— Becky
Korngold Gets His Due
27
Dec
This very nice article about the recent Korngold resurgence surfaced on Yahoo! News today. I thought you all might enjoy!
Happy New Year to all,
Becky
'Hollywood Sound' composer gets his due
By GEORGE JAHN, Associated Press WriterWed Dec 26, 4:31 PM ET
Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart … Korngold?
Countless millions have at least heard of the classical masters associated with Vienna. Not only the titanic trio of Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johannes Brahms viewed the city at some point as their musical home.
So did Anton Bruckner, Joseph Haydn, Gustav Mahler and Franz Schubert.
But a half century after his death, mention of Erich Wolfgang Korngold, another great musical son of Vienna, often draws blank stares here and elsewhere — despite his legacy as the founder of the “Hollywood Sound.”
But in a small way, this year has been Korngold's moment in a Vienna that is still recovering from the marathon musical and marketing excesses of the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth in 2006.
The city's Jewish Museum is devoting a major exhibition to the man whose classical career fell victim to a triple whammy — a domineering music critic father, the advent of atonal music, and finally, the rise of Hitler that perpetuated his self-exile to the U.S.
A sampling of his famed film scores was performed for the first time last month in one of the Austrian capital's prestigious concert halls. And a film retrospective was dedicated to the Vienna's musical “Wunderkind” of the early 20th century who, neglected at home, morphed into the creator of the Hollywood soundtracks that continue to set the standard.
It's a tribute that may be 50 years late: Only a handful of his classical works remain popular.
But Korngold has established a huge musical niche — and won two Oscars — through nine works for film. They include genre-creating swashbucklers for Warner Brothers like “Captain Blood” (1935) and “The Adventures of Robin Hood” (1938), in the lush operatic style that initially made his name.
Korngold himself saw no difference between his classical and screen writing, declaring: “Even if I wanted to, I could not write music below my own standards.” He called his screen music “operas without singing,” and experts consider his film compositions on par with much the world of “serious music” has to offer.
“Like Mozart, he wrote,” says composer and arranger John Mauceri. “It didn't matter whether he wrote a concert, an opera, or light entertainment, he wrote the highest quality music.”
His symphonic creations for the screen — and those of successors following in his footsteps — have been enjoyed by millions more attuned to melodies from “Lord of the Rings' than Ludwig van's “Fifth.” And some of Hollywood's greatest screenwriters freely acknowledge the debt their industry owes the man who, while lionized by the movie moguls, suffered from the perception that his music was not taken seriously in Vienna.
“Anyone who works with music and film feels part of this historical line — the golden years of what became known as the 'Hollywood Sound,'” said Howard Shore, whose credits include scoring Tolkien's “Ring.” Even now, “the compositional ideas” of writing music for film derive from Korngold and his contemporaries, the Oscar and Grammy winner told The Associated Press.
Mauceri, founder of Los Angeles' Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and chancellor of the North Carolina School of the Arts, calls Korngold's musical legacy “so important they tend to dominate our conversation” about the history of music in cinema.
“Millions of people … heard his music through the medium of film,” said Mauceri, who conducted the Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna in a Nov. 29 death-day retrospective of Korngold works and contemporary film music at the city's art deco Konzerthaus.
“When you hear 'Harry Potter,' and 'Star Wars' — that's something Vienna can be proud of,” he said.
And yet Korngold viewed his legacy as a tragic mistake — the result of a promising “classical” career gone awry.
Recognized by age 10 as a musical prodigy, Korngold logged his share of early operatic and symphonic successes.
As one of the last proponents of sweeping German romanticism, he was at one point the most performed German-speaking composer of his era. By the time he was in his 30s, his works were played by some of the greatest musicians of the 20th century, and his most popular opera, “Die Tote Stadt,” was staged by dozens of major houses, including the Met in New York.
But with the rise of Arnold Schoenberg and other masters of atonality, detractors increasingly found his lush and sweeping melodies out of date.
Adding to his woes were the victims of his father, Julius, one of Europe's most influential music critics of the day. Soloists and conductors savaged by Julius took their revenge on Erich, refusing to perform his works.
Sensitive and withdrawn, the younger Korngold retreated into the world of operetta, focusing on arrangements and adaptations that would soon be reflected in his Hollywood era. His first trip to Hollywood was in 1934, to work with Max Reinhardt on the film classic “A Midsummer Night's Dream.”
Hitler annexed Austria four years later while Korngold was visiting the U.S. As a Jew, Korngold was unable to return home. But the composer steeped in Old World traditions never stopped yearning for his musical and emotional roots — and for the city and continent that rejected him well past the Hitler era.
Still, Mauceri feels Vienna has made amends.
“There is a willingness (there) to accept that he is part of Vienna's culture,” he said. “What is significant is that 50 years after his death, Vienna is ready to reconsider his assessment of him.”
Copyright © 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
— Becky
Peggy Satterlee and Betty Hansen Meet!
10
Dec
Peggy LaRue Satterlee and Betty Hansen (that Frowsy little blonde?) meet for the first time at Flynn's 1943 rape trial… see this pic for sale on eBay right now!
— David DeWitt
Flynn's first Rhodesion Lion Hound!
10
Dec
Now on eBay!
Flynn seen at his ranch during the filming of The Sea Hawk with two new arrivals: the Kid was recently born and the pup is one of the first litter of Rhodesion Lion Hounds ever born in America!
— David DeWitt
Pics from DON JUAN for your desktops!
07
Dec
Here are some captures from Don Juan for yer desktops, Mates!
— David DeWitt
Front of House stills.
04
Dec
Ahoy Fellow Olympiads:
After reading Tom's posts both here and at the Zaca, in regards to posting stills from various Flynn films, I thought it would be a nice idea to add a little British input to this idea as well. I've got a modest collection of British Front of House stills that may possibly be new to my friends from across the water.
Best wishes
Brian..
— themainflynnman
Errol Flynn & The Law – Books, Magazines, Press Photos!
22
Nov
Check out this amazing Errol Flynn Auction on eBay!
This auction contains a collection of books, magazines, and press photos that pertain to Errol Flynn and his many dealings with the law. All items are originals in great condition. WILL SHIP WORLDWIDE. Domestic shipping cost is listed, all other costs will be determined by destination after auction ends. PAYPAL preferred. E-mail me if you have any questions or would like to see a clearer/larger photo of any of the items.
Included in this collection are:
4 Books
1 – THE JERRY GIESLER STORY by Jerry Giesler
2 – MELVIN BELLI – MY LIFE ON TRIAL by Melvin Belli
3 – BELLI LOOKS AT LIFE AND LAW IN JAPAN by Melvin Belli (with foreword by ERROL FLYNN)
4 – WILLS: A DEAD GIVEAWAY by Millie Considine & Ruth Pool
3 Magazines & 1 Newspaper
November 3, 1942 The Daily Mirror Newspaper from Sydney, Australia
ERROL FLYNN FACES ACCUSER
October 1955 On The Q.T. Magazine
WHEN TEEN-AGERS CHARGED ERROL FLYNN WITH RAPE
September 1956 The Lowdown Magazine
WHY ERROL FLYNN’S FAVORITE SONG IS I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU!
September 1966 Modern Man Magazine
THE SEX SCANDALS OF HOLLYWOOD – FLYNN’S FLING!
7 B/W Press Photos (with reporter notes attached)
1 – Errol Flynn with lawyers Jerry Giesler & Robert Ford
2 – Errol Flynn & Jerry Giesler
3 – Deputy DA Thomas Cochrane questioning Betty Hansen
4 – Jerry Giesler questioning Peggy Satterlee
5 – Errol Flynn leaving police station after arrest
6 – Maura Fitzgibbon
7 – Errol’s girlfriend Beverly Aadland with lawyer Melvin Belli
** See below for more information on individual items**
(book descriptions, article excerpts, press photo notes)
THE JERRY GIESLER STORY (1960) – hard cover
by Jerry Giesler as told to Pete Martin
The famous trial lawyer's most fascinating cases over the past fifty years, in which he defended such celebrated clients as Clarence Darrow, Charles Chaplin, ERROL FLYNN, Benny (Bugsy) Siegel, Kid McCoy, Lili St. Cyr, Edward G. Robinson Jr., Robert Mitchum, Busby Berkeley, The Little Fellow In The Attic
MELVIN BELLI: MY LIFE ON TRIAL (1976) – hard cover
By Melvin M. Belli with Robert Blair Kaiser
For years, members of the press have enjoyed making Melvin Belli into one of the most celebrated lawyers of the twentieth century. What the press likes about Mel are his colorful ways and his colorful clients and the shows he directs in and out of court. He had a bruising battle in Dallas defending Jack Ruby for the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald. He had a string of bitter encounters almost everywhere defending himself against the onslaughts of establishment lawyers who didn't like his quick tongue—or maybe the flamboyant red lining of the suits he wore in court. But Mel Belli didn't keep making the public print because of his famous clients or his attire. He did so because he was a darn good lawyer with heart and wit and originality, a man who developed demonstrative evidence in non-criminal cases, persuaded juries across the land to start giving adequate awards to those who had suffered injustice, and helped make new law that forced the powerful few to become accountable to the many who had been weak and helpless. Now it's Mel Belli's turn to tell the whole story of his life, all the serious lawyering as well as all the rollicking good times. He does so here with warmth and fun and passion. He narrates his prank-filled school days, his journeys as a seaman, his first job—as a hobo—his gritty legal apprenticeship during the Depression (one day he lost his entire practice when two clients were hanged at San Quentin), his billowing career, HIS CAROUSING WITH THE LIKES OF AN ERROL FLYNN, and his eventual enthronement as the King of Torts. You will be charmed and moved and delighted. Oliver Wendell Holmes once said that a man must share the passion and the action of his times—or run the risk of not having lived. Mel Belli has shared, he has lived, and he expects to keep on doing so for some time to come. He is a true original, and so is the story of his life.
BELLI LOOKS AT LIFE AND LAW IN JAPAN (1960) – hard cover
By Melvin M. Belli & Danny R. Jones, foreword by ERROL FLYNN
ERROL FLYNN, shortly before his death, sent on for this book a characteristically ebullient Foreword as a toast to his good friend Melvin Belli.
The tourist planning a holiday abroad rarely asks himself how much he knows of the laws of the country he is about to visit. Nor does it occur to him—until he gets into trouble—how little he understands of legal systems unlike our own. We tend to forget that three fourths of the civilized world has legal systems based on, or paying homage to, laws completely foreign to the American system. (Japan, for example, has no jury trials.) The law of any country evolves “according to the nature of things”—de rerum natura. Law, in brief, is a complex, often baffling reflection of the political, economic and social backgrounds which engender it. The late Chief Justice Arthur T. Vanderbilt once pointed out: “The significance of a system of law cannot be grasped apart from the environment in which it functions.” Belli Looks at Life and Law in Japan sets out to tell the story of what it is like to live under the customs and laws of a foreign culture. Belli and Jones present Japan as it is today in a fascinating combination of fact and anecdote. They visit and describe Japanese courts and prisons, department stores and temples, dens and palaces; they interview American and Japanese lawyers practicing in Tokyo. They report on a number of sensational trials—that of William Girard, the American soldier accused of murder and tried in a Japanese court under Japanese law, with the consent of our Supreme Court; the trial of the Rat Boy, a Japanese Robin Hood; the trial of surely the most audacious criminal on record, who represented himself in the early days of the Occupation as “MacArthur's sanitation expert” and forced employees of a Tokyo bank to drink strychnine as “stomach medicine.” And the trial of Tokyo Rose, accused of treason in the United States. The intention of Belli and Jones is always to make clear how the forces of history, ethnology, religion, customs and folklore shape the development of the Japanese legal system. Any factor which has influence upon Japanese legal practices is a matter for discussion and comment: the so-called MacArthur Constitution, the sayings of Confucius, medieval scholasticism, nineteenth-century continental law, Anglo-American export and import, and the past and present roles of the Japanese emperor, the courts, the lawyers and judges… J. E. de Becker, of the Swiss legation in Tokyo, a member of the Society of Comparative Legislation, has written most aptly: “…many cases of discord and contention would be eliminated, not only between individuals but between nations, were people mutually better acquainted with the motives of their varying legal systems.” Belli and Jones write for the lawyer and the layman, the tourist and the armchair traveler. Belli Looks at Life and Law in Japan is an introduction to the changing laws of a modern nation, to a colorful world where white is the color of mourning and the noodle a symbol of longevity. Toshiro Irie, Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan, has contributed a succinct, enthusiastic preface.
WILLS: A DEAD GIVEAWAY (1974) – hard cover
By Millie Considine & Ruth Pool
An entertaining book about the amazing, amusing and interesting wills of: Marilyn Monroe, Adolf Hitler, W.C. Fields, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Ruark, William Shakespeare, Mother Cabrini, Joseph Valachi, The Woolworths, Mary Baker Eddy, Houdini, George Washington, Maurice Chevalier, John Barrymore and 200 others. Where there's a will there's a way to write one — sometimes funny, sometimes sad, often outrageous, always entertaining — as evidenced by this array of wills of some of the world's most famous (and infamous) testators. Here are the last wishes of everyone from Mother Cabrini and Mary Baker Eddy to Marilyn Monroe and ERROL FLYNN — from show business people like Billy Rose and John Shubert to two farmers, one of whom buried his millions in milk cans and the other who willed his properties to John D. Rockefeller. We learn the intriguing story behind a will that unwittingly corrupted a town and divided a nation, and of another that enriched Boston and Philadelphia by millions of dollars. We follow the sagas of the Woolworth dynasty and the unlucky Hope diamond. In some wills there are the outlandish provisions that testators have made for their own funerals or the disposal of their remains. We learn that John Barrymore and the Marquis de Sade shared the fear of being buried alive, and made provisions to prevent that. In this amusing and fascinating book we see people expressing everything from love and gratitude to vengeance and a graveyard humor, as they call the shots for the last time.
THE DAILY MIRROR Newspaper, Sydney, Australia
Tuesday, November 3, 1942
ERROL FLYNN FACES ACCUSER: Women Crowd Into Courtroom: 17-YEAR-OLD GIRL'S STORY
By Daily Mirror World Cables and International News Service
HOLLYWOOD, Tuesday. — Grim-faced, Australian film star Errol Flynn sat in court here today and listened intently to evidence by sullen-eyed blonde Betty Hansen, 17-year-old girl, whom he is alleged to have raped during a party at the home of Fred McEvoy, wealthy British sportsman. She described how, after a little “petting,” Flynn took her to an upstairs bedroom where she submitted to his advances. “The door was locked. I don't know exactly what was said but I submitted,” she said….
Other Articles of Note:
Kokoda Captured As Allies Drive On – Landing Attempt At Buna Smashed
Australians Play Decisive Part In Eqypt Battle
Soviet Admits Fall Of Nalchik – Serious Turn In Caucasus
Alola Taken In Face Of Artillery Fire
Republicans May Gain Slightly At U.S. Poll
ON THE Q.T. Magazine – October 1955
WHEN TEEN-AGERS CHARGED ERROL FLYNN WITH RAPE
By CARSON L. THOMAS
THE eminent Dr. Alfred C. Kinsey has stated that each man's sexual norms are distinctive to himself, and to himself alone. There is no denying the distinctive pattern of millionaire movie actor Errol Flynn's norms, or “kicks” as they are known in the vernacular of Broadway. Through the years, the handsome Irishman's teen-age lovemaking has cost him plenty of money because he has been forced to defend himself—albeit always successfully—against charges of rape brought by bobby-soxers. The first time trouble developed was when Peggy Satterlee, a gorgeous showgirl, accused Flynn of man-handling her twice on his yacht when she was a demure lass of fifteen. Errol jumped into legal entanglements a second time when a bosomy 17-year-old waitress named Betty Hansen sat on his lap and kissed him at a cocktail party—a touching scene that had a courtroom finale with Betty giving the jury a play-by-play description of Flynn's alleged bedroom technique….
Other Articles of Note:
Ava Gardner's Hidden Secret is Revealed
Why Does Pepsi Hit The Spot For Joan Crawford?
The Benefactor Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis Forgot
Does Sugar Ray Robinson Want To Be President?
Will Ingrid Bergman Make Her Second Mistake?
THE LOWDOWN Magazine – September 1956
WHY ERROL FLYNN’S FAVORITE SONG IS I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU! Aging Errol's Just a Fun-Loving Broth of a Lad at Heart. The Cop He Booted Around Didn't Think So — And So Here's What Happened!
By JOHN PRENTICE
THESE tired old eyes have often dimmed over with melancholy at the sight of a skinny, lean-jawed lad, who weighs in the featherweight class, taking over two burly thugs and beating them to a pulp. It is only in Hollywood, the land of enchantment, that an emaciated clothespin like Errol Flynn can let fly with a left, then a right, then a left and then a smasheroo in the midriff and K.O. the forces of evil. In the umpty-seven films he has made (he is now getting on in years), always but always he wins fair maiden with those two hefty fists that look like pink powder puffs. But in the dreamland that is Hollywood, anything can happen. In real life, it's quite another matter. It is therefore quite a joy to report that Errol got his comeuppance one dark night at the tender hands of a New York cop. This cop, who might have been afraid of Flynn had he seen his films, handled the beautiful man as though The Great Flynn was a mischievous stripling with adolescent pimples….
Other Articles of Note:
U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles' Sinister Client
La Strip Tease – The Startling French Way!
The Peas Under Marilyn Monroe's Mattress!
Behind Diana Barrymore's Binges
Salvador Dali: Self Portrait Of Perversion!
MODERN MAN Magazine – September 1966
THE SEX SCANDALS OF HOLLYWOOD – FLYNN’S FLING!
By I. G. EDMONDS
EDITOR'S NOTE: With this issue, MM begins a spectacular series of articles describing the most notorious scandals involving famous Hollywood celebrities. Appropriately, this series begins with the famous sex trials of Errol Flynn. Told with eye-opening frankness, the article digs into the sizzling courtroom testimony that made headline news.
A DETECTIVE, on the witness stand in Los Angeles County Superior court, testified that he and a companion went to the home of actor Errol Flynn on Mulholland Drive in Beverly Hills. Alexander, the valet, admitted them and called his master. Flynn came down at once and seemed surprised to learn his visitors were police officers. But he was a perfect host. He invited them to join him in a drink. When they refused, Flynn poured one of his own. “Just what do you want?” he asked. “We are investigating a very serious charge,” the officer said in an authoritative voice. “And what is it?” Flynn asked. Without waiting for an answer he took a deep swig from the glass. “Statutory rape!” the officer said. The actor choked on the liquor. When he stopped coughing, he burst out: “My God!”….
Other Articles of Note:
It Never Got This Hot In Camelot (California's Renaissance Pleasure Faire)
The Bloody Face Of War! (Vietnam War Prize-Winning Photos)
The Greatest Thrills In World Series History
plus many color & B/W nude spreads
PRESS PHOTOS
11/6/42 – LOS ANGELES: Errol Flynn and his attorneys Jerry Giesler (L) and Robert E. Ford (R) pause outside the L.A. courtroom before today's preliminary hearing. Giesler cross-examined Peggy Satterle's witness, Peter Stackpole, Life and Time photographer, who offered as evidence a photo allegedly taken of the dancer and Flynn on Flynn's yacht.
1-12-43 – LOS ANGELES: Errol with his attorney Jerry Giesler as they appeared in L.A. court yesterday, the first day of Flynn's trial on 3 counts of statutory rape. Today's session was devoted almost entirely to choosing the jury which will hear the case.
1-14-43 – LOS ANGELES: 17-yr.-old “movie-struck” waitress, Betty Hansen describes to Deputy D.A. Thomas W. Cochrane the arrangement of the rooms in the Bel-Air mansion where she claims Errol Flynn attacked her. She told in intimate detail all about the famous bedroom scene, but Flynn's attorney, in cross-examination, indicated that the little blonde from Lincoln, Neb. had just dreamed the whole thing.
1-21-43 – LOS ANGELES: At this moment in L.A. court, caught by an alert photographer, pretty Peggy Satterlee is being shown a photo of herself as she appeared during the preliminary hearing of the case against Flynn, when she wore a girlish dress and pigtails. As defense attorney Jerry Giesler shows her the photo, she laughingly averts her face.
10/20/57 – HOLLYWOOD: Actor Errol Flynn (right), arrested on a drunk charge, leaves the police station here, October 20th, after being released on bail. Flynn and actress Maura Fitzgibbon, 21, were arrested at a ball given by Hollywood press agents and publicists when the actor allegedly took a badge from an off-duty policeman and refused to return it.
10/20/57 – HOLLYWOOD: This is a photo from files of British actress Maura Fitzgibbon, 21, who was arrested, October 19th, with actor Errol Flynn at a ball given by Hollywood press agents and publicists. The arrest took place after Flynn allegedly took the badge of an off-duty police officer and refused to return it.
10/19/59 – SAN FRANCISCO: Beverly rested here 10/19 as funeral services for Errol Flynn were conducted in Hollywood. She is shown with her attorney, Melvin Belli. Belli said that Miss Aadland has received several offers for stories of her relationship with Flynn.
— David DeWitt
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