before her departure for Europe. This week, they did the tag. In the meantime, Miss Francis had taken a 3 month’s vacation, and had traveled 20,000 miles.

This Warner film has the distinction of having been photographed with two endings. In one, Errol dies and Ian Hunter is left to console Miss Francis. In the other, the two men exchange fates. Warners are waiting for preview reactions to decide which ending to use.

— Tim

 

Valentine’s Day with Errol, 1942

14 Feb

— Tim

 

Bogie Draws Flynn

13 Feb

February 13, 1938

Screen and Radio Weekly

The illustrious Mr. Bogart draws the illustrated Mr. Flynn – with mean George Brent wielding a whip, and who appears may be Arno out front. (Cropped out of the drawing are Bogie with a slingshot and Wayne Morris in a sailor outfit.)

— Tim

 

Errol and Lana Quarrel … and Quarrel … and Quarrel

08 Feb

February 8, 1942

Mr. and Mrs. Smith Go to Radio

Part 2

Part 3

— Tim

 

“The Party is On”

27 Jan

January 27, 1949

Louella O. Parsons
Los Angeles Examiner

I couldn’t have been more surprised when a message was left at my house “to hold February 12 for a dinner-dance at the home of Errol Flynn, please.”

Ever since his rift with Nora, Errol g]has been serving few of his old friends and has been giving no parties at all, even though he is one of our finest hosts. But sure enough, the party is on.

I think this is because Errol is really happy making Forsythe Saga and is to be gay and forget his domestic troubles. If he and Greer Garson ever had any disagreements that’s all in the past. He says she is one of the most intelligent, talent and swell girls he has ever worked with.

— Tim

 

All Hail Alan Hale

22 Jan

On the 71st Anniversary of His Passing
January 22, 1950

Alan Hale was one of Hollywood’s greatest character actors. Mostly remembered for his performances with Errol Flynn, he also played in films supporting Lon Chaney, Wallace Beery, Douglas Fairbanks, James Cagney, Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart, and Ronald Reagan.

He appeared with Errol in all the following:

The Prince and the Pauper (1937)
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
The Sisters (1938)
Dodge City (1939)
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939)
Virginia City (1940)
The Sea Hawk (1940)
Santa Fe Trail (1940)
Footsteps in the Dark (1941)
Desperate Journey (1942)
Gentleman Jim (1942)
Adventures of Don Juan (1948)

..And in Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943), but not together.

From one of the many top shelf posts of TCM TomJH of the TCM Message Board – excerpted discussions regarding Alan Hale’s work and personal relationship with Errol Flynn, and a segment regarding EFB Author Steve Hayes.

“Alan Hale, Character Actor Support Par Excellence”

December 17, 2017 in General Discussions

“Flynn and Hale have such a great camaraderie in their films together and you can tell that they really were friends in real life.

Hale brought so much to the Flynn films beyond just his performance. You always had the feeling of observing two friends having fun together.”

Gentleman Jim


“Gentleman Jim (1942). A father once again, this time to Flynn’s boxing dandy Jim Corbett in another Walsh-directed turn-of-the-century affair. Hale has a riot in this film, constantly laughing, throwing phantom punches in the crowd at one of his son’s fights, dancing an Irish jig with the family and getting drunk at a celebration party following Corbett’s triumph in the ring over the legendary John L. Sullivan. At one point Hale is seen staggering home, staring at his outstretched hand, having just shaken the hand of the great Sullivan. When asked by his son what he’s going to do with that hand now, Hale emphatically proclaims, “I’m not even going to wash it!

I couldn’t find a photo of this moment on Google Images, but one of my favorite parts of Gentleman Jim is the end at the wild celebration party. A chair is thrown through the glass doors, then Hale opens the door. His hair is all mussed and with his eyes and mouth opened wide, and he yells “GIVE ‘EM ROOM! GIVE ‘EM ROOM!”

The Sea Hawk


“I also like Alan Hale with Flynn in The Sea Hawk. At one point, both men (along with the rest of the crew on their ship) are captured and forced into being galley slaves. Flynn and Hale orchestrate a plan to steal a knife from the guard and overtake him, take over the ship and free their crew.

One of Hale’s trademarks was his great “jaw drop” double-take. Watching him and Flynn on screen together was pure joy. That’s one thing that is missing from today’s films – chemistry. We have great actors, but it doesn’t appear that anybody is really having any fun up on the screen any more.”

The Adventures of Don Juan

“There are some scenes between them that I always love to watch in their final film together, Adventures of Don Juan. Hale plays Don Juan’s servant, Leporello, always trying to assist the Don and extricate him from sticky situations, many of them of a humourous nature. But even though his character is a servant Hale plays the role like a friend.

When Flynn is interrupted in his attempted seduction of a woman by her irate husband he leaps from a balcony to the ground below, where Hale awaits dozing. They look a each other (oh, they have been in this same situation so many times before) and there is a simple two word exchange between them.

“Husband,” Flynn’s Don Juan says, a little out of breath.

“Horses,” Hale replies pointing in their direction where they both begin to run.

“One of my favourite little moments between them occurs towards the end. They are sitting at a table, hiding out in a cantina from the military which is hunting for Don Juan with prison, or worse, awaiting him if captured.

Flynn says he must leave Spain but he doesn’t want Hale to accompany him to a life of uncertainty.

“Do you think I would let you go roaming about the universe without me?” Hale says, “I’m going with you!”

“And if I order you to stay?” Flynn says.

“Then I shall disobey you!” Hale emphatically replies.

There’s a lovely closeup of Flynn’s face, a look of warmth in his eyes, as he reaches across the table and briefly places his hand with affection on top of Hale’s. Hale smiles. Done! They will stay together through thick and thin.

What always helps to make this little moment work so well is that it seems a reflection of the friendship that it existed between the two actors.”

A reference to EFB Author Steve Hayes was made as follows in this TCM Message Board Post:

“Steve Hayes is a writer, part time adventurer, who wrote two books about his Hollywood experiences called Googies Coffeeshop to the Stars. For a month he lived in a room in Errol Flynn’s Mulholland home, and got to know the actor quite well, continuing to see him off and on afterward for a while. Among other things, he mentioned that Flynn went into a period of depression due to Alan Hale’s death.”

— Tim

 

Star-Studded Traffic Trial

13 Jan

January 13, 1939

Star-Studded Traffic Trial in Beverly Hills

LA Evening Herald Examiner

It will look like a roll call of Hollywood male stars in PoliceJudge Charles J. Griffin’s Beverly Hills court late today.

The occasion will be the hit-run driving trial of John W. Myers, former owner of the La Conga, Hollywood night spot.

Among those who have been subpoened as witnesses in behalf of Meyers are Errol Flynn, Bruce Cabot and Walter Pidgeon, all of whom either saw the accident or talked to Myers immediately after it occurred, according to attorney Richard Cantillon, representing Meyers.

Meyers is charged with having fled the scene of an accident involving his automobile and another car driven by George v. Tribe.

Tribe’s wife, Darlene, and his mother-in-law, Mrs. Elizabeth Thorpe, all were seriously injured in the accident, it is charged.

— Tim

 

Navy Flyboys Cutting in on Errol’s Girl

12 Jan

January 12, 1939

Evening Herald Examiner

Navy Officers, Stars at Film Preview

Wings of the Navy

Film personages attending include: George Brent, Olivia de Havilland, Bette Davis, Paul Muni, Pat O’Brien, Jane Wyman, Ann Sheridan, John Garfield, Errol Flynn. Priscilla Lane, Irene Dunne, Gary Cooper, Mary Pickford, Walt Disney, Spencer Tracy, Francisca Gall, Frank Borzage, Reginald Gardiner, and many Navy Officers.

— Tim