It has been announced in New York that ERROL AND FIDEL, a new musical written by four Sydneysiders, will open this year’s New York Musical Festival, the most prestigious showcase for new work in the music theatre world …
— David DeWitt
Woodsie Morningstar
09
May
Dear fellow Flynn fans,
as of today the Blue Ray- edition of “Marjorie Morningstar” can be purchased. The ultra sharp resolution should enable us to spot Errol`s last love Beverly Aadland very quickly. And for those who are not so into little wood nymphs, there`s the enchanting beauty of Natalie Wood, the ethereal dancing of Gene Kelly and the eternal music of Max Steiner.
Enjoy,
— shangheinz
Seventy Years Ago —— Silver River/Sheila Graham
09
May
SHEILA GRAHAM – Hollywood Citizen News – May 8, 1947
I was on the set when Errol Flynn knocked out Barton MacLane
for a scene in Silver River. I’ve often been told the
story of the star who punched too soon, and the guy who forgot
to duck, and never believed it. But this I saw. Poor Errol.
It really hurt him more than MacLane. “It was the first time in
12 years,” he assured me, “that a punch of mine ever connected.”
Barton, of course, is used to movie risks because he’s usually
cast as a heavy. In the old days when a punch connected with his
jaw, he’d fight back, when he came to. Now he writes it off as an
occupational hazard.
Here’s what is reportedly the only known photo of the literary Garden of Allah gal,
Sheila Graham, and her over-the-hill beau, F. Scott Fitzgerald – on Revolution Boulevard in Tijuana!
Fitzgerald used to get angry and drunk at the thought Errol might possibly flirt with Sheila,
by far the best looking of what she called the “unholy trio” of Hollywood gossip columnists-
her, Hedda and Louella.
Below is Flynn vs. MacLane, preceding Errol’s knock out punch.
— Tim
What Number One Hit?
07
May
In what number one song did the singer sing about going to Mexico with Errol Flynn?
– Errol was in the news quite a bit for traveling south of the border before (and after) the release of this song
– It hit the top of the charts in the same month Errol was appearing with one of his most beautiful co-stars, with the same first name initial as his.
– It was performed by a very well-known big band.
– It was recorded again, about seven years later, by one of the most popular singers of all time, a major celebrity who knew Errol from having worked with him several years earlier in a Warner Brothers film.
– Errol’s name was replaced in recordings with “You know him” (rather than “Errol Flynn”), but it was a direct and widely recognized reference to Errol.
– In live. professional performances of this song, and amateurversions sang by female fans of Flynn, Errol’s name was sometimes sang as the true lyric. (i.e. “Errol Flynn” rather than “You know him”)
— Tim
Pushin’ Like Flynn — Four Score and 100 Yards Ago
06
May
An EFB Four Score News Report*
Los Angeles Evening Herald Express
Harrison Carroll – May 7, 1937
If photographers had been outside the Club Marti the other midnight they could have shot an even more unusual shot of a Hollywood star. Errol Flynn discovered that his tiny English car was out of gas. On a dare from a friend he hoisted up the automatile by its rear end and pushed it wheelbarrow fashion to a gas station 100 yards away.
* As always, all credit and thanks to King Karl Kognoscenti Holmberg for the records making these EFB News Reports possible. Mille Grazie, Karl!
— Tim
IN LIKE FLYNN BEGINS!!!
04
May
PER THE IMBd: This biopic depicts Errol’s roust-about early life in Australia, before he became an internationally famed celebrity. In those days he was an adventurer, opium smuggler, gambler, street fighter, womanizer, and gold prospector. The film, based on Flynn’s early autobiography “Beam Ends,” was written for the screen by Luke Flynn, who found the inspiration as a result of travels through Australia in the footsteps of Luke’s iconic grandfather.
__________
Characters beyond Errol’s days of Beam Ends have been previously mentioned also, including Olivia De Havilland and Michael Curtiz. See, for example this previous IMBd cast of characters:
And a possible “former wife” featured in this new article:
Starring Thomas Cocquerel & Isabel Lucas
— Tim
The Elephant in One of the 118 Rooms
04
May
An EFB Four Score News Report
In 1937, at her 118-room beach house in Santa Monica, Marion Davies threw William Randolph Hearst a birthday bash to end all birthday bashs. By all accounts, this circus-themed extravaganza was a sight to behold. One sight, however, surely didn’t please Citizen Hearst, though. That was the sight of Errol Flynn and co-troublemaker David Niven dressed-up as a two-man elephant “shovel brigade”. The elephant in the 118-room beach mansion, of course, was WR, the birthday boy himself.
… Only Flynn would have the nerve to pull such a prank against the career-breaking Citizen Hearst.
LOS ANGELES EVENING HERALD EXPRESS – May 2, 1937
Huge Stories and lots of photos on W.R. Hearst’s Birthday Party.
One photo with Cary Grant and many other revelers, including
Randolph Scott and Marion Davies as trapeze performers, calling
themselves The Flying San Simeons. Errol Flynn and David Niven
made up a shovel brigade, wearing blue and white striped sweatshirts
with tight fitting trousers, Miss Davies costumed as Russian Circus
performer on Merry Go Round. Others attending:
Basil Rathbone, Hal Roach, Walter Wanger, Clarence Brown, Harold Lloyd,
Henry Fonda, Lloyd Bacon, Mervyn LeRoy, James Gleason, Charles Boyer,
Leslie Howard, Samuel Goldwyn, Frank McHugh, Lucien Hubbard, Hal Wallis,
Pat O’Brien, Gary Cooper, Ben Hecht, Walter Winchell, Alice Faye, Stu Erwin,
Pandro Berman, Carole Lombard, Aileen Pringle, Anita Louise, Ginger Rogers,
Marlene Dietrich, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Charles Ruggles, Tyrone Power Jr.,
Clark Gable, Adrian, King Vidor, Caesar Romero, Jackie Coogan, Louis B. Mayer,
zillions of others.
— Tim
Mail Bag! Kevin McAleer: Errol Flynn a Life in Verse!
03
May
Dear David,
It has been quite some time since we last had contact. You may remember me – the guy who was writing an epic poem on the life of Errol Flynn. Well, ten years in the making and I recently finished it. Now of course comes the real work, finding a publisher, but in the meantime I thought you might like to read the manuscript version. Book-length poems may not be your bag, but the Flynn aspect could still carry you through.
I see that the blog is flourishing. Back in 2009 you were kind enough to post some of my stanzas. So my impulse in contacting you now is not completely self-serving – I thought you might be curious to see how things turned out.
On 11 May I have a rearding from the poem at the renowned literary salon of Britta Gansebohm, with novelist/playwright Carey Harrison moderating:
Best Regards,
Kevin McAleer
Thanks, Kevin!
— David DeWitt
Errol’s Adventures of Robin Hood — 80th Anniversary —— May Day, 1937 —— The Stories Begin
03
May
An EFB Four Score Anniversary Production
The Adventures of Robin Hood – The Stories Begin
Published on May 1, 1937 – Perfect because of the May Day connections to the legend of Robin Hood.
Movie Released in May of 1938.
LOUELLA PARSONS – LOS ANGELES EXAMINER
How do you like the idea of the dashing young Errol Flynn as the adventurous Robin Hood?
We hope you do because you’re going to see him in one of his next pictures in the role,
of the legendary hero who stole from the rich that the poor might live. Interesting that
young Flynn, who has so often been called Douglas Fairbanks’ successor, should inherit one
of the most popular of the Fairbanks’ roles.
According to Jack Warner, who definitely settled on the Robin Hood idea just before he left
for New York, this will be an outdoor Technicolor special with an effective background for
Robin Hood’s romantic adventures. Since it is not a musical Reginald de Koven’s tuneful
operetta will not be included although Warners own the libretto by Harry Smith. Olivia
de Havilland, who has made her most successful pictures with Flynn, will be his starring
partner with Patric Knowles in a featured role.
— Tim
