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A Stellar Hero Continued

15 Mar

One of my favourites – I wonder if this little guy knew who was visiting?  He looks a bit overwhelmed!. Publicity Photo

— Maria

 
12 Comments

Posted in Errol Helping Out, Main Page

 
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Gentleman Tim
10 years ago

What a great photo, Maria. Thank you. That boy appears to me to be an age where he could well know one of Errol’s characters, if not Errol per se. This would be almost definitely so if this hospital visit was post Robin Hood, of course.

I wonder when (and where) this photo was taken? Do you kbow any of its provenance or back story? I haven’t researched the boots yet, but to me Errol looks like he could possibly be circa Prince and the Pauper era, but erhaps not. Absent any other info, the boots might be the best clue to the timeframe of the photo.

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Maria
10 years ago
Reply to  Gentleman Tim

Hi Tim. Well it is on ebay and it says they are boots from “They died with their boots on” but Errol seems younger? It was in New York.

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Author
Maria
10 years ago
Reply to  Gentleman Tim

This photo was respect a visit Errol made to the “Ruptured crippled Children’s Hospital” in New York. I have googled that and there are several references to his visit. I also tried to find out more about the little boy in the picture but nothing there.

www.hss.edu…

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zacal
10 years ago

That is FANTASTIC! Thank you so much, Maria. I love seeing Errol did this sort of thing. Here’s Robert Downey Jr. doing something similar recently while “playing” a character that was inspired by Errol, “Tony Stark”. Very heart warming.
www.youtube.com…

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Maria
10 years ago
Reply to  zacal

Thanks! I saw the video of Robert Downey and it was so touching! You can bet there will be many similar prosthetics made. Imagine showing up in the schoolyard with that..and from Tony Stark himself! There go the bullies in the neighborhood. I did not catch why that little guy was picked for the arm? Anyone know?

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Gentleman Tim
10 years ago
Reply to  zacal

Good for Robert Downey Jr. He could do a great job playing Flynn. (Heck, isn’t Stark based on Flynn?)

suite.io/michael-jung/182q2rd…

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Paula
10 years ago

I’d have passed out

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Maria
10 years ago
Reply to  Paula

I like Thor.

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twinarchers
10 years ago

Very nice to see this. The idea of this never entered my mind before. I hope the boy got better.

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Gentleman Tim
10 years ago

Thank you, Maria. You are right! The boy in the photo, suffering apparently from infantile paralysis, was, I believe, Michael Rockman, born in The Bronx in 1938. He was said to be three-and-a-half at the time of Errol’s visit, further evidence the photo was in taken on a date close to They Died with Their Boots On. I’ve checked Errol’s movie boots through all his early years and “Boots” does appear to be the most likely film for the boots Errol was holding at the hospital.

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Author
Maria
10 years ago
Reply to  Gentleman Tim

Thanks Tim. Those boots don’t look very worn..I wonder what happened to them? I guess Errol became involved due to his admiration for President Roosevelt? Also was this also happening at the same time as Gloria Vanderbilt’s wedding? I did find a blog written by someone who seemed to know the history of the hospital and he/she mentioned that Errol visited but that he was vain! Personally I think Errol would have been just as happy to have visited without all that publicity.

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Gentleman Tim
10 years ago
Reply to  Maria

Excellent thought, Maria. You are so good. The timing and cause does fit well. Errol’s famous apearance at horse show in Virginia with Franklin & Eleanor was connected to raising funds to fight infantile paralysis. So, it majes perfect sense that there’s a likely connection also to his appearance at the Ruptured and Crippled Children’s Hospital.

At only three and a half, the boy (Michael Rockman) may not have known who Errol was, but I’d bet all the nurses did!

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