Errol Flynn
Born June 20, 1909 (Age: 116)
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Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Biography
Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (June 20, 1909 - October 14, 1959) was an Australian-American actor and writer. He is popularly remembered as a charismatic romantic hero in the eight films he starred in with Olivia de Havilland. Flynn’s most iconic role came as Robin Hood in "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938). After signing with Warner Bros. Pictures in January 1935, Flynn’s rise to stardom was swift. The studio decided to take a risk casting the unknown 26-year-old as the lead in "Captain Blood" (1935). The film established Flynn as a major Hollywood star and the natural successor to Douglas Fairbanks. The smash hit was followed up by "The Charge of the Light Brigade" (1936) and "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938), the most expensive film Warner Bros. had made up to that time. In spite of his Australian accent, Flynn starred in the enormously successful westerns "Dodge City" (1939), "Virginia City" (1940), "Santa Fe Trail" (1940), and "They Died with Their Boots On" (1941). The popularly of these westerns played a part in the genre’s revival. In late 1942, Flynn was charged with statutory rape of two 17-year-old girls. Despite his acquittal, press coverage of the trial led to the ubiquity of the expression, “In like Flynn.” With America’s involvement in WWII, Flynn had tried to enlist but was rated 4-F due to his enlarged heart, latent pulmonary tuberculosis and recurrent malaria (contracted in New Guinea). During the war, he made several films with the director Raoul Walsh. These include "Gentleman Jim" (1942) – one of Flynn’s favorite roles – and war films such as "Desperate Journey" (1942) and "Objective, Burma!" (1945). Embittered by his public image as a womanizer and his inability to serve in the war, Flynn further descended into a life of drug-addiction and alcoholism. His slow deflation became apparent in the waning success of his films and his aging physical appearance. By the late '50s, Flynn mounted a comeback with his turns in "The Sun Also Rises" (1957), "Too Much, Too Soon" (1958) and "The Roots of Heaven" (1958). In 1959, he died of a heart attack in Vancouver, Canada. Flynn’s notorious autobiography "My Wicked, Wicked Ways" (1959) was posthumously published. He also wrote two novels: "Beam Ends" (1937) and "Showdown" (1946).
Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (June 20, 1909 - October 14, 1959) was an Australian-American actor and writer. He is popularly remembered as a charismatic romantic hero in the eight films he starred in with Olivia de Havilland. Flynn’s most iconic role came as Robin Hood in "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938).
After signing with Warner Bros. Pictures in January 1935, Flynn’s rise to stardom was swift. The studio decided to take a risk casting the unknown 26-year-old as the lead in "Captain Blood" (1935). The film established Flynn as a major Hollywood star and the natural successor to Douglas Fairbanks. The smash hit was followed up by "The Charge of the Light Brigade" (1936) and "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938), the most expensive film Warner Bros. had made up to that time. In spite of his Australian accent, Flynn starred in the enormously successful westerns "Dodge City" (1939), "Virginia City" (1940), "Santa Fe Trail" (1940), and "They Died with Their Boots On" (1941). The popularly of these westerns played a part in the genre’s revival.
In late 1942, Flynn was charged with statutory rape of two 17-year-old girls. Despite his acquittal, press coverage of the trial led to the ubiquity of the expression, “In like Flynn.” With America’s involvement in WWII, Flynn had tried to enlist but was rated 4-F due to his enlarged heart, latent pulmonary tuberculosis and recurrent malaria (contracted in New Guinea). During the war, he made several films with the director Raoul Walsh. These include "Gentleman Jim" (1942) – one of Flynn’s favorite roles – and war films such as "Desperate Journey" (1942) and "Objective, Burma!" (1945).
Embittered by his public image as a womanizer and his inability to serve in the war, Flynn further descended into a life of drug-addiction and alcoholism. His slow deflation became apparent in the waning success of his films and his aging physical appearance. By the late '50s, Flynn mounted a comeback with his turns in "The Sun Also Rises" (1957), "Too Much, Too Soon" (1958) and "The Roots of Heaven" (1958). In 1959, he died of a heart attack in Vancouver, Canada. Flynn’s notorious autobiography "My Wicked, Wicked Ways" (1959) was posthumously published. He also wrote two novels: "Beam Ends" (1937) and "Showdown" (1946).
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Filmography
Tasmanian Devil: The Fast and Furious Life of Errol Flynn
2007
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as Self (archive footage)
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Age: 98
The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender
1997
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as Self (archive footage)
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Age: 88
Touring Australia
1993
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as Self (archive footage)
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Age: 83
Hollywood Heaven: Tragic Lives, Tragic Deaths
1990
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as (archive footage)
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Age: 80
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies
1988
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as
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Age: 79
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
1985
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as Self (archive footage)
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Age: 75
Showbiz Ballyhoo
1982
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as Self (archive footage)
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Age: 72
Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!
1982
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as Self (archive footage)
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Age: 72
Hooray for Hollywood
1976
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as Self (archive footage)
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Age: 66
That's Entertainment!
1974
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as (archive footage) (uncredited)
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Age: 65
The Extraordinary Seaman
1969
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as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
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Age: 59
Cuban Rebel Girls
1959
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as The American Correspondent
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Age: 50
The Truth About Fidel Castro Revolution
1959
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as Himself - Reporter
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Age: 50
The Roots of Heaven
1958
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as Forsythe
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Age: 49
Too Much, Too Soon
1958
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as John Barrymore
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Age: 48
No Image
The Sword of Villon
1956
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as Francois Villon
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Age: 46
King's Rhapsody
1955
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as Richard, King of Laurentia
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Age: 45
The Dark Avenger
1955
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as Prince Edward
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Age: 45
Lilacs in the Spring
1954
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as John 'Beau' Beaumont
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Age: 45
Crossed Swords
1954
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as Renzo
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Age: 44
The Master of Ballantrae
1953
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as Jamie Durie
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Age: 44
The Story of William Tell
1953
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as William Tell
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Age: 43
Kim
1950
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as Mahbub Ali, the Red Beard
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Age: 41
Rocky Mountain
1950
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as Capt. Lafe Barstow
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Age: 41
Montana
1950
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as Morgan Lane
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Age: 40
San Antonio
1945
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as Clay Hardin
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Age: 36
Objective, Burma!
1945
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as Capt. Nelson
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Age: 35
Breakdowns of 1942
1942
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as Self
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Age: 33
Gentleman Jim
1942
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as James J. Corbett
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Age: 33
Desperate Journey
1942
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as Flight Lt. Terry Forbes
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Age: 33
They Died with Their Boots On
1941
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as George Armstrong Custer
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Age: 32
Dive Bomber
1941
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as Douglas S. Lee
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Age: 32
Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1
1941
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as Self
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Age: 32
Footsteps in the Dark
1941
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as Francis Monroe Warren II, alias F.X. Pettijohn
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Age: 31