What happened here? / Who’s that lady?
— Tim
Archive for the ‘Flynn and…’ Category
Live from Lovely Rita’s
17
Oct
In Celebration of Rita Hayworth’s 98th Birthday
Live from Lovely Rita’s home in Chula Vista, California, where she lived as a young teen, working across the border in Golden Age Tijuana, only fifteen or so minutes away. Rita performed at Hollywood honcho hangouts like the Hotel (Agua) Caliente and the Foreign Club Cafe de Luxe, where she began her entertainment career dancing with her father in The (Dancing) Cansinos.
In a photo taken this weekend for the EFB, here is Margarita’s former childhood home, a fact her present day neighbors were thrilled to learn.
And here are photos from that era of her early career, when she was Margarita Cansino.
As a young teen, Rita danced at the following famous Hollywood-popular venues in Tijuana, where it is said she was discovered..
¡Adios, Flynnamigos!
— Tim
A Chiki Hi from Chiki Jai
13
Oct
Hola from Becki on our right and Anita on our left!!
From an old South of the Border haunt of Hemingway, Gardner, Hayworth and Flynn.
Famous for paella and its old Hollywood, bullfight and jai lai crowds, the food remains sensational. Being there before paella time, I had the calamari steak, which was muy, muy, muy sabroso – the best I ever had.
Becki and Anita are fantastic and couldn’t believe how handsome Flynn was and how beautiful Ava was during their Chiki Jai heydays.
Becki, by the way, says she’s ready to go Hollywood herself, Hollywood agents out there. With looks and a personality reminiscent of Linda Christian, I highly recommend her!
— Tim
“That Man! That Man!”
10
Oct
Having recently landed at Lindberg Field in San Diego and headed into Mexico today, I thought I’d publish these protoflynnical, Lindberg Field and Mexico-related Hollywood news reports from March 24, 1939:
Los Angeles Evening Herald Express – Jimmy Starr:
Errol (pronounced Errant) Flynn, Hollywood’s “Peck’s Bad Boy” grown up, and his wife,the lovely Lili Damita, were finally lured from their vacation in Mazatlan, Mexico, by the Warner Studio, which demanded his return for picture work.
An effort to reach the film plant on time nearly cost them their lives. Chartering a plane, with Ted Brown as pilot, in Mazatlan, the trio battled heavy fog for most of the way to San Diego.
More thrilling than a horror movie, they were lost somewhere over San Diego. Their gas was low. They had lost their radion beam. With but two minutes of gas time in the tank, Brown took a chance, started to pancake the ship earthward. He caught his radio beams. Luckily, he was over the field!
“We owe our lives to Brown’s remarkable ‘deadstick’ landing,” said Errol, who, with Lili, was still somewhat jittery over the experience.
Lili and Errol arrived in Hollywood yesterday morning.
___________
Los Angeles Evening Herald Express – Harrison Carroll
Even Lili Damita, who is on the impulsive side herself,was amazed at Errol Flynn’s first official act on returning to California. The Irish star climbed out of a chartered plane, in which he and Lili had flown from Mazatlan, and immediately his eyes fell upon another ship standing on the field.
“That’s a slick job. I’d like to take it up myself,” said the star.
“Go ahead,” said one of the spectators, “it belongs to me.”
So Flynn, whose feet had been on solid ground for less than ten minutes, hopped into the plane alone and took it aloft.
Lili, left standing there, could only shake her head and mutter: “That man! That man!”
btw, in researching this post, I discovered evidence that indicates the pilot who saved Errol & Lili’s lives in San Diego may have been the father of the highly respected tenor saxophonist Ted Brown. Here he is playing “On a Lost Plane to Lindberg” – I mean “On a Slow Boat to China” with jazz legend Art Pepper:
As always with these historic newspaper article posts, all thanks ans praise goes to Flynn Meister Karl Holmberg! Muchos gracias, Mi Amigo!
— Tim
Chuck and the club- just another Higham hoax?
04
Oct
Dear fellow Flynn fans,
I came acoss a curious statement in the obituary (www.smh.com…) of nazitorious biographer Charles Higham.
“Higham had a delight in the macabre and the absurd, exemplified by his invitation to the English widow of Hermann Erben for dinner in Los Angeles with a Flynn double, Chuck Pilleau. Higham coaxed from her a bizarre revelation: SS agent Erben was circumcised.”
Now more interesting than Dr. Erben`s anatomy is that another little known stuntman, stand- in or stooge of Errol is brought into play, a certain Charles Pilleau.
I found an entry on this virtually unrecorde go- to gent, posted by a friend of his, a one time actor and passionate golfer:
“All I know is that I found a picture on the web of a suppossedly Errol swinging a golf club. And it was a lefty swing? I wish I knew how to post it here. I was given an old “Brassie, driver” by my old friend that I used to rent an apartment from in Hollywierd in the early 80’s ( N Franklin & Hollywood Blvd ). I was studying acting, rasing hell around town and just enjoying my youth (srtaight). His name was Chuck “Sir Charles Pilleau”. What a charachter and friend. He was long in the tooth with some great stories. He took a liking to me cause I’m a Texas boy. I as well enjoyed his company as I used to help him around town to get his tasks done since he only had one eye and a lung left. Don’t feel sorry. I saw some of the gals that old Chuck had over from time to time. He had the charm. Another of our friends eventually aided old Chuck in finding his way back to Australia where I heard he passed a few years later. I know that he was FLynns buddy cause he had all the pictures hangin on the walls and the stories were abundant and in line with everything that I had heard about Flynn. Except there were no gay stories from Chuck. The gay stories according to him were an attempt to ruin him. I believe my friend Chuck Pilleau………Still Puzzled About This Old Brassie Driver……….Was Errol right handed or not? I haven’t answered it yet. Pardon…..distracted with memmories of my pal Chuck. He seemed almost “life like” to Errols immage and mannerisims…..John Horton el************@*ol.com…. ”
Unfortunately when I tried to contact Mr. Horton to putt him the photo pictured above as answer to his question, I came across another obituary: dfw.cbslocal.com…
Enjoy while you can,
— shangheinz
Mail Bag! Who is who with Tiger Lil?
01
Oct
Ada here,
I am sending along the first of two pix of, I assume, one of your favorites, Lily Damita.
This one, I am not positive about. I believe it was taken by Errol during a trip to Catalina Island approx July 7th, 1938, during the holiday week when Errol was off. I can identify no one except Lily. Do you have any info on this shot?
I’ll toss it out to the world, Ada! Very nice, rare candid …
— David DeWitt
Looking for Mr. Redfern
30
Sep
Whatever happened to Errol’s search for Paul Redfern?
Is it a riddle wrapped in a mystery?
— Tim
Flynn Gets Out of Dodge
28
Sep
A Week in the Life of Errol Flynn, September 1938
Los Angeles Evening Herald Express
Harrison Carrol Reporting
September 21, 1938
“Unless Errol Flynn has another brainstorm between now and then, he’ll play host on a three-week yachting trip to fellow players in Dawn Patrol. The party on the Sirocco will include Donald Crisp, Edmund Goulding, David Niven and Michael Brook (the Earl of Warwick). Basil Rathbone was invited, but chose a New York trip instead.”
____________________________________________
September 27, 1938
“It’s no wonder, doctors say, that Errol Flynn was knocked flat on his back by flue. Though ill on his boat at Catalina, the star insisted on going fishing in a dinghy with David Niven and Donald Crisp. Then, on top of this, he fell overboard. Niven, trying to pull Flynn back, capsized the dinghy and the three actors were floundering in the water for 15 minutes. When they finally got back to the yacht, Flynn was so sick that they had to fly him to the mainland.”
____________________________________________
September 27, 1938
ERROL FLYNN TAKEN TO HOSPITAL IN SERIOUS ILLNESS
“Still dangerously ill, Errol Flynn, motion picture actor, rallied sufficiently today to permit of his being transferred from his Beverly Hills home to the Good Samaritan Hospital.
The change was made under the direction of his physician Dr. T.M. Hearn. Dr. Hearn said that the actor needed care and attention more readily available at the hospital.
Flynn is suffering from influenza, complicated by an infection of the throat and respiratory organs and a recurrence of malarial fever, which he contracted five years ago in New Guinea.”
Hospital of the Good Samaritan, Los Angeles
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September 28, 1938 Santa Cruz Sentinel
ERROL FLYNN HAS STREP INFECTION
“Errol Flynn, film actor, suffering from influenza and a streptococcic throat infection, was removed to a hospital today. His physician, Dr. T.M. Hearn, said the removal was “a precautionary measure.” Dr. Hearn also announced that the throat specialist, Dr. Voyle James, had been called into consultation. Flynn, after showing improvement yesterday, turned worse last night. His temperature went to 103.5 degrees, later dropping to 102. Dr. Hearn expressed concern over the possible development of pneumonia. Flynn’s illness was contracted when he fell overboard from a fishing boat near Santa Catalina Island.”
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September 27, 1938
“The Warners are reported dickering for Ronald Coleman to take the leading role of the Englishman in Dodge City, now that Errol Flynn is out of the running. The Sea Hawk is scheduled as Flynn’s next.”
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September 28, 1938
CRISIS IN ILLNESS OF ERROL FLYNN NEAR
“An uncomfortable night, and a crisis expected within 24 hours.
This was the report on the condition of Errol Flynn, film actor, who was confined to Good Samaritan Hospital with influenza and streptococci infection of the throat.
Flynn was removed to the hospital yesterday on the orders of Dr. T.M. Hearns.
Dr. Doyle James, throat specialist, was called in consultation by Dr. Hearn, in an attempt to solve the mystery of the streptococci and the continued high fever which is now 102 degrees.”
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September 29, 1938
“Cary Grant is being considered for the leading role of Dodge City now that Ronald Coleman and Errol Flynn have been eliminated.”
— Tim
Errol @ Elmo’s – Freddie in France @ Florence’s
25
Sep
life.spectator.co.uk/2016/09/the-king-of-clubs/…
“Florence’s reputation was made when some disgruntled suitors beat up Freddy McEvoy, a playboy friend of Errol Flynn’s, in the club’s bathroom after Freddy refused to pay them their share for introducing Barbara Hutton to Count Raventlow, whom she subsequently married.”
Here’s Barbara and the Count:
And here’s Chez Florence. Before Bricky Smith and Josephine Baker, there was Florence Jones, “Queen of
Montmartre after Midnight”.
— Tim
