I am constantly constantly surprised and delighted by what comes to earth, in our quest to know more about our hero. Thank you very much!
Elizabeth
We appreciate the kind words, Elizabeth!
— David DeWitt
Author Archive
Mail Bag! Wallace Berry Remembers …
25
Nov
The Mail Bag brings a reply from Wallace Berry to a post by Gentleman Tim. See the original post …
David, Pat Paterson had been on Zaca during its war service. Pat and Babe Lamerdin, Jack Geary and Eric Johnson had all been down in the So Pacific during WW2. They were the original crew that moved Zaca to Newport, and put her in the great condition she was on departure. My tie in was two fold – a Boston Blue nose schooner we owned and sailed on and being part of location/purchase of Zaca with Errol. At the time I was one of the founders of Sausalito yacht club. I was not a professional. I was still in high school.
At the time Flynn, in Newport, suggested a guest crewman spot for me to France on the upcoming trip – that was in the framework of Pat, Babe, Jack all going. My dad approved my going at the time – because of them. At the Mulholland meeting – their salary request was disputed – the next morning on the ship Pat advised I had the ship. And so it stood until departure from Santa Monica.
As to the “cabin Boy” bit – that cropped up with Nora about the time of Acapulco and lasted for about a day. The Hollywood gang had scampered off to LA and that left Bob, Bill, Vince (Hubbs man) and myself – save two or three Mexican crew hired there. We had the 17 Higgins runabout a nice little design and the 26 double ender powered with a little Grey engine. I remained aboard for a time doing light chores and spending time with the Pullen and Shoundoly families. The magazine, newspaper stuff created some reaction in my family (my Dad was KMAG in Korea, at the time) resulting in strong advice to bailout. My injury was also a cause for concern – that’s when I headed for Fort Sam Houston and Brooks hospital.
I did not return to my senior year instead did the GED while in Letterman Presidio and from there was first mate on a large motor yacht owned by the man who ran Pacific Telephone – he fired me and sent me in a direction that put me in the stock market as the youngest trader (for awhile – soon overtaken) …
Time to go, wb
Wallace, thanks so much! We are honored that you take the time to reply …
— David DeWitt
Errol Flynn’s TV Appearances over the Years!
18
Nov
“I wonder if anybody has seen this and furthermore knows of equally little known TV appearances of our Hollywood hero. Blog away dates, titles, co-stars and most of all… memories!” — shanghenz
Karl Holmberg cites the following:
Errol Flynn TV/ Documentaries
Here’s at least some of the non-dramatic stuff that has appeared on TV over the years:
“The Colgate Comedy Hour”
In the early 1950’s, NBC welcomed Bud and Lou to their new hour long live variety show, as guest hosts. Abbott & Costello boosted the show’s ratings as they performed their staple of routines, including the still popular and in demand, “Who’s On First.”
“The Colgate Comedy Hour” 1/13/52 with Errol Flynn, Bruce Cabot, Rhonda Feming, George Raft
“The Name’s the Same”
An American game show broadcast by the ABC television network from December 5, 1951 to October 7, 1955. The show’s premise was similar to What’s My Line?, but the panelists here had to guess the name of the person, which also described something (e.g. “A. Lap”, “A. Table”, “Ruby Lips”, etc). Other contestants had the same names as well-known personalities of the past and present, such as Thomas Jefferson, Napoleon Bonaparte, Arturo Toscanini and Clark Gable. In a few cases, actors and other celebrities were brought out at the end of the guessing round to surprise the contestants who were their namesakes.54
“The Name’s the Same” Robert Q Lewis, Host, 8/20/1952: The first player is Errol Flynn. Panelists Jane Alexander, Abe Burrows and Bill Cullen.
NOTE: I ran into this crediting early on in my research but later, could not find Flynn anywhere in the celebrity credits of the various “historic logs” on the show. Therefore, the actor Errol Flynn DID NOT appear on this program, but a young Master Errol Flynn did (sharetv.com…}
“Toast of the Town”
Ed Sullivan’s show was straight out of old vaudeville; brief acts of every description, from slapstick comedy to operatic arias. At least once, he showed a film, the only known film of Anna Pavlova (doing her Swan Dance). The Muppets’ first TV appearance was on Ed Sullivan. Stiff and expressionless, with a peculiar voice and a talent for mispronunciation, Sullivan was at least as recognizable as Cronkite to early 60’s viewers. Panel show.
“Toast of the Town” playing “Himself” (episode # 5.36) May 11, 1952
“Toast of the Town” playing “Himself” (episode # 5.37) May 18, 1952
“Toast of the Town” playing “Himself” (episode # 5.39) June 1, 1952
“The Martha Raye Show”, June 7, 1955, with Errol Flynn] / NBC.
Regulars: Martha Raye, Rocky Graziano, Carl Hoff and His Orchestra, The Danny Daniels Dancers. Comedy/variety.
“The Martha Raye Show”, January 3, 1956, with Errol Flynn] / NBC.
Regulars: Martha Raye, Rocky Graziano, Carl Hoff and his orchestra, the Danny Daniels Dancers. Comedy/variety
“The Steve Allen Show”, January 6, 1957, NBC.
Steve Allen, Louis Nye, Don Knotts, Tom Poston, Dayton Allen. Announcer: Gene Rayburn.
Music director, Skitch Henderson.
Guests: Errol Flynn, Guy Mitchell, Polly Bergen, Alan Young.
“The Big Surprise”, February 5, 1957, NBC.
Mike Wallace: Host
Announcer: Jack Clark, Easy Question Girl: Sue Oakland, Hard Question Girl: Mary Gardner
Celebrity Guest: Errol Flynn
Answers $30,000 question 2/5/57
This show was intended as NBC’s answer to CBS’s enormously popular “$64,000 Question.” When it boosted the maximum prize, it became known as “The $100,000 Big Surprise.”
In this NBC primetime game show, contestants who were judged “worthy” because of good deeds or hardship answered a series of questions, worth progressively more from $1 to $100,000. If the contestant missed one of the first four questions, he or she was out of the game. Later, if they missed a question, someone else could answer a different question, in an early version of a “lifeline.” If that person answered correctly, they received ten percent of the winnings. The questions were unique in that they had to do with an individual contestant’s friends, family, hobbies or hometown.
The ‘easy question’ girl and the ‘hard question’ girl brought out the questions. If the contestant missed an easy question he or she would lose all the money; if a hard question was missed, he or she only lost half.
Later, after a format change brought newsman Mike Wallace on as host (in his TV game show debut), contestants answered encyclopedia-like questions in different categories.
Note: Flynn apparently made only this one appearance; subsequent TV listings and related news report nothing further. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NEWS whether he’d won or lost!
“What’s My Line?”, May 26 1957, CBS.
Moderator: John Daly. Mystery guests: Sammy Davis, Jr. Guest panelist: Errol Flynn. Panel show.
“Toast of the Town Panel Show” playing “Himself” (archive footage) (episode # 10.48) [August 25 1957]
“What’s My Line?”, December 1 1957, CBS.
Panel show. Moderator: John Daly. Mystery guest: Errol Flynn.
“The Steve Allen Show”, December 1 1957, NBC.
Comedy/variety. The Steve Allen Show (1956-1961). Steve Allen, Louis Nye, Don Knotts, Tom Poston, Dayton Allen. Announcer: Gene Rayburn. Music director, Skitch Henderson.
Guests: Martha Raye, Errol Flynn, Jimmy Dean, Jennie Smith, Don Adams, Army-Navy football team members.
“The Arthur Murray Party”, October 27, 1958, ABC.
Ballroom dancing, plus comedy, songs and dance contests on one of the few programs to air over all four major commercial networks. ABC premiered it on July 20, 1950 and it closed on NBC on September 6, 1960. It varied between a half-hour and one hour in length.
…. Himself – Guest aka “Arthur Murray Party Time” … aka “The Arthur Murray Show”
Jack Paar Show, 1/6/59 French singer Genevieve and American television show host Jack Paar (1918 – 2004) listen as Australian-born American actor Errol Flynn (1909 – 1959) talks about a bird during a segment of ‘The Jack Paar Show,’ New York, New York, 1959. And at one point Flynn is wearing the Cuban flag
Note: I have found neither an officiall date for this show nor any record of its having survived. There does exist some photos of the appearance and there was an item in the newspaper of 1/7/59 in which the headline reads “Actor Accuses Batista Forces” and that it was said the previous night, so likely it was during the Paar Show appearance as where else might he have been to have been quoted? In IMDB it is stated that not until 1/12/59 was the first Paar show videotaped… hence no surviving record?
“Front Page Challenge”: Jan. 13, 1959. Host: Fred Davis, Panellists: Pierre Berton, Toby Robins, Gordon Sinclair. Guest(s): Errol Flynn, Scott Young Errol Flynn became a guest on Front Page Challenge after producer Jim Guthro read in a newspaper that Flynn had been in Cuba during the revolution. When Guthro tracked him down in New York, Flynn agreed to appear on the show — if the CBC paid for his “secretary” (who was, in fact, his mistress) to fly to Toronto with him.
“The Red Skelton Show”, September 29 1959, CBS.
Comedy/variety. Red Skelton, Errol Flynn, Scott Engel, Beverly Aadland. Director, Seymour Berns.
Originally broadcast on CBS, two weeks before Errol Flynn’s death at age 50.
Summary:
In a sketch, Skelton portrays hobo Freddie the Freeloader and Flynn his friend, “The Duke.” After a group of beatniks (which includes Flynn’s teenage girlfriend Beverly Aadland) mistakes Freddie’s shack for a coffee bar, Freddie is informed by a policeman that all bums have been ordered by the city council to leave town by sundown. Freddie and the Duke decide that the only way they will be able to stay in town is to open their own beatnik coffee bar. Singer Scott Engel (who later went on to fame as Scott Walker of the Walker Brothers) sings “Paper Doll.”
“Hollywood and the Stars:
The Swashbucklers”, 1964. Fairbanks Sr. and Flynn, featured stories, with minor coverage of others. Joseph Cotton narrator. 25 minutes.
Hollywood Goes to War, 1964 Everyone from Astaire to Wayne (and of course…) . Joseph Cotton narrator. 25 minutes.
“The Hollywood Greats: Errol Flynn”, 1978. Barry Norman narrator. 50 minutes.
“HBO: The Legend of Errol Flynn”, 1979. Robert Vaughn narrator. 23 minutes.
“Errol Flynn: Portrait Of A Swashbuckler”, 1983. Christopher Lee narrator. 50 minutes.
“Australians”, 1988, Episode 12, “Errol Flynn”, Drama, 13 minutes.
“A&E Biography: Robin Hood – Outlaw of the Forest”,1995, (TV) …. Himself
“Secret Lives: Errol Flynn”, 1996 (Channel 4 of England), 50 minutes.
Warner Bros. 75th Anniversary: No Guts, No Glory (1998) (TV) (uncredited)
“It’s Only Talk: The Real Story of America’s Talk Shows”, 1999, excerpt from the Steve Allen Show with Errol and Steve Fencing (January 6 1957)
“Informal, El” playing “El Burlador Caliente” (archive footage) April 21 2001
Raoul Walsh and Errol Flynn, 2002, Documentary Short, French TV.
“A & E’s Hollywood Home Movies”, 2004. Brief snippets of Flynn: EF smoking/ talking with shirt off on Zaca in color (2 seconds); EF playing tennis in color (4 seconds); and Bogart, Kay Francis (?), and Flynn in gathering at private home, outside, pan shot, b & w (5 seconds).
“The Adventures of Errol Flynn”, 2005, Documentary (V & TV)
Tasmanian Devil: The Fast and Furious Life of Errol Flynn, 2007, TV Movie documentary
Cuban Story, The Truth About Fidel Castro Revolution, 1959/2010, Documentary. 50 minutes
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff, 2010, Documentary, 86 minutes
Tip O’ the Hat, to Karl! Read the rest of this entry »
— David DeWitt
November Rock-itt Magazine is live!
04
Nov
Dear The Errol Flynn Blog readers:
Please click on the link to read the November issue of The Rock-it magazine.
Cheers,
Pete
— David DeWitt
Mailbag! New Novel with A Robin Hood Twist!
26
Oct
Thanks to author James Bradford Taylor for the news about his novel which has one of my favorite kinds of themes: time travel, finding yourself transported back to a much earlier era which leads to all sorts of complications, drama, comedy and action …
Click the image to check out the free Preview on Amazon.com…
I’m told by the Author that this is a Robin Hood story, not an Errol Flynn story but “his presence is felt in a most unusual but satisfying way,” and the review on Amazon highly praises the writing. In part, it reads:
“I recommend this for all lovers of swashbuckling fiction, the action scenes are very well done but there is just as much romance of both the conventional and screw-ball variety. But like a Raphael Sabatini novel the adventure here is unleavened by any dismissal of the real consequences of violence. There are some very sobering scenes of things ‘going medieval’ that keep the mood from getting too giddy. In fact the most impressive effect Taylor brings off several times in the book is the deft key changes, in mood, atmosphere and attitude. There is certainly as much tragedy as triumph in this tale of 1215 and I found my elation was matched by sadness for the stories of these well-drawn characters.”
We tip our hat to Brad Taylor, and thank him again for letting us know about his book. Taylor is a longtime fan of Errol Flynn, and his films, particularly The Adventures of Robin Hood which inspires this book. 525 Kindle pages. Published June 25, 2015. You don’t have to own a Kindle device to read this book. The Kindle app is free for several kinds of devices, and computer operating systems.
— David DeWitt
Errol Flynn Party Brawl!
20
Oct
Fist flew at the Fabulous Flyn’s 32nd birthday party but it wasn’t Flynn who flew them (Or Steve Hayes … )
Tip O’ the hat to Don Jan!
— David DeWitt
Mail Bag! Errol’s Height Compared to Professor Flynn?
15
Oct
Peter M. Mulholland writes us with questions:
Have seen quite a few photos of Prof. Flynn with Errol. He looked like he was quite tall. Supposedly Errol was 6’2”, though comparing him when he’s in photos with 6’3” Jimmy Stewart and 6’4” Forrest Tucker, Errol looks more like 6’1”, possibly less. Was Prof. Flynn 6’3” or 6’4”?
Errol’s American Citizenship Application shows Errol was 6′ 2″ tall and weighed 186 lbs in December, 1938.
Thanks, Peter!
— David DeWitt
The Errol Flynn Mailbag! FOUND! All EF Theatre Shows!
26
Sep
From our dear friend Karl Holmberg:
This subject has been mentioned before on the blog, but I just received an email from the source (U of Ulster) as a general announcement of their doings and have “teased out” what would especially be of interest. Further, I provide an edited view of those specifics.
What is the REALLY BIG DEAL here, aside from the fact that the series exists now in its ENTIRETY, is that the QUALITY level for all concerned is that of 35mm!
I attach a NYT announcement (6/3/57) of the series premier in the states.
I also attach what appears to be a photo of Flynn being filmed introducing a “Theatre” episode, and to his left one of the players: Christopher Lee? They DID appear together in an episode called Fortunes of War.
And a curious incident related to the filming of that episode was reported by Lee in speaking of work related injuries in his autobio (excerpt from IMDB):
“(Lee) almost having the little finger of his right hand severed by an inebriated Errol Flynn during a sword fight in The Dark Avenger. Lee played numerous roles in four episodes of The Errol Flynn Theatre and the two had a rematch in the episode Fortunes of War. Lee accidentally took Flynn’s wig off with his rapier and had to convince Flynn that he hadn’t done it on purpose.
And here now, the COMPLETE list of found programs:
Archive treasures: lost television programmes found
The Errol Flynn Theatre (1956-8)
Early anthology series presented by Hollywood legend Errol Flynn. Flynn also acted in some installments. It was shot on 35mm film but, despite its legendary star, some episodes were lost while the remainder only survived as inferior and edited 16mm copies. The prints found at UTV are all 35mm. The transmission dates below refer to their initial UK broadcast.
Tx Date Title
16/09/56 Wife for The Czar
22/09/56 The Girl In The Blue Jeans
29/09/56 The Model
06/10/56 The Duel
13/10/56 The Mirror
20/10/56 The Red Geranium
03/11/56 Farewell Performance [Previously lost]
10/11/56 The Fortunes of War
17/11/56 Mademoiselle Fifi
18/11/56 The Transfer
24/11/56 The Ordeal of Carol Kennedy
01/12/56 The Sealed Room
06/12/56 The Kinsman [Previously lost]
16/02/57 Love Token
23/02/57 My Infallible Uncle
02/03/57 Strange Auction
09/03/57 The Rustle of Silk [Previously lost]
23/03/57 Take The High Road
06/04/57 The Cellini Cup [Previously lost]
13/04/57 Rescued
20/04/57 First Come, First Loved [Previously lost]
04/05/57 Declassé [Previously lost]
11/05/57 Out of The Blue [Previously lost]
01/02/58 The 1000th Night of Don Juan
Karl, we tip our hat to you!
— David DeWitt
How to Login to this Blog!
24
Sep
For those of you new to the blog, I have made a video showing how to login to the blog which entails the WordPress security popup, and the purpose of this short little video is to make clear that the popup is not the place to enter your Personal Login details. It’s sole purpose is to discourage robots from logging into our blog, and it’s WordPress’s idea not mine.
So to when you see it (it doesn’t show up on some browsers or looks slightly different) you enter the preset username errolflynn (all lower case) and password efb (all lower case) and set the popup to “Remember me” so you won’t have to enter the preset details every time you login.
After you click ok, you are taken to the normal WordPress login page for our blog and there you enter your Personal Login details.
The video shows a remembered Username “Boss Boy”. You will be entering your own Personal Username used when you registered.
That’s it!
I hope it clears up how to login for new members!
Click the screen anywhere to start in Firefox. Other browsers may display play buttons.
— David DeWitt
