The Errol Flynn Blog

Hi Tim;
I said I’ll come back as soon as I find my Beam Ends book, I foud it!
I think I have read somewhere, way in the past about “Errol’s hardest $2.00 earned” but now I am not sure about that, because one thing I was sure about was the boxing fight in Beam Ends and I found the book now and the boxing challenge was for five dollars.
Furthermore, the town was not Townsville it was Bundaberg and the show owner was not Jimmy Sharman it was Curly Bell.

Here is the excerpt out of Beam Ends in Errol’s words:
Errol left with his crew Brisbane and arrives in Bundaberg. It just so happened that at this time the annual “Bundaberg Show Week” was in town. Errol and his crew investigated the show as large posters advertised the carnival. Amongst the advertising a boxing competition was also listed.
Curly Bell , the owner of the show was quite a dashingly dressed character and of stimulating repartee.
When it came to the boxing competition Curly introduced Jack Cowper, Heavyweight Champion of the Western District and announced that he is willing to pay five pounds to any competitors who could stay in the ring with Jack for three rounds.
Rex nudged Errol in the ribs. “it’s s cinch!” He whispered: “Tale him on, Skipper”. Think what we could do with five pounds!”
Errol stared at him. “You’re mad, take him on yourself.”
Rex not giving up, “Think of the cash and you are a boxer, I’ll tell you what I’ll do – “I’ll second you!”
Errol began to think that five pounds was wealth at that time. So he climbed in the ring.
“Time” was called and Errol’s opponent advanced, Errol thinking for the usual handshake, instead he knocked Errol flat to the ground, in the corner Rex flung a wet towel into Errol’s face that he hardly could breath. Encouraged by the boos of the crowd, Errol was lusting for revenge.
“Time”, Cowper jumped right across the ring. Errol missed him, but the lacing of the glove tore a gash over his eye that bled copiously. When you feel the crowd is with you, it helps!
Errol tore into him with everything but the kitchen stove.
(Ha, ha in those days was the stove not the sink)
Cowper must have decided that it looked like that I am going to last so he retired at the end of the second round to attend to his eye.
Rex collected the five pounds on my behalf and stood fingering them and said: “Nice work, didn’t I tell you it was a cinch? I suppose you wouldn’t mind lending me a couple of pounds out of this?” I said that, by God, I would mind. “I shed blood for that money. All you did was try to smother me. Hand it over. I might let it you look at it later from a distance.”

The question is now who was said between Errol and Jimmy Sharman? Did they ever meet? New investigation!