Errol Flynn and Marlene Dietrich tooled around Hollywood in limited-production Auburn Speedsters, the most flamboyant of the boattail breed.
— Tim
Archive for the ‘Behind the Scenes’ Category
A Classical Quiz
19
Jan
What classical music is used for a theme in the first official U. S. trailer for “In Like Flynn” ?
Classical Clues:
It’s one of the most recognizable musical masterpieces in the world.
The composer was very famous in his own lifetime.
This particular composition of his, however, was not published until forty years after his death.
— Tim
For Auld Lang Syne
01
Jan
Eighty Years Ago
Featuring Errol and a host of Hollywood stars in the 7 minute short For Auld Lang Syne,
James Cagney introduced himself and proceeded to identify the attending guests as they arrived at this benefit function, most of whom stepped up to a microphone to be interviewed on the radio by George Jessel, although the only voice heard during the “arrival” sequence is that of Cagney’s.
Cagney introduced Rudy Vallee as the M.C., and Valle presented the Benny Goodman Orchestra in a swing number and then introduced Dick Powell who sang “Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride” from 1938’s “Cowboy from Brooklyn.” Donald Crisp comes on and introduces himself as the co-M.C. and then he introduces Paul Muni, who makes the appeal to the theatre audience to make donations to the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital.
In order of appearance on-screen was: Cagney, Hugh Herbert, Glenda Farrell, George Jessel, Humphrey Bogart, John Barrymore, Bette Davis, Harmon Nelson, Hal Wallis, Louise Fazenda, Basil Rathbone, Marie Wilson, Freddie Bartholomew, Paul Muni, Errol Flynn, Lili Damita, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Gene Krupa, Dick Powell, Donald Crisp and Muni again.
…
To Fans of Flynn Around the Globe:
— Tim
Hi-Tailing It to Texas
30
Dec
Fleeing Hollywood for the Mexican border
December 29, 1939
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
Jimmie Fidler
Errol Flynn will vacation on Big Boy Williams’ paternal ranch near Del Rio, Texas.
“Del Rio – The Friendliest Little Border Town in Texas – An Oasis in the Desert”
amp-southernliving-com.cdn.ampproject.org…
“Travelers have long been drawn to this oasis on the Rio Grande. The American Indians who inhabited the area more than 4,000 years ago left detailed pictographs on cave walls, now a sort of primitive history book etched in stone. Spanish missionaries planted a church here in 1635 and christened the spot San Felipe del Rio. It was named not for the Rio Grande but in honor of San Felipe Springs, which still offers up to 90 million gallons of spring water every minute.”
“Queen City of the Rio Grande”
www-mysanantonio-com.cdn.ampproject.org…
“The heyday of Del Rio, the “Queen City of the Rio Grande,” as year-round tourist destination, along with nearby Villa Acuña, Coahuila, appears to have been in the 1930s.
During that era, the two sister cities straddling the Texas-Mexico border enchanted businessmen and the leisure class with mix of oasis relaxation and unregulated foreign intrigue.”
— Tim
On the second day of Christmas …
26
Dec
DECEMBER 26, 1939
SIDNEY SKOLSKY PRESENTS
Errol Flynn and Guinn Williams sent Orson Welles a Christmas gift – a ham with a beard on it.
— Tim
Dear Prudence
22
Dec
Dear Prudence,
A “more skillful swordsman” than Errol? I think not. Though you sure we’re one talented and rediantly-beautiful swashbucklerette, in both B&W and Technicolor.
“Against All Flags, 1952. This was one of the last Hollywood swashbucklers starring Errol Flynn. Maureen O’Hara proves his equal with her swordplay as Prudence “Spitfire” Stevens. In fact, O’Hara swore she was the more skillful swordsman, which might be true, as Flynn was slowing down. Usually he did his own stunts, but he declined the Douglas Fairbanks-style broad-sail-riding stunt here, having already broken an ankle and delaying production two months.
Fortunately for Universal Pictures, they had Russell Metty as cinematographer. He was the fastest Technicolor ace around, and he shot a second pirate movie, Yankee Buccaneer with Jeff Chandler, while Flynn recuperated. Co-star Anthony Quinn competes with Flynn in all sorts of skullduggery, supposedly on the island of Madagascar. The film’s secret weapon? Jokes that were purportedly inspired by Flynn’s randy sex life.”
— Tim
Doggone, Arno’s Gone!
21
Dec
December 22, 1939
ERROL FLYNN’S DOG IS TAKEN BY KIDNAPPER
Police and humane society officers, as well as Tailwagger Foundation officials, today we’re investigating the latest case of “dognapping” in Hollywood.
Latest victim of the racket that has spread on so widely is Arno, a German Schnauzer belonging to Errol Flynn, film star.
Arno was lured into a black sedan just outside the gates of Warner Brothers Burbank studio yesterday.
Eldon Crowninshield, an electrician, saw the dog, which is well known on the movie lot, enter the car, but thought nothing more of it until Flynn reported to studio police that his dog was missing.
The Swashbuckler’s “Heart Dog”
— Tim
Hit Him Like You Hit Roark
16
Dec
Eighty Years Ago
Third Week of December, 1938
LOS ANGELES EXAMINER
By Erskine Johnson
Headlines that told of a short but terrific fight between Errol Flynn and Aiden Roark, polo player and studio executive, are scarcely dry when Flynn returns to work on his new picture, Dodge City. And oddly enough, his first scene requires him to leap out of a barber’s chair and slug Douglas Fowley. Several times director Michael Curtiz films the scene but Flynn makes his pulled punches look bad. Finally Curtiz becomes exasperated. “Hit him like the newspapers said you hit Roark, ” he demands. Flynn grins and in the next “take” he makes his pulled punch look like the real thing, and Fowley sails back on a pile of mattresses laid out to break his fall.
* Douglas Fowley was a long-time movie and tv bad guy, as well as the father of hyper-wacko Kim “Alley Oop” Fowley.
— Tim
