— Karl
Hearst’s Hacienda
27
Apr
Aka “Hearst’s Hunting Lodge”, though W.R. did not personally permit any hunting. “A day’s ride on horseback” from “La Cuesta Encantada” (Hearst’s Castle in San Simeon), to what since 1940 has been Army property on “Fort Hunter Liggett”.
Hearst took only select guests to The Hacienda, usually only top-strata Hollywood, newspaper and political figures. Errol was one of them. These special guests could either fly or ride on horseback from San Simeon – for rodeos, barbecues and dances, et al – often staying overnight in the Hacienda’s “Tower Rooms”. These same Tower Rooms are now available to the public at very reasonable prices, as are more spartan “Garden Rooms” and “Cowboy Rooms” at even lower prices.
— Tim
CHARGE!
24
Apr
At the TCM Classic Movie Festival
Friday, April 27, 2018
THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE(1936)
Of the eight films co-starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland, this romantic epic is one of the least seen, mainly due to complaints about the mistreatment of horses in the thrilling climactic charge inspired by Alfred Tennyson’s poem. In their second film together, Flynn is a British officer in India engaged to de Havilland only to learn she is in love with his brother (Patric Knowles). Departing liberally from history, the film suggests that the love triangle, as well as an act of betrayal by an Indian sultan, are inspiration for the famous charge that took place in 1854. The picture was also inspired by the success of Paramount’s The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935), which forced the production to add The Crimean War scenes at the end in order to avoid charges that they were just aping the earlier film. The picture was shot on a grand scale, with the construction of an entire British garrison in the California desert where the cast worked in severe weather conditions during the massive battle scenes. The use of trip wires led to the deaths of 25 horses, causing a fistfight between the passionate horseman Flynn and director Michael Curtiz. The result of the deaths kept Warner Bros. from reissuing the film and brought about stricter control from the U.S. government over animal use in filmmaking. (d. Michael Curtiz, 115m, 35mm)
— Tim
A Night at the Theater with Mel & Carl
24
Apr
April 23, 2018
LOS ANGELES — Mel Brooks is just two months shy of his 92nd birthday and he still carves out time for movie nights with his pal Carl Reiner. The two just recently got together to watch a restoration of the 1938 Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland classic “The Adventures of Robin Hood.”
This week, Brooks will be on hand to kick off the ninth annual TCM Classic Film Festival at the TCL Chinese Theater Thursday night in Hollywood with a special screening of the first film he ever directed: “The Producers.”
— Tim
Pan American Flynn
22
Apr
A Flynnian Slip
19
Apr
www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/kate-moss-slip-dress-timeline…
“I bought this dress in a vintage shop in Florida; the lady told me it had belonged to Errol Flynn’s wife.”
— Tim
Mail Bag! French Curtiz Bio & Film Book!
16
Apr
Dear Sir,
For all those who love Curtiz and read French, I found this book. He presents an excellent biography and analyzes each of his films including his pre-Hollywood production.
Best – Erik Anzi
Thanks, Erik!
— David DeWitt
The Amazing Curtiz
15
Apr
Mano Kaminer > Mihaly Kertesz > Michael Courtese > Michael Curtiz
The Most Underated Director in the History of Hollywood?
“Curtiz was already a well-known director in Europe when Warner Bros. invited him to Hollywood in 1926, when he was 39 years of age. He had already directed 64 films in Europe, and soon helped Warner Bros. become the fastest-growing movie studio. He directed 102 films during his Hollywood career, mostly at Warners, where he directed ten actors to Oscar nominations. James Cagney and Joan Crawford won their only Academy Awards under Curtiz’s direction. He put Doris Day and John Garfield on screen for the first time, and he made stars of Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, and Bette Davis. He himself was nominated five times and won twice, once for Best Short Subject for Sons of Liberty and once as Best Director for Casablanca.”
“Curtiz introduced to Hollywood a unique visual style using artistic lighting, extensive and fluid camera movement, high crane shots, and unusual camera angles. He was versatile and could handle any kind of picture: melodrama, comedy, love story, film noir, musical, war story, Western, or historical epic. He always paid attention to the human-interest aspect of every story, stating that the “human and fundamental problems of real people” were the basis of all good drama.”
What was his Greatest Film? Who were his Greatest Stars?
— Tim
Signature of the times
07
Apr
Dear fellow Flynn fans,
we often wondered aloud on the blog, which of the many signed cheques, autographs and contracts bore the real signature of Errol.
If we assume that at different times his business procurator Al Blum, third wife Pat Wymore and young assistent Ronnie Shedlo took over the duties of signing off for Flynn, there are plenty of documents for sale that make you question its origin.
Furthermore it is safe to say that everybody’s handwriting varies under the influence over the years.
Now this is meant to be a forum to compare memorabilia with our Hollywood hero’s lettering and to assign a certificate of Flynnticity.
Back to you.
Enjoy,
— shangheinz
