Questions, not a quiz.
Anyone know the story behind this photo – location, approximate date, name, the species of Errol’s companion, where one can find that shirt, etc. ????
— Tim
Mystery Meal Quiz
14
Jul
What significant event in Errol’s life happened here?
“Resting on the southern bank of the River Seine across from the famous Cathedral Notre Dame de Paris towers the mythical La Tour d’Argent. A culinary and magical experience is presented to you as soon as you step off the gilded elevator escorted by a white gloved attendant. The restaurant sits high above the real world and as soon you enter the main dining room you know you are in for something special. Everything from the yellow glow of the candle lit room to its breath taking views and luxurious decor create a perfect ambiance to fully enjoy the French gastronomy you are about to undertake. The oldest restaurant in Paris, the Tour d’Argent claims to have opened its doors in 1582 where it was created as an elegant inn to cater to the high society and aristocrats of its day. It was built using stones from the region of Champagne France, which gave the edifice a silvery likeness thus giving the tower its name La Tour d’Argent (the Silver Tower).”
“Since its opening, the restaurant has had countless famous and infamous diners throughout its 400 year history. Louis XIV, Philippe d ‘Orléans and the Duke of Richelieu were amongst the early famous faces to have their favourite tables by the windows.”
“The Pixar animated film, Ratatouille, was loosely based on La Tour d’Argent.”
Errol Flynn was friends with its legendary owner, Claude Terrail, who was rumored to be romantically involved with both Marilyn Monroe and Ava Gardner.
— Tim
We Welcome New Author Audie to the Errol Flynn Blog!
13
Jul
Audie, thanks for joining us aboard ship! We look forward to your comments and posts! Welcome aboard!
Zaca under full sail!
— David DeWitt
Mail Bag! More from Audie! Hollywood Censorship!
13
Jul
Audie writes back!
Thank you David,
The movie, “The Sun Also Rises” was a great addition the current the running of the bulls and we watched the provided link last night. The contribution was assuredly welcomed.
Interestingly enough, my husband and myself have become fans of Portuguese bull “fighting” or rather harassing the bull rather than killing the beast. The main characters in the ring is not the bull but rather the magnificence Lusitania horses that are Haute Ecole trained and seemingly love their faire. The “Suicide squad” is something you don’t see in Spanish bull fighting and dangerous but quite entertaining.
I found this on Open Culture with a blurb about our Boy:
“Another speech, however, passed without a murmur. After Errol Flynn’s character discovers the bodies of his friends, mutilated after hideous tortures by the Japanese, a newspaper correspondent spits out, “They’re degenerate, immoral idiots. Stinking little savages. Wipe them out, I say. Wipe them off the face of the earth.” Flynn says nothing in response.*
*Screenwriter Alvah Bessie, of later Hollywood Ten fame, had written a reply for Flynn’s character that said the violence was fascist, not inherently Japanese. But producer Jerry Wald cut it.
For reference, it can be found here:
and below: then click the link “wrote a letter to a Jesuit priest”
Please use this of Open Culture information whatever you wish that might seem noteworthy to other Flynn fans (my very small contribution), if not already posted.
Enjoy,
Audie
— David DeWitt
Mail Bag! Errol Flynn Fan Since Age 11!
12
Jul
Received this wonderful mail bag item from Claudia Raab this morning and am sharing it with everybody!
Thanks, Claudia!
Hello David,
As an Errol Flynn fan since my 11th birthday when I saw „The Adventures of Robin Hood“ for the first time, I’ve been following your blog for quite a while now. I still can’t get over how much information and interesting tidbits you and the other authors have gathered and presented there.
I’m nowhere close to being a “Flynn scientist” like you guys, but I’ve managed to visit some locations connected to him in one way or the other, mainly during my trips to the Southwest and the West coast (my favorite places to go on vacation).
I visited the El Rancho Hotel in Gallup last year which was mentioned in your blog two weeks ago, and took a picture of the sign at the door of the Errol Flynn room. Feel free to add it to your blog if you think it’s interesting enough! What I really liked is that the room next to Errol’s is named after his friend Ida Lupino.
I also visited Lone Pine with the beautiful Alabama Hills where parts of “The Charge of the Light Brigade” and “Kim” were filmed. The small movie museum there has several posters of Flynn movies as well as a coat that he wore in “Kim”. Thought you might like the photos (although you’ve probably seen it yourself).
Keep up the great work!
Best regards
Claudia Raab
(Munich, Germany)
— David DeWitt
We Welcome New Author William Russo to the Errol Flynn Blog!
10
Jul
We are happy to welcome our newest Author William Russo to The Errol Flynn Blog! Thanks for becoming part of our l ship’s crew, Wiliam! We look forward to your posts and comments!
— David DeWitt
Mail Bag! Contemporaries of Flynn?
10
Jul
William Russo send me another interesting email, and I think it is worth publishing!
Dear David,
Amazing what turned up from just a few references to MWWW. And thanks for the tip on the Earl Conrad book; I was able to order a copy from Amazon.
There is another topic I would like to throw open. As a long time student of history (I detest the term “history buff”) I take particular interest in discovering what things or personages were contemporaneous within a given context. That is, when we study certain regions in a linear fashion, we fail to realize the full context of the surrounding world at that time. For example, long ago I knew a few things about Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana purchase. I also knew a few things about the French revolution and Napoleon Bonaparte. But when I realized that Jefferson negotiated the purchase from Napoleon, I was stunned. I had never even considered them as contemporaries!
So, I started to wonder a few years ago, who might Erroll Flynn have crossed paths with? Some Googling came up with a few surprises. FDR and Eleanor, for one. Not surprising in the time frame, but interesting that Flynn merited such status. One connection that for some forgotten reason intrigued me, was, did Flynn know Hemingway? What little I found turned out to be even more intriguing. Based solely on comments from Hemingway; Hemingway, early on anyway, without having ever met him, seemed to have a low opinion of Flynn, considering him something like a dilettante and a clown. As time passed, I got the impression that Hemingway resented Fynn’s fame as an adventurer, didn’t want to acknowledge it, and may have been jealous that Flynn was living the life that he, Earnest Hemingway should be noted for. I think Hemingway wanted to be the model for the prototypical, honest, down to earth, man’s man adventurer, without promoting himself as such; except that was exactly what he was doing; promoting himself, which of course contradicts the image. He had the habit of overstating the importance of understatement as a demeanor. In any case he may or may not have met Flynn in Spain during the Spanish civil war. Though he walked out of a screening of The Sun Also Rises in disgust, after a few minutes, he later commented that he heard Flynn had been pretty good. I did find a picture of the two, presumably from the mid 1950s, both old and grizzled, possibly taken in Cuba. I do not know the occasion or their dispositions.
I was happy to discover that Erroll and Orson Wells, had a cordial relationship, including as drinking buddies; and that Flynn, the older of the two, regarded Wells as a somewhat wayward youth! I do know that Wells persuaded Flynn to let him use the Zaca as the yacht in Lady from
Shanghi. I know also that Flynn spent a short time with Fidel Castro in 1958 or 59 and I’m sure Castro thought that pretty cool, as did Flynn, in that it re-affirmed his belief that he was a legitimate journalist.
So who other unlikely or notable personages crossed paths with our man Flynn?
Thanks, William! As I replied to you, it is more a question of Who did Flynn not meet?
— David DeWitt
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
San Fermin Like Flynn
07
Jul
There are more than 400 events scheduled for the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona, Spain, including most famously the Running of the Bulls. This year’s festival began today (July 6), running to July 14.
See Senor Fleen at the San Fermin Festival, including in the Running with the Bulls, from about 1:01 to 1:10:
— Tim
Mail Bag! Errol, Audie and the Bird Man!
05
Jul
Received a great email from Audie in Portugal who has a question and an interesting story about how Errol reaches so many people even today!
I read MWWW in the late 70’s/early 80’s in paperback edition, borrowed from a friend and was hooked!
It wasn’t until much later while at a St. Simons Island, GA, USA library I found a book about his son and himself and was hooked all over again.
My future (and now) husband (living as expats in Portugal) attended a Flynn celebration in St Augustine, Florida when Rory was supposed to be there at a “Sea Hawk” film in 2015.
Even tho she was not there, my future husband and myself enjoyed the festivities. We will always remember that time as “young” oldsters.
I have followed (lurked) this blog since a bit before then and have collected many books about ELTF.
My all time wish about MWWW’s is to know about the first edition copy, printed in England in which “Tiger Lil’s” comments were deleted for the USA edition. If anyone knows, I would be very much interested in what she had to say about him.
Does anyone know?
I have several first edition books about our favorite playboy and also have several first edition books by David Niven, who has several amusing (or not, in David’s case) anecdotes about his Hollywood friend.
From a somewhat long time lurker (only about 4 years, now), I very much like the daily edition of this great blog.
Keep up the good work David!
Warm regards,
Audie
And an addendum:
About giving books to interested Flynn fans, here is another personal Flynn story.
There happens to be a bird loving gentleman who frequents the park next to the pier on St. Simons Island, GA. He arrives in the morning with his lawn chair and several bags of day old bread. Once settled in, he tosses up bread tidbits and watches the starlings (and now sea gulls) play their swoop and grab game in mid air. The amazing thing is that the birds respect him and never leave their “calling cards” anywhere near where he is sitting. They light upon his head and his arm, when extended, for the treat. He can individually identify them and one he calls Niki because of the recognizable white brand on its wing. The locals call him “Bird Man” and he has been the focus of a couple of news worthy articles.
The first time I met him, somehow within the first 10 minutes of conversation settled on Flynn. Not a usual topic for a first meeting. He told me that his middle name was Errol and it seems as though he was conceived one night after his parents watched an amorous Flynn movie.
While making plans to visit the Flynn blowout at St. Augustine Florida with my future husband on our first date… I had noticed a duplicate first edition copy of MWWW in my library and gave it to him. He was very grateful and hesitated to take it but after knowing of the duplicate, he accepted the book, smiling.
I didn’t have a chance before we left to let “Bird Man” know that the man I introduced to him (and also this blog) is now my husband and we moved to Portugal a year ago. Maybe he will reading this and I am raising my hand from far away, wishing him well. I will call him by the name he wished his parents had used, “Ian Errol”.
I love this blog and it is the only one I read faithfully every day. Thank you everyone for your contributions.
Audie in PT
— David DeWitt
