Dear fellow Flynn fans,
I came across this picture in a japanese film book about Peter O`Toole. It`s from the film “My favorite year”, which you may be well familiar with and I have yet to see. From my point of view this other great actor got Errol`s facial expression down to a T.
— shangheinz
Agreed! Then by all means, see “My Favorite Year”! It happens to be on the top of my personal favorite comedies. Peter O’Toole was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in this movie. He lost to Ben Kingsley, who won for his portrayal of “Gandhi”.–A. R.
So Lawrence of Arabia lost out to Gandhi. Fair enough. I am very much looking foreward to seeing “My favorite year”. From watching the trailer alone, I expect some hearty laughs out of it- very similar to Peter Seller´s “The party”.
There is a lot of slapstick in it – similar to Tony Curtis’s Some Like It Hot – a charming performance by O’toole who dips into the Barrymore reserves a bit, too! Joseph Bologna is hilarious! It is one of those films that didn’t get all the attention it really deserved! It is not available to stream on Netflix, unfortunately. I hated it when Netflix decided to split into to two halves – money grubbing at its worst! I own it on tape, though … but of course, can’t play it! Who has a VHS player these days! I think I have one in storage (3,000 miles from here) :)
A MESSAGE TO SHANGHEINZ!
DO NOT GO TO THE LINK PROVIDED BY TINA UNTIL AFTER YOU HAVE SEEN THE MOVIE! UNLESS YOU WANT TO SEE ONLY THE ENDING OF THE MOVIE!
And for those who have seen the movie, thank you, Tina!
–A. R.
Many thanks for the spoiler alert, whoever you A.R.e
Dear Witty Dave, now that you have mentioned it, it`s actually Blake Edward`s “The Party” starring Peter Sellers. If it can be compared to Billy Wilder`s “Some like it hot” starring Tony Curtis, I will order it right away, be it DVD or VHS!
I love this movie immensely it has so many wonderful and great slap stick scenes. One of my favorite is this one:
and of course there is the one famous scene which pops into everybody’s mind when mentioning the movie who seen it, immediately a broad smile appears, a chest moving laugh or a funny giggle, I always laugh from the bottom of my heart.
This is slap stick humor at its best.
Thanks Heinz for posting and reminding us what great movie this really is.
Liebe Tina, it really seems to be a hommage to our hero and to swashbuckling as such. Can´t wait to catch a whole glimpse of it. Greets fom Austria!
Thanks Heinz, very appreciated and I hope you will be able to acquire a copy of the movie. It is on eBay.com… but quite expensive between $59 to $120 plus shipping and if they would send it to Vienna is another question.
Please don’t forget the movie is only a parody, sort of a caricature based on Errol. In real life Errol was nothing like it, he could hold his liquor like a real Australian is able to do – apparently that is so – I am told. Also as quoted by eyewitnesses Errol never staggered or swayed or was cognitively not with it as in the movie. The script was designed to make the movie extremely funny as I said a great parody. I think they say – tongue in cheek.
In regards to your other post with Errol’s picture attached I am not clear of the meaning of it.
You posted Peter’s and Errol’s picture. Do you mean that you see a resemblance between Peter and Errol’s looks? If so, I am very sorry to say but I fail to see that.
Peter and Errol were magnificent good looking man in their young years, both lost their looks due to substances and in particular alcohol and I would say there were at least for me the resemblance really ends. Only my humble opinion other may see things differently.
Famous people are always on the receiving end for parodies, caricatures or slapstick remarks etc.etc.etc.
I wanted to add to lovely pictures one of Peter and one of Errol but it doesn’t let me do it – have to ask David how to do this function.
I wish you all the best, Tina
Tina! You can use the “Add images to your comment” link next to the comment window. Just host the image somewhere and use its address. As you are an author here you can upload an image to the files section and use its address to allow the image to appear with your comment!
[img]http://www.theerrolflynnblog.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/A001c.jpg[/img][img]http://www.theerrolflynnblog.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/Errol169a-with-peewee.jpg[/img]
Two magnificent, gorgeous looking man who entertained us ever so superbly!
Thanks Tina,
I would have never compared the two in the first place. But now seeing them side by side, I think both have some similarities- maybe because of their British ancestry? What Peter lacks in moustache he makes up with these beaming blue marbels. Yet again, aren`t there some Robin Hood- moments (pictures) where Errol is shooting arrows out of his eyes… I can`t wait to see “My favorite year”, and discover references of Peter O` Toole to Errol Flynn even if there aren`t any.
Take care, Heinz
Yes but this photo is of Errol in his early 40’s it looks? I will try to find one of Peter with a stash and in different wardrobe.
With this new WordPress paranoia, it’s to hard to post photos.
Soooo
I believe that Errol’s appearance on The Martha Raye show in particular in a Pirate sketch is the real basis for My Favorite Year – Errol is funny in the show with Raye in two sketches and ends up quite winded at the end of the Pirate sketch but obviously had a lot of fun on the show as did Martha Raye …
Hm… can this sketch be found anywhere on the net?
Hi David;
As always you are to the rescue, thanks so much for your help!
Please could you be so kind and remove all the comment posts were I failed the proper appearance of the two pictures. Yeah, live and learn!
My best wishes to you!
I also believe I read it was a loosely based on experiences Mel Brooks had shepherding Errol Flynn around for his appearance on a show like “Your Show of Shows” or some such. BTW, the movie was released on DVD as I own a copy. It also turns up on Turner Classics Movie channel from time to time.–A. R.
How R U A.R?
Has there ever surfaced a contemporary interview with Mel Brooks on his encounter with Errol? Maybe around the time when Brooks made “Men in tights”? Or is there even an extra audio commentary on the DVD?
Perhaps he has a tad of Flynn’s expression in this photo, but in the film and as an actor in general the similarity is a real stretch. Though a fine actor, O’Toole always seems to come off as slow moving and somewhat psychologically imbalanced. Flynn never.
Dear Rob the Artist,
POT was neither as handsome nor as dashing as Flynn. On that particular photo though I see him impersonating Errol with that slightly amused and elder statesmanly look.caribbean-beat.com…
I agree only because Peter is so very OLD! LOL! If you have ever seen him as a young man, you would see the handsome Irishman that made such a mark in the business long ago. He has/had very sticking eyes and could be very dashing back in the day. Alas, to much Irish tea can be devastating, LOL!
Striking….sorry!