The Errol Flynn Blog

Eighty years ago this week, Errol was in Jamaica during the hard-hitting “no (official) name” Hurricane of 1947 that hit Southeast Florida. It’s path through the Caribbean and into Miami was similar to Irma’s so far, though, objectively, Irma may prove even more irksome.

On arrival in Miami – on his way to film Don Juan – newspapers published the following report and photo:

“Errol Flynn and his wife, Nora, are pictured on their arrival here by plane from Jamaica. Their flight course closely paralleled the course of the hurricane. ‘Shocking and sad, ‘ Flynn said of storm-wrecked Miami.” Flynn and wife are shown on the stairs of an airplane.”

— Tim

From the time he became a household name, people were making claims to their being the discover of this magnificent icon known as Errol Flynn; Jack and his other Warner Brother(s) – Irving Asher who was enthusiastic about Flynn’s performance and cabled Warner Bros in Hollywood about the movie he just finished making with Flynn; ” Murder at Monte Carlo”(1934) – which was made by Warner Brothers at their Teddington Studios in Middlesex England.  Asher cabled Warner in Hollywood and recommend a contract, Warner agreed and Errol was shipped out to Los Angeles.

Lilly Damita, Errol’s first wife, also made claims of being the responsible one; helping Errol get the leading part of Dr. Peter Blood in “Captain Blood” (1935) – being that she was close to Michael Curtiz, for a few years prior were married briefly to each other. He also had directed her in her earlier film success in Europe. Curtiz was to direct the movie “Captain Blood“, thus she made an emotional appeal to Curtiz and Jack Warner and doing so got Errol who was then still considered an unknown,  the lead part in the extravagant million dollar movie.

Michael Curtiz also has claims in the one responsible of Flynn’s discovery and success, and although he was somewhat responsible for Errol most successful films, due to his awesome directing. He would however have one hell of time convincing Jack Warner he was the one, and/or Errol himself for that mater. For anyone who knows a little about EF film career knows how he and MC were not one’s to chum it up anytime soon, to say the least.

Then we have Charles Chauvel, he was after all the first of what we know of putting Errol on screen or any other type of acting situation for that mater, earlier than anyone else already mentioned.

Chauvel’s 1933 version of Mutiny on  the Bounty – “In the Wake of the Bounty” had some circulation but not enough for anyone to have taken any real notice of the so called actor dawning that awful wig, in the role of Fletcher Christian named Errol Flynn.

And then there was one other that may have the first claim.  Just before Flynn’s setting foot on the set of  Chauvel’s film, there was one named John Warwick.

Errol and Warwick had met and became friends while in Sydney (Au), and one day Warwick brought Errol along to a casting session of ” Wake of the Bounty”, of which Warwick had a part in the film and also was the casting director of the film itself, and there we the one person that bought Errol to its acting bug and the rest became history…..

As far as Warwick himself, he had an upwardly moderate successful career in acting, and other small attempts in the business – mostly known for playing police roles of sorts – more of his work was for TV though.  In wonder, being that Warwick did give Errol somewhat of a break or seeing an opportunity of easy money by pursuing a film/acting career, and in doing so, Errol became very rich (for a time) and somewhat powerful in the film business. Why didn’t Errol ever returned the favor to Warwick, or did he?  In as far as I can find from Warwick’s acting credits, it does not seem so, but one never knows, for we are always unveiling new things about our man Flynn, and with that being said, there may be one still out there making claims to Errol’s discovery in wanting claim to that covenant Trophy.  Yet no mater who say they were the one, it really belongs to the people – it always comes down to that; the people make or break you…

— Sergio

Interesting Mail Bag item from Gene Ingram:

Hi, David!

I bought 26 – 4 3/16 X 5 3/16 Envelopes that have Errol Flynn preprinted on the back flap from a man’s family that was a friend of Errol Flynn. The man had a business in another country. He would take the stamps from other foreign countries and put them in envelopes marked in pencil with the name of the country and when had had several would send them to Errol for his collection.  The envelopes I have for sale all have stamps in them except one. Some have two or three, some have as many as eight.  All of the stamps are from the 1930’s , 1940’s or earlier, and all have been canceled, they are all listed on Ebay, ERROL FLYNN  “RARE “ ENVELOPE

These are separate eBay Auctions featuring envelopes with various stamps in each envelope. See images of the stamps below contained in these envelopes. Countries stamps include: Spain, Austria, Peru, Portugal, Turkey, Italy & Finland.

Thanks, Gene!

— David DeWitt