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Archive for the ‘Behind the Scenes’ Category

Diamonds are a Damita’s Best Friend

17 Jul

July 19, 1935

Filmland learned for the first time today the romantic history of the diamond that Errol Flynn, dark-headed Irish actor, put upon the finger of Lili Damita, who is now his bride.

It was five years ago that Flynn came into possession.

A young adventurer, he was working as a British agent in New Guinea to help preserve peace among the native tribes. One day, he made a gold strike in the jungle.

Trekking back to civilization, Flynn sold his discovery for $10,000 in gold. He decided to leave New Guinea, but couldn’t carry his new found riches. So he put the money into rough-cut diamonds.

It was one of these diamonds that the young actor, soon to play the starring role in the Warner film, Captain Blood, had made into the engagement ring his bride now wears.

Harrison Carroll
Evening Herald Express

Errol, Lili, and Man’s Best Friend, on the very-appropriately named Lookout Mountain – with a glimpse it appears at Diva Damita’s new diamond:

— Tim

 

In Like Flynn Will Soon Be Out

08 Jul

“In Like Flynn will be released later this year through Umbrella (Films)”

“[It] will be in cinemas by October 2018 in Australia.”

“It’s a different film and kinda unlike anything that’s come out of Australia.”

— Tim

 

Memories of Gillian Lynne

03 Jul

REMEMBERING GILLIAN
www.dancemagazine.com…

ERROL AND GILLIAN

Dame Gillian travelled to Sicily in 1953 to film The Master Of Ballantrae. In the credits Gillian Lynne’s part is listed as “Marianne, a dancer favoured by Captain Mendoza” but it wasn’t long before it became clear that she was favoured by the Hollywood legend who had the leading role, one Errol Flynn.

Asked how their affair came about, she says: “It was very difficult for it not to come about! He was a gorgeous man and he was very witty, very funny and well educated actually. It wasn’t all about sex, it was all about fun. We liked each other.

“I would never have been chosen for the role if he hadn’t liked me because they were looking for a blonde woman with big boobs and then they saw me dancing at the Palladium. I was thin with tiny boobs and dark hair but I was sexy. I’m a sexy dancer. Most dancers are sexy. We had a lot of quite steamy scenes, nothing in the bedroom, thank God. All out in the sun.”

Their on-set fling lasted for two months, with the couple enjoying drinks in the bar of Palermo’s exclusive Villa Igiea and taking boat trips up and down the Sicilian coast. In the decades that followed, Dame Gillian went on to become one of the country’s most successful choreographers (Cats, Phantom Of The Opera) and has directed more than 50 shows in the West End and on Broadway as well as a number of TV productions

www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/470862/Dame-Gillian-Lynne-Nights-with-Errol-Flynn-dancing-for-the-Queen-and-keeping-fit-at…

— Tim

 

Sealed With(Out) a Kiss

29 Jun

Seal of the Archdiocese of Burgos, Spain

Archbishop of Burgos, Manuel de Castro Alonso

Generallisimo Francisco Franco

Forty Years of Censorship

elpais-com.cdn.ampproject.org…

A new book recounts the alterations made to movies and their posters by censors during the Franco regime.

The censors’ scissors were never idle during the Franco dictatorship. The movie industry, with all its provocative and insinuating images, was a great source of headaches for the watchdogs of public morality – especially since going to the movies was the main form of entertainment for society in the wake of the Spanish Civil War.

And so censors were very careful to ensure that any film that was screened in Spain contained no negative influences on issues such as religion, politics, the army, prostitution, divorce or adultery.

Sex became a real obsession for the regime, and it was persecuted with all the weapons at the censors’ reach. Poster draftsmen and movie theater impresarios had to really stretch their imaginations to make their billboards reflect the American, English or French realities. This was not always achieved.

A new book, La Censura Franquista en el Cartel de Cine (“Franco’s censorship in movie posters”), by Bienvenido Llopis, analyzes 40 years’ worth of censorship in Spain through films. The conclusion is that cleavages were reduced, legs were covered up, and scenes with beds in them were avoided altogether.

Movies were banned and stills were cut out,” Llopis notes. “But it was just as important to control movie advertising. Major Hollywood stars who embraced the Republican cause – James Cagney, Joan Crawford or Robert Montgomery – had their names pulled from Spanish movie posters, while titles that might suggest a double meaning were changed.”

The idea for the book came to Llopis one Sunday morning at the Madrid flea market, the Rastro. There he was, sitting at his stand, selling movie memorabilia, when a man showed up saying he had a program for the movie Camino de Santa Fe, which had obtained the censors’ approval everywhere in Spain save for the city of Burgos. The archbishop there insisted that Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland’s kiss be hidden with a seal.

The man turned out to be the owner of a movie theater in Burgos, and he promised to return with the movie program. “I waited for him for many Sundays, until one day he showed up again, and when I saw [the program], I thought I have to make a book out of this.”

— Tim

 

Gallup In Like Flynn

28 Jun

Get your kicks on Route 66 … at El Rancho’s 49er Lounge

“The 49er Lounge holds the unique claim of serving both Errol Flynn and his horse, as the two rode right into the establishment one summer afternoon.”

El Rancho was built by “Griff” Griffith, D. W. Griffith’s brother. D.W. helped his brother promote this as a premier place to go for filmmakers of Hollywood westerns.

“Like Errol Flynn who rode his horse into the bar when he wanted a drink, friendly service in a truly Western location is what the 49er Lounge serves up.”

Here’s a video of El Rancho, with a Flynn account of its bar, and a look at his photo upstairs. There’s an Errol Flynn Room, too, though not shown in this video.

route66hotels.org…

— Tim

 

Hollywood Hero in La Heroica

21 Jun

“ERROL FLYNN EN CARTEGENA”

Errol Flynn en Cartagena

What would you do if the most popular actor in the world arrives at the door of your house at that time, greets you with your name and asks for permission to enter?

The first thing would be to be amazed and that is what happened to Don Antonio Fuentes, founder of the first record company in Colombia, the one with the yellow seal, the one with the Clock Tower of Cartagena.

Don Toño, as he was familiarly called by his employees and neighbors in La Heroica, was born in Cartagena on May 18, 1907, had toured several countries and even fell in love with the Hawaiian guitar. Upon returning to [Columbia] he set up the Emisora ​​Fuentes and determined to rescue the autochthonous rhythms of the Caribbean. In 1934 he made the first productions of figures such as Guillermo Buitrago, Esther Forero, Los Trovadores de Barú, Lucho Bermúdez, Los Corraleros de Majagual, Pedro Laza, Rodolfo Aicardi, Los Hispanos, Gustavo Quintero and dozens of other groups.

La Heroica, Cartagena:

I always asked the artists if they had “some verses” out there and with that, I was able to do a whole song and a success. Sometimes the musicians would tune or give one more note and Don Toño would simply say, “leave that so that’s what you’re going to like”, as indeed it happened.

Thanks to the contacts of Don Toño Fuentes, the recordings were reproduced in countries such as Mexico, Cuba, Argentina, Venezuela and the United States. He had a recognition in many countries and was the great ambassador of Colombian music.

For his part, Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn, known as Errol Flynn, was the most popular actor in the decades of the 30s, 40s and 50s and was born in Hobart, Australia on June 20, 1909. He was nationalized as an American and became a star for his characters of heroes, where he combined great kisses with his adventurous movements.

One of those roles was the first version of Robin Hood, where despite appearing in green tights, a hat with feather and leather gloves, conquered the hearts of thousands of young people who melted to see the way they twisted the lips of the protagonists of the stories.

He is remembered for his roles in films such as “The Light Brigade’s Charge”, “Robin of the Woods”, “The Private Life of Elizabeth and Essex”, “Camino de Santa Fe”, “They Died with Their Boots on”, “The Island of the Corsairs”, “Swords Crossed”, of a roll of more than 50 films.

As a fan of yachting he sailed to Cartagena, according to Don Gabriel Pulido, promoter of Discos Fuentes in Bogotá. When he arrived at the walled city, he did not have a hard time finding the house of Don Toño Fuentes, where he was well received, tasted good rums, ate up the head of a cat, dined on the beaches and danced the best of coastal music.

It was an unforgettable visit [after which] he continued with films, romance, and adventure.

On October 9, 1959 he traveled to Canada in order to sell his yacht and when he was going to ride the plane back he felt bad, a doctor gave him a few days off and on October 15 he died a heart attack. The idol of the cinema left, after scarcely 50 years, [but not until after] enjoying the rum and rumba of Cartagena.

____________

Here’s a Sound on Sound account of Don Tono and Disco Fuentes:

www-soundonsound-com.cdn.ampproject.org…

— Tim

 

Guinn Big Boy Williams Night on Boot Hill …

15 Jun

Found this out on the Prairie, near Dodge City in an old newspaper found blowing in the wind …

Under the headline “Film Star Sleeps on Boot Hill,” in the Monday, April 3, 1939, Dodge City Daily Globe, a story begins: “For a great many years only concrete faces and the cowboy statue have rested in historic old Boot Hill cemetery. But Saturday night there was a newcomer there.

”The story goes on the tell how Guinn “Big Boy” Williams, one of the stars of “Dodge City,” was found sleeping on Boot Hill Sunday morning after the festivities surrounding the premiere.

Williams woke up sufficiently to elude authorities, who later learned that he had spent the day sleeping in a rooming house on West Chestnut street. Williams had missed the train back to Hollywood. He appeared in a west side grocery store later in the afternoon, took a taxi to the airport and caught a plane to Wichita. From there, he made it back to the coast.

Williams reportedly told a Dodge City man he wanted to sleep among the dead men for his wild West thrill.

 

Ah, Hollywood!

 

— David DeWitt

 

Speaking of Chico …

15 Jun

Here’s the story of “The House That Flynn Built” (Not)

The plot in Chico thickens …

www.newsreview.com…

If you’ve ever tasted kiwis from Costco, or sneaked a peak of gorgeous Barbi Benton, this article and video may have extra appeal for you. videosellsrealestate.com…

— Tim

 

Meanwhile, Back in Korea

12 Jun

trove.nla.gov…

Korean War Project
Salute Of Entertainers

Jack Benny and Company

(w/ 5th RCT, 24th Div.)

It was around the middle of July, 1951. The peace talks began earlier and there was peace in the Kumhwa valley.
Instead of combat, everyone was talking about rotating home. There was also a rumor about a USO troupe coming to this forward camp. During combat, we would see entertainers of two or three hitching rides to the rest areas, rain or snow, to give their little shows. I gave them a lot of credit for their courage. Bob Hope was also here for the troops but he was 50 miles behind us somewhere.

On this July day, the entertainers in trucks and jeeps, came driving into this little clearing. A makeshift stage was built for the occasion. To our surprise, It was none other than Jack Benny and with him, in the group was Errol Flynn and Marjorie Reynolds.

This is the first time I’d ever seen movie stars in the flesh. For this country boy, I was fascinated and they looked so human and of course, they were. On the stage, Jack did his comedy of jokes and Errol and Marjorie acted their series of mostly funny skits, a lot of laughs for all of us.

Everyone was standing around intermingling after the show. I was standing close to Jack. He somehow looked smaller than in the movies. I slowly sneaked up behind him and sure
enough, I really was taller than he was!

Errol Flynn was walking by and I got this sudden impulse. I stuck out my hand and Mr. Flynn, can I shake your hand sir? He stopped, looked at me for a couple of seconds, smiled and said, My pleasure, lad, my pleasure. I think when he stopped and saw this oriental face, I can feel his uncertainty, but I think what won him over was this pure American slang coming from this face. He must have thought this guy has got to a real Yankee.

RICHARD ISERI wrote on January 29, 2018
Garden Grove California

— Tim

 

Good Samaritan-Like Flynn

10 Jun

Only Errol Flynn could pick up, I mean rescue, seven swimming nymphs in the middle of a desert.

Here’s a photo of the 1940 “Aquacade Motorcade” after they arrived at Treasure Island for the Golden Gate International Exposition (aka World’s Fair). Not sure if any of these swimming nymphs were the exact ones “rescued” by Errol, but the timing appears to fit, and, as happy as they look, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised.

Billy Rose Aquacade Motorcade Nymphs
San Francisco, 1940

A  good, brief account in a Michael Curtiz biography:

books.google.com…

A GREAT, more detailed account from Tom McNulty:

books.google.com…

One or more of these seven damsels in distress were likely in this Wirkd’s Fair film before they traveled west through the Painted Desert of Arizona, where they were detoured by Virginia City Flynn:

— Tim