Cuban Rebel Girls

Errol Flynn, beloved as Robin Hood, Capt. Blood, etc, ended his career with this hilariously pathetic excuse for a movie. "Cuban Rebel Girls" portrays an American girl (Beverly Aadland, who's got nothing except her looks) going to Cuba to help her boyfriend fight for Fidel Castro's army in their revolution against Fulgencio Batista. It warps the mind not that they went to Cuba and made a pro-Castro movie - although I find that neat - but that Flynn dropped down to this. I wouldn't be surprised if knowing that he was part of it is what caused Flynn's death soon after. Worth seeing as an example of film-making gone terribly wrong.

I wonder whether or not Castro remembers that he participated with Errol Flynn in making this movie. If he does, he probably tries to hide it.

This film is so bad that it is a nightmare. The question is not so much what's bad about it, but rather what's good about it. Except for a very small amount of curiosity value---nothing is good about it.

The production values are the worst I have ever seen in a "professional" production. The film stock is grainy and fuzzy. The acting is horrid. Flynn looks like he died the following day, and scenery, props, forget it!!

For the small number of people who might be tempted to buy this video--don't!! It's not just mediocre, it's horrible.

Being a completest and a major fan of Errol Flynn's I bought this movie on DVD about 5 years ago, but allowed myself to be swayed by public opinion (describing it as the worst movie ever made) and promptly sat it on the shelf unwatched.

The other night however I finally decided to dust it down and pop the disc in the player for the very first time, and my end verdict? I have seen far worse films than this.

Firstly, the film is well narrated by Flynn and the story is easy to follow. I have seen many movies where the editing and story-telling is so badly handled that you haven't got a clue what's going on. Cuban Rebel Girls is very easy to follow, so there's no problem there.

And about Flynn's narration: It is my understanding that more than anything else Flynn wanted to be taken seriously as a war correspondent. He didn't care about acting, but he did want to be a writer. Well this side of him shines through with this film. Right from the start it feels less like a movie and more like a typical documentary of the period. Some recognition of this from other reviewers would have been nice.

Another aspect of the film that gets savaged by reviewers is the picture quality. I have a brand new Panasonic 50 inch TV that shows up bad picture immediately, and the picture quality in this movie is just fine!

People also maintain that all the acting is abysmal. Well, once again I feel that this is unfair. I've seen far worse acting on a hundred occasions, and in particular the guy playing Aadland's boyfriend happens to say his lines very well!

But there is no doubt that this film is an amateurish effort. Flynn's role is almost pointless - apart from the well handled narration, and he does indeed appear to be inebriated for at least the last scene he's in. To be fair again though; Flynn was drunk through most of The Sun Also Rises, and horrible in The Roots Of Heaven. He was noticeably drunk all the way through that movie, whereas in Cuban Rebel Girls his narration is sober, and so are his first few scenes. Considering this was made in the year he died, and of how much pain I was in watching him in Roots Of Heaven, I was pleasantly surprised by his efforts in this film.

The aspect of this film that I find the hardest to handle is Flynn's seeming obsession with young girls! Of all the things to criticize I would have thought someone would mention this, since it makes him sound every bit like a one-track-minded dirty old man.

One last point to make: before having watched this film I knew nothing about the Cuban Revolution. After having watched it I had at least a small appreciation for the type of things that went on, and the effort the people went through to support it. To say this film is a waste of time and not worth watching is both ignorant and unfair...in my opinion.

On the 1st of January, 1959 at 3am, the infamous dictator Fulgencio Batista fled Cuba. Fidel Castro, then admired by the US, became the country's leader. The night Castro was informed of Batista's ignominious exit, there was but one journalist in his company: actor and notorious bon viveur, Errol Flynn. Flynn, whose fame was waning and fortune dwindling, was a fan of Castro, having gone to Cuba to write a series of articles for the New York Journal American about the Marxist-Leninist revolutionary. While there, Flynn made two low budget, propagandist films, the awkwardly named 'Cuban Story: The Truth About Fidel Castro Revolution', and 'Cuban Rebel Girls'.

Directed by Barry Mahon and written by Flynn, 'Cuban Rebel Girls' is an intriguing, though not exactly illuminating, or well-made, venture. A docu-drama, the film loosely describes Flynn's activities in Cuba, as well as the fictional adventures of the titular girls. Despite the fact that he was a fine writer, Flynn's narrative is not compelling, nor does he offer a nuanced or unbiased view of Castro or his revolutionary plans. Further, the dialogue throughout is overly expository and awkwardly stilted; made no better by the wooden performances from most in the cast.

In his wildly entertaining autobiography 'My Wicked, Wicked Ways', Flynn describes the film as "an interesting side venture", though there is little of interest offered to the viewer, beyond seeing the great raconteur making his last on-screen appearance. Though his narration throughout is spirited, Flynn's appearance betrays his decades of rabble-rousing and carousing. He looks older than his years; sadly, but unsurprisingly, he would die two months before the film was released.

Technically, it is an uninspiring watch. Director of photography Merrill S. Brody adopts a documentary approach, though the absence of professional lighting leaves proceedings ugly and dark. At times, it is genuinely hard to see what's going on, which is made worse by poor sound quality that leaves dialogue muffled and indistinct. This technical inadequacy detracts from the film's potential impact, making it difficult to engage with the narrative.

The whole affair appears cheap, like a quickly made puff-piece- which, one supposes, it was. Conversely, the inclusion of actual footage from the Cuban Revolution adds a touch of authenticity, though feels disjointed and out of place within the overall narrative. This blending of fact and fiction creates an uneven tone, leaving viewers unsure of whether they're watching a poor documentary or a melodramatic dramatization.

Despite this, the film aptly serves as a time capsule, capturing a unique moment in history when Hollywood intersected with global politics in an unexpected way. Furthermore, Flynn's fascination with the Cuban Revolution, and his involvement in making these propagandist films, speak to his complex, often contradictory personality. Known for his swashbuckling roles and amorous off-screen antics, Flynn's latter years were marked by a sense of disillusionment and a search for new adventures. 'Cuban Rebel Girls', despite its shortcomings, stands as a testament to Flynn's enduring charisma and his willingness to take risks, even as his star was fading.

Flynn's girlfriend Beverly Aadland stars opposite him as the main rebel girl, an American on a mission to supply weapons for the revolution. Aadland was not a natural actress, awkwardly delivering lines as if she was held at gunpoint. Jackie Jackler, as her co-conspirator, does marginally better work; though also seems out of her depth. John McKay is no more than adequate as Johnny, Beverly's boyfriend, and the rest of the cast fade into the background, leaving little impression whatsoever.

Had Mahon take a firmer hand directorially, instead of the lax approach he seems to have adopted, the film could have been rather interesting. Flynn's passion for the subject matter is evident, and his performance is noteworthy; even if he appears a little drunk towards the end. Despite the clumsy dialogue and cliched narrative, Flynn's (admittedly biased) attempts to educate his audience about the Cuban Revolution is commendable; if executed somewhat gracelessly.

In conclusion, Barry Mahon's 'Cuban Rebel Girls' is perhaps best viewed as a curiosity rather than a serious cinematic achievement. It offers a unique window into a bygone era, complete with all the imperfections and peculiarities that come with it. For fans of Errol Flynn or those seriously interested in the history of the Cuban Revolution, it's a film worth watching, if only for its historical significance and the swan song of a Hollywood legend.

Cuban Rebel Girls (1959)

BOMB (out of 4)

The likes of Ed Wood, Al Adamson and Jerry Warren have taken credit for creating some of the worst movies ever made but special attention must also go to director Barry Mahon and star/producer/writer Errol Flynn. Flynn would die of a heart attack shortly after this film was completed so on one hand it's rather sad knowing this was his final film but that doesn't take away from the fact how horrid it actually is. The lack of being able to see this film is probably the main reason why it doesn't get on more worst of lists. Flynn plays himself, a war correspondent trying to help Fidel Castro overthrow Fulgencio Batista. The "story" involves an American girl (Beverly Aadland) who runs away from home to fight for the cause. The 50-year-old Flynn was dating the 16-year-old Aadland at the time this movie was being made and I can't help but think the former star was trying to kill two birds with one stone. One he was trying to show his support for Cuba. Secondly he was giving his lover a film part. No matter what he was trying to do this is a downright horrid film that doesn't have any redeeming quality except for Flynn fans to see how far the star had fallen. In some of the bad dialogue Flynn mentions all these Hollywood scripts coming to him but I think it's safe to say that wasn't the truth when you consider where his career was at this point. On a technical level this film contains horrid dialogue, awful acting and direction that you can never spot. Flynn plays himself so he basically just narrates and we see him being himself in a few scenes. We see him flying a plane as well as him being his hair done at a Cuban hotel but that's pretty much it. Aadland wasn't an actress outside of her beauty. The young teen clearly wasn't an "actress" and you certainly can't blame her bad performance since she only got the part because she was Flynn's lover. The supporting players are all just as bad and one has to wonder what they did to get their parts. This atrocity was pretty hard to see for several decades and it's easy to see why Flynn fans would want it to just disappear. The recent DVD release (under the title ASSAULT OF THE REBEL GIRLS) will get the film out to more viewers and I'm sure before long it will become a favorite to those who enjoy bad movies. I love watching bad movies when they're so bad that they're entertaining but that's not the case here. This is just a downright pathetic movie that sadly turned out to be a legends final one.