The Adventures of Errol Flynn

This is one cinematic legend that continues to grow. Ask just about anyone as to who the greatest costume swashbuckling star is and most of the time you'll get the answer of Errol Flynn. Even when he appeared in westerns and he never understood his popularity in them, his 8 westerns still have a certain swashbuckling élan to them. When you've seen Flynn in The Charge Of The Light Brigade and in They Died With Their Boots On, note the similarity in style of those characters. Errol Flynn put his signature on every part he ever did.

Most important to this narrative of people giving their recollections of Flynn is Olivia DeHavilland. They were a wonderful screen team though Olivia at the time was desperately trying to get out of those patient leading lady parts who waits for her man to route the villains. With the long life she continues to have she's reflected back and now appreciates the wonderful films she did with Errol.

I was fascinated by those takes from In The Wake Of The Bounty where the D.W. Griffith of Australian cinema, Charles Clauvel is directing Flynn in his feature film debut. I've seen and reviewed In The Wake Of The Bounty and while it doesn't have the MGM production values to it, the charisma of Errol Flynn as Fletcher Christian comes through. He was born to be a star.

And like many stars, Flynn kind of backed into it. He was a rebellious type from the beginning and in his teens and twenties led a footloose existence. His discovery by Clauvel was as serendipitous as Lana Turner in Schwab's Delicatessen with that famous sweater. Charisma like that you're born with.

Errol Flynn as all who know anything about him lived a life that anyone would envy except for its relative brevity. His fifty years were more exciting than 99% of the rest of the planet. In terms of physical abuse to his body, he partied heartier than most and paid for it. Still who would not want to be Errol Flynn if you're a male member of the species?