Wherever he played, Errol was quite talented on the courts and popular in the clubs. Here are some photos of him at some of his favorite courts, with some of his fellow stars:
With Charlie Chaplin at the Los Angeles Tennis Club:
With Paulette Goddard:
With Silent Movie Star Charlie Farrell & Tennis Great Alice Marble (and I don’t know who on Errol’s left!)* at the Palm Springs Raquet Club, which Farrell and Ralph Bellamy founded:
*Kay Shackleton – The Movie Gal – informed us on March 22, 2014 – that the man on Errol’s left is none less than Donald Budge! Budge may have been the greatest tennis player that ever lived.
— Tim
Here’s a fascinating account regarding Errol famously playing with the man often regarded (to this day even) the greatest singles player in tennis history. Imagine how daring and talented The Might Flynn was to play with Big Bill Tilden in such a widely visible and publicized Big Apple setting – with little if any preparation.
bit.ly/14eoMMs…
[img]http://cache2.asset-cache.net/gc/50495470-errol-flynn-standing-on-tennis-court-and-gettyimages.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=DUyFXncueUGAxGws2xnHOPIGo%2BoXk3ERzrplGiKxoCFF5IU1l22%2FiB%2BqF%2B1URk%2F9rXPyZZEfd1Gpkp7DY1tKkg%3D%3D[/img]
As recorded in the link immediately below, tennis great Frank Shields (ranked No. 1 in the U.S. 1 in 1933) regarded Errol the best player of all the movie colony:
bit.ly/17P9lvo…
In a splendid coincidence, Shield’s granddaughter, Brooke Shields, famously filmed Blue Lagoon – very near Errol’s estate in Jamaica. Brooke later married tennis great Andre Agassi. Oh, what a small world.
on.ws…
In this aerial image, part of Errol’s Navy Island property (on the extreme top left) and Blue Lagoon (the last lagoon on the right/east – where the Brooke Shields movie was filmed) can both be seen.
[img]http://www.mysilversands.com/userfiles/image/san-san-port-antonio-jamaica(1).jpg[/img]
As tremendous as Frank Shields was, one of his best friends, Sidney Wood, may have been even better. Wood first qualified for Wimbleton Singles and Doubles, at the incredibly young age of just 15 years-old, At 19, he won the Singles. In the book shown below, Wood (pictured with Shields on cover) also authoritatively confirms Errol’s greatness on the court – not only ranking him far and away the best movie star player on the courts, but also the only movie star ever to qualify for the U.S. Nationals, predecessor of the U.S. Open. Like with so many other things, that’s how astonishingly talented Errol was with a tennis racquet!
[img]http://www.hamptons.com/gallery/article/14806.jpg[/img]
It’s a shame there don’t seem to be any film recordings of EF playing tennis!
This photo of Flynn was taken on Sunday, June 11, 1939 during the Summer Tennis Tournament at the Los Angeles Tennis Club. With him are WB talent scout, Solly Baiano (L), and Jack Warner (R).
Thank you for that clarifying information, Robert! This photo was provided to me by a co-author of “100 Years of Tennis at the Hotel Del Coronado”, in which I believe it may be included. So, a correction is in order, though I’m not exactly sure how to proceed with that at this time!
By the way, do you know who the lady is by any chance?
[img]http://www.usprotennisshop.com/files/CPB00001/970.jpg[/img]
I don’t know, but have always assumed she was a senior member of the club and simply a presenter.
Thanks, Robert. Much appreciate it. You really know you’re stuff!
For the EFB record, here is that 1939 photo from the LATC:
[img]http://www.theerrolflynnblog.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Errol-at-the-Del.jpg[/img]
Errol Excels at Tennis Video:
www.budgetfilms.com…
Plus, a great clip of Errol & Lovely Lil’.
What a fantastic video! Thanks for posting that Tim. :)
I found this early photo of Errol too.
[img]http://i57.tinypic.com/2rg1it0.jpg[/img]
Thanks Lollie! Looks like Young Errol “played on grass”, as they say in the tennis raquet. …. In not too long, he was playing at some of the greatest clubs in the world, including the one pictured in UKaerial below – the legendary Los Angeles Tennis Club – home of both Hollywood stars & top-tier tennis champions. … This being a 1940 photo, Mr. Flynn could even be in there. Get.out a magnifying glass!
[img]http://hollywoodphotographs.com/photos/thmb/AER-1940-3.jpg[/img]
Oh, there he is … shooting Tiger Lil’!
[img]http://langfieldentertainment.com/images/APRIL%202011/Jack%20Pashkovsky.jpg[/img]
Love-Love with Lili
[img]http://67.media.tumblr.com/2353f4b784c4b22e12ca08890d46f94e/tumblr_o4i7z00i6i1snx77eo1_500.jpg[/img]
The Amazing Story of Long Lost Legend of Joe Hunt:
touch.latimes.com…
[img]http://tennis.it/files/Joe-Hunt-tennis.jpg[/img]
The only Hollywood Star ever to qualify for what is now know as the U.S. Open!
[img]http://www.trbimg.com/img-5024702c/turbine/lat-scandal6_i7t5dokf20091013143234[/img]
The background of this photo makes me believe it may have been taken on the legendary courts at the Hotel Del (Coronado). If so, these same courts and windows (about 20 years later perhaps) can be seen in the Some Like it Hot candid photo below.
[img]http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130219174219-moviestar-hotels-some-like-it-hot-horizontal-gallery.jpg[/img]
What a great photo of Errol! Such an extremely talented man. :)