Dear Flynnstones,
the 1987 movie “White Mischief” based on a true crime story from Kenya in 1940 bears more than one reference to our Hollywood hero.
Not only would Flynn have been perfect for the lead of Josslyn Victor Hay, the 22nd Earl of Erroll, who in the film was portraited by actor Charles Dance, but the antics of the Happy Valley aristocrates can both be seen as mirroring Hollywood royality as well as mimmicking Errol in Northampton.
Flynnmate Trevor Howard picks up (mostly bottles and guns), where he left off in “Roots of Heaven” in one of his last roles-his excessive drinking almost got him fired.
Gorgeous Greta Scacchi, scarcly clad due to the fine weather, in type resembles Pat Wymore.
But it is a real life angle tying the unsolved murder mystery to our Man Flynn.
Matter of fact, in the book of the same title from James Fox, Freddie McEvoy is described as a person of interest in an investigation of the police in South France.
A pearl collier, which plays a special, if not the key role in the whole affair had been stolen from a car.
The heist appears as some sort of a steal and lease back scheme with Suicide Freddie in the midst of things.
In my book this is what really cost Joss his life later on…maybe even Freddie`s.
McEvoy and Errol had planned to take a safari trip together in that area, but the big game hunt was cancelled, because the shooting of “The Adventures of Don Juan” hadn`t finished in time.
“Hail to the Mischief!”,
— shangheinz
Thank-you Heinz Homicide for this intriguing post. I enjoyed the film “White Mischief” so much that I read the book by James Fox. The author makes a solid case that Lord Erroll was actually murdered by Lord Broughton, husband of the lady in question! According to Fox, the much older man said “Enough is enough!” and killed the man who made him look like a cuckolded fool. The British police never felt they had enough evidence to charge him. Another book says a lady killed Lord Erroll! If the film was produced in 1958, the aging Errol Flynn of “The Roots Of Heaven” would have been perfectly cast as Lord Broughton. In fact, he would have jumped to play the role!
Errol cast against his image,much like in „Forsyte“, as Lord Broughton? Bring it on Ralph Simenon! I can see it, envisioning Chris Blackwell making a pass at Woodsie at Goldeneye…unlike Richard Burton, the travel writer not the actor, who claimed to have broken every commandment of the decathlon, Flynn boasted to have done everything TWICE. Mr. Blackwell may have gotten lucky there.
As far as Jock Broughton is concerned, despite his military education at Sandhurst, his nerves got to him right before being sent off to France (?) in WWII. That and the fact that one arm and one foot did not function properly, cast the shadow of a doubt in my mind on him as murderer. Plus he went out by way of morphine and not by gentlemanly gun. I don‘t think he had it in him to pull the trigger at all.
Here is the BBC version on the no-to-so-Happy-Valley:
m.youtube.com…
Maigret Hienz! “Happy Valley” this well-produced BBC-TV film which beat the release of “White Mischief” says Lord Broughton killed Lord Erroll!
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I hear you, Ralph Chandelier. “There is no fool like an old fool.“ A BBC documentary called Altitude, Alcohol and Adultery from 1993 (used to be on YouTube) left me with a different opinion. A lady friend of the original Lady Diana stayed at Broughton’s domicile on the night of the fatal shooting. Her testimony is the smoking gun. “Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor Hell a fury like a woman scorned.“
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I hear you, Ralph Chandelier. “There is no fool like an old fool.“ A BBC documentary called Altitude, Alcohol and Adultery from 1993 (used to be on YouTube) left me with a different opinion. A lady friend of the original Lady Diana stayed at Broughton’s domicile on the night of the fatal shooting. Her testimony is the smoking gun. “Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor Hell a fury like a woman scorned.“