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There’s a new biography about Sylvia Brett Brooke, the notoriously legendary, Queen Consort of the last White Rajah of Sarawak. Entitled “Best Exotic Kingdom”, it includes an account of the evening the “Ranee” “spurned” Errol’s proposal that he play “The White Rajah”. Meeting Errol, Lili & their pet Persian cat left a lasting impression on Queen Sylvia, one she herself described:
Though The White Rajah was never made, Warner Brothers did creatively use the title in Boy Meets Girl, starring James Cagney & Pat O’Brien, with a young Ronald Reagan “premiering” The White Rajah.
— Tim
I was once put in contact with a movie memorabilia seller in London, United Kingdom who was offering for sale the script of ‘White Rajah’. He wanted five thousand Pounds British Sterling for the typed copy of Errol Flynn’s script. It was not written as a shooting screenplay but rather a straight story form narrative. I declined the offer as I was a few Pounds short and he wouldn’t negotiate. Thanks Ralph
Personally, Ralph, I wish I had a few less pounds these days. But, even with the ones I have, I would reject the offer, too. I don’t believe The White Rajah wasn’t all he was cracked up to be, something Errol may have learned and got turned off by the night he met the also questionable queen from Borneo.
It is interesting history, though, and one of our EFB authors, Juhani, did obtain the contract! So, good for him!
[img]http://www.theerrolflynnblog.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/White-Rajah-Contract-Warners.jpg[/img]
For a minute there I thought I was reading about a heavenly angel descending for a visit (it could happen!).
What a shame that Errol did not see eye to eye with the Ranee – there is another book titled” Twilight of the White Rajahs” by Alex Ling that also describes the meeting between Errol and Sylvia:
books.google.ca/books?id=XJLUAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA78&dq=the+white+Rajah,+errol+flynn&hl=en&sa=X&ei=UmLiU_zcHI6QyATUmYLgCg&ved=0CDsQ6AEwBQ#v=onep…
I think this would have been a great movie!
Well, Maria, though heavenly angels did reportedly descend on Errol every once in a while, the Queen of Headhunters was apparently not sufficiently tempted by virile Errol’s devil-may-care charm, nor by Lili going feliniously ferile on the living room floor.
[img]http://cinestills.com/image/1/d/damita.jpg[/img]
Dear Treasure Tim,
Great you came up once again with an unknown literary anecdote of our Hollywood hero. Keep shoveling, I am digging it! Thanks also to Maria, now there indeed are two sides to this story. And while I am at it, Ralph, never mind you came up short on the White Radja. I am counting on you, that you will hit it big with new material on “Hello God”.
I certainly treasure and
dig your great, wordplayful humor, rajaheinz.
Thank Heinz for the kind support, and I wish you the best as well. We will see if Hello God is restored in the near future according to news posted here!