The Rock-itt Magazine for May 2016 is now abailable! We follow the Rock-itt Magazine for its excellent series on our Man Flynn!
— David DeWitt
Archive for the ‘Mail Bag’ Category
Mail Bag! Errol Reichow: Don’t Hesitate to Live Fully!
01
May
The Mailbag brings us a great photo and story from Errol Reichow:
Greetings Mr. DeWitt,
Another contribution to your blog as I sift through the memories of my father. Flynn once quoted “We fritter our lives away in endless details but I plan to live it” and he did. My dad once said to me that Flynn had just come back from visiting a doctor, he had various ailments later in life, and the doctor said if you quit drinking you could have a few more years to which Errol said “I take the drinking and another good 6 months”. My father also mentioned that Flynn kind of burned out on live and said to him “I’ve seen everything twice so what does it matter”. We all have our highs and lows so with it goes our attitudes but better to test the ends of the spectrum then ride the middle of the fence because for many that just doesn’t get it done.
One last note, this past Friday I visited an old family friend (Gloria Zomar) and as we talked she had an interesting story. She meet Flynn, through my father, down at the Garden of Allah and Errol just had a chiropractor work on his back as my mom, dad, and Gloria waited in the other room and they could hear the groans as Errol got adjusted. Then Errol came out in a terry cloth rope and engaged in conversation and proceeded to ask Gloria out for a date. Gloria accepted and was very nervous and she let Flynn drive her old Pink Cadillac to some spread in the Valley for a party where Errol spent most of the time talking to a producer about an upcoming film. Gloria was so nervous she didn’t say two words the whole evening and when they went home Flynn invited her in for a tottie and she said no, guess he had a reputation. My dad ask Errol the next day how it went and Errol said she doesn’t like me as she didn’t talk all evening. The fact is she was so nervous she didn’t know what to do or how to act. So, I gather the moral of the story is speak up and live a little because if you don’t do it now there may never be a next time.
This picture is from the old Frascati restaurant that was on the Northwest corner of Crescent Heights and Sunset Bl, across the street from the Garden of Allah. In it is Errol ( back of head), Mickey Rooney, Nora Eddington, Beverly Aadland, and Otto Reichow (my father) – I do not know the folks in the upper right hand corner.
Hope the shot is worthy of a post on your site and if so send me the link or save it for another day but then again better to live for today then wait for tomorrow.
Thanks’ Errol!
— David DeWitt
Mail Bag! Errol Flynn Stamps & Envelopes!
17
Mar
Gene Ingram, our member, wrote the following comment on the blog:
“Quite awhile back I had some dealings with an old gentleman that dealt in stamps and Errol had sent him a great number of 4 X 5 envelopes with his name printed on the back flap, in pencil on the front were several countries in Europe and South America inside were stamps from the 1940’s, the gentleman would then send them to Errol when he had collected a great number. I still have 27 of the envelopes and there are close to 100 stamps in them. The envelopes are the real deal, I don’t think anyone would go to the trouble of having them printed up , them collecting a bunch of WW II era stamps and filling them, and selling them for what I paid for them! I would add a picture but at 73, I am not that good at posting more than the printed word.”
I asked if he could get the photos to us, I’d love to see them, and he kindly sent me the following photos!
Thanks so much, Gene!
— David DeWitt
Mail Bag! Ultimate Movie Rankings Errol Flynn Page!
14
Mar
From the Mail Bag!
Hey David….as we continue to get better information from the golden age of movies … we have been updating lots of stuff on our Errol Flynn page. Over the years we have even changed our equations in calculating our movie scores … these changes have greatly improved many of Flynn’s movies. You might find it interesting to see our new Flynn page. Bruce Cogerson
www….
Bruce, thanks so much! Magnificent work!
— David DeWitt
Mail Bag! Three Dons of Industry!
04
Mar
Today’s Mailbag brings this from Travis MacMillan:
Hi:
Recently saw Suzanne Issa’ post on Facebook referring to her mother with Mr. Flynn in Jamaica from your blog.
Made me remember a photo I have of my late Grandfather – Dudley G MacMillan and Suzanne’s father Abe Issa with Errol Flynn.
Thought you’d like the extra photo for your blog.
Travis M.
Caption: Three dons of their respectful industry in the 40’s. The Dean of Advertising, Dudley G. MacMillan with his first blue-chip client, Mr. Abe Issa, the father of Jamaican Tourism. To this day, over 80 years later, we’re proud to still be the local Agency of Record for the House of Issa. But wait…. who’s that in the background, the most popular swashbuckler of them all, Errol Flynn who surely dominated the Box Office in his time but was also a key player in developing Port Antonio into its golden era of Tourism, including the still popular rafting down the Rio Grande River.
Thanks, Travis!
— David DeWitt
Mail Bag! Errol Reichow, on Mr. Errol Flynn, his namesake!
18
Feb
The Mail Bag brought a real treat today, and there was more in store as I opened the subsequent emails from Mr. Errol Reichow. Here is his first email to me:
Salutations Mr. DeWitt,
If you would be so kind as to post this picture to the Errol Flynn blog along with anything else you see fit it would be appreciated. I send my favorite picture to you of my namesake because it is by the pool where I grew up and the house I still have which is my own Shangri la. Please share the post if you decide to toss it up for those who may find interest.
My father (Otto Reichow) always used to tell me why he named me Errol. Zo mit his sic german acsunt I vould hear ” If you have half the life Flynn has had then you will have had a good life”. Errol set the bar high and left behind a blueprint as ones did before him so we follow, walk along, and continue ahead down the path we all must travel but chose to in so many different ways which make our lives truly unique. Yes, my heroes gowning up were Errol Flynn (namesake), John Wayne, Bruce Lee, and countless other icons that added a spring to my step and kept a sparkle in my eye because that’s what inspiration does.
One could easily go on for pages about the stories but we all have caught bits and pieces in the wind that fill our sails and take us down memory lane and then with the next tack we are faced with present day reality yet look unto the horizon for a better tomorrow and try to keep a true course. It is said that some people should never die and others should never be born but that just isn’t the way life is so keep the best alive in memories and forget the rest for that is the natural progression and key to perseverance. From what I have heard Errol liked to live on his terms and why not it was his life and better to live it your way than somebody else’s interpretation.
There will only be one Errol Flynn and this picture, by my father’s pool, captures it in the twilight of a supernova. Errol has his Vodka and cigarette in hand as he waves with a smile maybe thinking thanks for a great journey and happy to have done it my way sport. With all the pain one can suffer in life and endure the hardships it is good to know that a smile can always be found just around the corner. This was one of the last pictures of Errol in the land that made him and tried to break him known as Hollywood. My father took Beverly and Errol to the airport to catch a flight to Vancouver and that was the last my father and the world ever saw of Flynn, but the spirit lives on for those who wish to remember and we remember because we want to not because we have to – that is how Errol and we all should live our lives.
So long Sport and thank you for a great name.
Errol Reichow
But there was more! In the next email …
Again, the attached picture is better resolution and this card is from the final memorial service held for Errol Flynn at Forest Lawn Glendale October 19, 1959. I am sure you can crop and enlarge the quarters. If you feel it is worthy of a post please do so.
And finally these wonderful images!
Mr. DeWitt,
The attached picture is better resolution. I saw some old images of Flynn on your blog inquiring where these photos where taken, I believe the response was some hotel but I assure you it was from the home of my father Otto Reichow. The house is currently empty and is located at 1599 Sunset Plaza Dr in the Hills above West Hollywood. There are newspaper shots and various photos floating about from this location as a photographer had contacted my father and asked permission to come by and take some snaps. I have various shots my father saved and then others I see from time to time but felt compelled to clarify the location and mysterious gentleman to the right, my father.
Otto was also a pall bearer at Flynn’s funeral.
Errol, we can’t thank you enough for kindly sharing these extraordinary photos with us! It is such a rare and wonderful thing when somebody comes forward with images like this, and we all appreciate it so much! Your namesake looks like he is full of mischief, and has the expression on his face of someone looking about for the next source of a bit of fun …
Thanks again, Errol!
— David DeWitt
Mail Bag! Roberto Memmo, anyone?
09
Feb
We got this email in the Mail Bag today from Annette who says:
Hi … I’m trying to find a way to contact Mr. Memmo the owner of Zaca. I have a beautiful watercolor of Zaca in San Francisco Bay … Any idea how I can reach him?
I suggested Luther Greene and the Sausalito Historical Society but can’t find Luther’s email address for the life of me! I once had a correspondence with a friend of Mr. Memmo, but that is lost, too, to the sands of time …
Any ideas?
— David DeWitt
Mail Bag! Rory Flynn and Crossed Swords!
28
Jan
Here is a note sent to me from Rory who asks that we on the blog may be able to offer this writer some help with his book project:
Hello Rory,
I am writing a book about the movie “Crossed Swords” ( 1953) by Milton Krims shot in Cinecittà in Rome and Castle Lancellotti of Lauro (my hometown) with Errol Flynn and Gina Lollobrigida. I would like to know if you have information , documents and photos d’archive useful for reconstructing history .
Waiting for an answer, i send heartfelt greetings.
Vincenzo Castaldo (journalist)
If you have any info, sources, or other helpful information for this author please let me know via the blog’s email address, or publish it here in a reply and I will forward it to Vincenzo!
You may rate a mention in the book’s credits for your contribution …
— David DeWitt
MailBag! Robin Hood Autographs at Auction!
27
Jan
Our good friend Karl Holmberg sends us this today:
Autograph Auction TV Sport Historic Military Music
by Chaucer Covers & Auctions
05 February 2016, 10:00 GMT
Folkestone, United Kingdom
Live Auction
Lot 190: Olivia de Havilland and Errol Flynn autographed vintage photograph. Vintage magazine photo still from The Adventures of Robin Hood, 1938, signed by the two stars Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. Very, very rare. Dedicated. Small tear to the top left which would disappear if mounted well. Signatures are not affected. Good condition. All signed items come with Certificate of Authenticity. Can be shipped worldwide.
Thanks, Karl!
— David DeWitt
Mail Bag! Captain Blood and Elvis!
19
Jan
John and Tom Theiman are twins and both a big Errol Flynn fans and John sendsus this note. English is not his first language:
I’ve got more Flynn news.In Captain Blood when Captain Blood signs Articles of Agreement with his crew the date is June 20th
1687. June 20th. Movie score for Captain Blood is great. Composer
is Korngold. He also does Robin Hood. Robin Hood ranked number
11 movie score all time. But I believe Blood score is better. Blood is
a great movie, it holds up even today.
Elvis and Errol news. When Hal Wallis ran film test of Elvis he experienced the same thrill when he first saw Errol Flynn on the screen. Hal Wallis,Starmaker. Flynn lives in all of us who love him.
One of my two best friends loves Flynn, too!
See you later.
From Kentucky With Love, John and Tom
Thanks so much,John!
— David DeWitt
