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White House matinee idol

22 Feb

Dear fellow Flynn fans,

although absent in this picture of the Who’s Who of Hollywood on the lawn of the US presidential palace, Errol did attend often. Even after his untimely death. How? Both presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronnie Reagan loved to show movies to a selected collection of guests. And Flynn was there in spirit as well as on the screen. Drumroll please, once you scroll down the lists and see their choice of favourite films here: www.slashfilm.com…

Enjoy,

— shangheinz

 
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7 years ago

FASCINATING find Herr Heinz!

If true, that Reagan never watched Star Wars is a REVELATION! I see that he also did watch King’s Row (considered it his best), Santa Fe Trail (along with another FAMOUS player), and even Hell Cats of the Navy- the fateful film where he met his future wife.

But I MUST point out that this list missed one.

I remembered Reagan mentioning in his diary one “special” screening, and QUITE the complement, I’m thinking:

November 20, 1983- “Nancy left this morning for Phoenix. I wont see her til Wed. at the ranch. I’m lonesome already. I even watched an Errol Flynn movie—“Robin Hood” this afternoon.”

7 years ago

Yes, Herr Heinz, fascinating!

I’m triple checking to see if Ronnie ever snuck in a look at him and Jane Wyman in Tugboat Annie Sails Again … Perhaps when Nancy was on one of her trips west. By the time she got to Phoenix, he could have also watched Desperate Journey (or Knute Rockne again.)

[img]http://www.emovieposter.com/images/books/vhp8_wb_550/200/lc_tugboat_annie_sails_again.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.theerrolflynnblog.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/tmp_25094-00f7a3bfea8e99c68c754ad2e62e944c-1300091762.jpg[/img]

And thank you King Karl! Now I know where Ronald got that idea of cutting taxes – from watching Errol Flynn in Robin Hood! Good job, Errol!

7 years ago

A most provocative posit Lord Tim. Tis true that he was devastated by their break up but supposedly remained on friendly terms and she attended the burial service.

Your “find” of an obscure movie title was GREAT sleuthing. Others as a “couple” were: Brother Rat, Brother Rat and Baby, An Angel from Texas (last of the Brother Rat series), Alice in Movieland (short), and in separate cameos It’s a Great Feeling.

And while none of these made the list either, perhaps a more careful perusal of the diaries (tinyurl.com…) on “bachelor nights”…

7 years ago
Reply to  Karl

I didn’t know about the Brother Rat movies, Karl. Man, those were the good old days! Ronnie could have ran down to VMI as an excuse see that one! For the cadets, of course .. leaving Nancy on Pennsylvania Avenue, or at Annenburg Ranch. Just a quick hop on Marine One to see him and Jane on the big screen again!

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[img]http://www.vmikeydets.com/fls/9800/InteractiveGuides/baseball/reagan.jpg[/img]

7 years ago
Reply to  Gentleman Tim

Looks to me like Nancy may not have allowed Ronnie to go south to VMI, not even for an honorary induction ceremony.
First Ladies first!

archivesspace.vmi.edu…

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3485557/How-bossy-Nancy-Reagan-wouldn-t-let-President-Reagan-eat-bowl-mac-n-cheese-objected-President-kibitzed-Secret-Service-kids-check-father.html…

7 years ago

I just got this book in the mail. Of course I’ll let you know if there’s anything in it about Our Man Flynn, which I am sure there will be![imgcomment image[/img]

7 years ago
Reply to  Paula

Awesome, Paula!

Btw, Johnny Belinda is just beginning on TCM!

7 years ago
Reply to  Gentleman Tim

“She was tall, slender and blond when she and Reagan met. He was tall, dark and handsome. They were both under contract at Warner Brothers, starring in the 1938 comedy Brother Rat. Soon they were Hollywood’s Golden Couple, said Edward Z. Epstein, who co-wrote a Wyman biography.”

“They were on all the fan-magazine covers,” Epstein said. “He was in his Army uniform and she was in her Hollywood get-up, a fur stole and a smile. That’s how they went to the premieres. They were the perfect couple.”

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7 years ago
Reply to  shangheinz

Master of COMMANDERS Heinz!

This was ONE fascinating read… as the article makes the point:

“Not everyone is comfortable watching movies with the President…“Everything you watch in there is uncomfortable. It’s like watching a movie with your parents times ten.”

Two “breaking” stories (in the sense of the silent awkwardness in the immediate aftermath) of the Bushes showing their dry and ironical wit on separate viewing occasions:

President Bush broke the tension for “Casino Royale”: “Not exactly the most intellectual movie ever, but not bad.”

(And) Mrs. Bush broke the ice for “Margot At The Wedding: “Well, that was just a good, wholesome American family film.”

7 years ago

That’s a great article, thanks for sharing, shangheinz!

7 years ago

Here, here, Herr Heinz. One big omission, however, is whether Tricky Dick and Bebe ever watched Deep Throat. Not for thrills, of course, but for clues as to who was blowing the whistle on them to Woodward & Bernstein. … If they did, Bebe, being quite the swinger around Miami it’s been said, would have surely known Sepy’s home in Coconut Grove, and. also of his Flynnship with Errol. This one would have had to been viewed at the Winter White House, at Bebe’s beach house on east Key Biscayne.; it was much, much too hot for the West Wing.

news.avclub.com…

[img]https://youtu.be/izc5BBdAVc8[/img]

7 years ago
Reply to  Gentleman Tim

books.google.com…

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