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A little Quiz!

28 Jan

In which of Errol’s movies is an important private date of him of significance?
Happy guessing!

— Tina

 
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9 years ago

I’m not sure if you’re referring to a girlfriend type of date, or a calendar type of date, Tina. But, if you’re referring to the latter, I will say the date of December 7, 1941, in the movie Dive Bomber, which, quite amazingy, was the first date in Lieutenant Lee’s Navy Flight Log (though the movie was completed and in theaters months before the attack on Pearl Harbor!)

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9 years ago

Hi Tina, I think it is “Captain Blood,” when Errol is reading the pirates’ articles of confederation of buccaneers, when they are agreeing to the rules they will live by. Errol mentions the date of this meeting in the film as “”June 20, 168– I forget the exact year, but between 1685 and 1688, the period it takes place in. I always wondered at this in-joke, as Errol wasn’t yet a star, and it seemed a risky thing to change whatever date they had in the script. But maybe he figured correctly that no one would notice.

9 years ago
Reply to  Tom Webb

He did a similar thing in “Dawn Patrol,” when he tells Morton Lowry, playing David Niven’s younger brother Donnie, that his– Courtney’s– father is professor of biology at Queen’s University in Belfast, which of course was true of Flynn’s own father, Theodore Flynn, who was a professor of biology there. You have to love those movie in-jokes.

9 years ago
Reply to  Tina

Hi, Tina. Thanks! I’m really sorry, I shouldn’t have mentioned the “Dawn Patrol” in-joke. It is amazing watching both those scenes, and realizing what he’s saying. I had seen “Captain Blood” a number of times, and never noticed that date. Then, one time, it just jumped out at me, and I replayed the scene, to make sure I’d heard right. It’s nice having that in the movie!

9 years ago
Reply to  Tom Webb

Flynntastic, Tom!!!

From Captain Blood
From the great script by Casey Robinson (who also wrote Son of Captain Blood for Sean)

Based on the novel(s) by Rafael Sabatini:

Peter Blood:

“We, the undersigned, are men without a country. Outlaws in our own land and homeless outcasts in any other. Desperate men, we go to seek a desperate fortune. Therefore, we do, here and now, band ourselves into a brotherhood of buccaneers… to practice the trade of piracy on the high seas. We, the hunted, will now hunt!

Therefore, to that end, we enter into the following Articles of Agreement:

First: We pledge ourselves to be bound together as brothers in a life and death friendship, sharing alike in fortune and in trouble.

Second Article: All monies and valuables which may come into our possession shall be lumped together into a common fund… and from this fund shall first be taken the money to fit, rig, and provision the ship. After that, the recompense each shall receive who is wounded is follows: for the loss of a right arm: six hundred pieces of eight; left arm: five hundred; for the loss of a right leg: five hundred; left leg: four hundred…

If a man conceal any treasure captured or fail to place it in the general fund, he shall be marooned. Set ashore on a deserted isle, and there left with a bottle of water, a loaf of bread and a pistol with one load. If a man shall be drunk on duty he shall recieve the same fate.

And if a man shall molest a woman captive against her will… he, too, shall receive the same punishment.

These Articles entered into this 20TH DAY OF JUNE, in the year 1687.

Now, men, you’ve heard the Agreement. It’s the world against us and us against the world!”

9 years ago
Reply to  Gentleman Tim

If this date was used by Raphael Sabatini in any of his Captain Blood literature, I am not aware of it. It could be a (364 to 1) long shot, that Casey Robinson created it not knowing of Errol’s birthday.

At ~ 2:21 in this video, Errol delivers the line, in his magnificent Articles of Agreement monologue. Does he make the date up? You be the judge!

www.dailymotion.com…

Awesome quiz, Tina!!!! Thank you.

[img]http://ww1.prweb.com/prfiles/2012/07/12/9696992/Annex%20-%20Flynn%20Errol%20Captain%20Blood_04.jpg[/img]

9 years ago
Reply to  Tina

Was it related to his boat, his dog, or somewhere he lived?

9 years ago
Reply to  Gentleman Tim

Thanks, Tim. It is a great scene in itself, and having that date makes it even better. I guess the date wasn’t a big deal, but it does seem a little risky, if he did it on his own. One can imagine Mike Curtiz or Jack Warner watching the daily rushes, and having a fit if someone noticed the date change. But I’m sure it got by, as no one would think of it. Or maybe Flynn had become friends with one of the writers, and they Okayed it? I’m guessing when he did that scene in “Dawn Patrol,” with his star status at that time, it wouldn’t have been a problem. I remember someone put a list on imdb.com… of movie inside jokes– some really great stuff.