1909-06-20 Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
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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Classic Movie Bloopers: Uncensored | Self (archive footage) | 2013-01-29 |
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Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff | Self (archive footage) | 2010-05-05 |
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1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year | Self (archive footage) | 2009-07-02 |
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Tasmanian Devil: The Fast and Furious Life of Errol Flynn | Himself (Archive footage) | 2007-10-17 |
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The Adventures of Errol Flynn | Self / Various Roles (archive footage) (archive sound) | 2005-04-05 |
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The Kid Stays in the Picture | Self (archive footage) | 2002-08-16 |
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The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender | Self (archive footage) | 1997-11-01 |
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Touring Australia | Self (archive footage) | 1993-06-08 |
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Hollywood Heaven: Tragic Lives, Tragic Deaths | (archive footage) | 1990-01-01 |
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Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers | Self (archive footage) | 1985-01-01 |
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Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1983-02-25 |
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Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers! | Self (archive footage) | 1982-01-01 |
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Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? | Self (archive footage) | 1975-08-06 |
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That's Entertainment! | (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1974-06-21 |
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Cuban Rebel Girls | The American Correspondent | 1959-12-25 |
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Cuban Story | Himself - Reporter | 1959-07-08 |
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The Roots of Heaven | Forsythe | 1958-10-15 |
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Too Much, Too Soon | John Barrymore | 1958-04-17 |
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Istanbul | James Brennan | 1957-01-23 |
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The Sun Also Rises | Mike Campbell | 1957-08-23 |
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The Big Boodle | Ned Sherwood | 1957-03-11 |
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The Dark Avenger | Prince Edward | 1955-04-15 |
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King's Rhapsody | Richard, King of Laurentia | 1955-06-07 |
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Il maestro di Don Giovanni | Renzo | 1954-05-20 |
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Lilacs in the Spring | John 'Beau' Beaumont | 1954-12-21 |
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The Master of Ballantrae | Jamie Durie | 1953-08-05 |
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The Story of William Tell | William Tell | 1953-01-01 |
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Cruise of the Zaca | Himself / Narrator | 1952-12-06 |
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Mara Maru | Gregory Mason | 1952-04-23 |
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Against All Flags | Brian Hawke | 1952-12-24 |
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Deep Sea Fishing | Self | 1952-01-01 |
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Adventures of Captain Fabian | Capt. Michael Fabian | 1951-10-06 |
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Kim | Mahbub Ali, the Red Beard | 1950-12-07 |
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Montana | Morgan Lane | 1950-01-28 |
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Rocky Mountain | Capt. Lafe Barstow | 1950-11-11 |
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Rabbit Hood | Robin Hood (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1949-12-24 |
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That Forsyte Woman | Soames Forsyte | 1949-11-03 |
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It's a Great Feeling | Jeffrey Bushdinkle, the Groom (uncredited) | 1949-08-01 |
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Adventures of Don Juan | Don Juan de Maraña | 1948-12-24 |
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Silver River | "Mike" McComb | 1948-05-20 |
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Cry Wolf | Mark Caldwell | 1947-08-19 |
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Escape Me Never | Sebastian Dubrok | 1947-11-07 |
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Blow-Ups of 1947 | Self | 1947-12-31 |
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Peeks at Hollywood | 1946-01-26 | |
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Never Say Goodbye | Phil Gayley | 1946-11-09 |
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Blow-Ups of 1946 | Self | 1946-12-31 |
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San Antonio | Clay Hardin | 1945-12-29 |
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Objective, Burma! | Capt. Nelson | 1945-02-17 |
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Uncertain Glory | Jean Picard | 1944-04-07 |
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Breakdowns of 1944 | Self | 1944-12-31 |
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Thank Your Lucky Stars | Self | 1943-09-25 |
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Edge of Darkness | Gunnar Brogge | 1943-04-09 |
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Show-Business at War | Self | 1943-05-21 |
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Northern Pursuit | Corporal Steve Wagner | 1943-11-07 |
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Gentleman Jim | James J. Corbett | 1942-11-14 |
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Desperate Journey | Flight Lt. Terry Forbes | 1942-09-26 |
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Breakdowns of 1942 | Self | 1942-12-31 |
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Footsteps in the Dark | Francis Monroe Warren II, alias F.X. Pettijohn | 1941-03-08 |
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Dive Bomber | Douglas S. Lee | 1941-08-30 |
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Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1 | Self | 1941-08-15 |
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They Died with Their Boots On | George Armstrong Custer | 1941-11-20 |
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Virginia City | Kerry Bradford | 1940-03-23 |
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The Sea Hawk | Captain Geoffrey Thorpe | 1940-08-10 |
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Santa Fe Trail | Jeb Stuart | 1940-12-20 |
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The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex | The Earl of Essex | 1939-11-11 |
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Dodge City | Wade Hatton | 1939-04-08 |
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The Dawn Patrol | Capt. Courtney | 1938-12-24 |
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Out Where the Stars Begin | Robin Hood (archive footage) | 1938-05-28 |
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The Sisters | Frank Medlin | 1938-10-14 |
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The Adventures of Robin Hood | Robin Hood | 1938-05-13 |
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Four's a Crowd | Robert Kensington 'Bob' Lansford | 1938-08-04 |
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Breakdowns of 1938 | Robin Hood (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1938-12-31 |
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The Prince and the Pauper | Miles Hendon | 1937-04-30 |
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Another Dawn | Captain Denny Roark | 1937-06-26 |
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Breakdowns of 1937 | Self | 1937-12-31 |
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Green Light | Dr. Newell Paige | 1937-02-20 |
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The Perfect Specimen | Gerald Beresford Wicks | 1937-10-23 |
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The Charge of the Light Brigade | Major Geoffrey Vickers | 1936-10-20 |
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The Case of the Curious Bride | Gregory Moxley | 1935-04-13 |
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Don't Bet on Blondes | David Van Dusen | 1935-07-13 |
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Pirate Party on Catalina Isle | Errol Flynn | 1935-11-20 |
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Murder at Monte Carlo | Dyter | 1935-01-01 |
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A Dream Comes True | Himself (uncredited) | 1935-12-31 |
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Captain Blood | Dr. Peter Blood | 1935-12-26 |
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I Adore You | Extra (uncredited) | 1933-11-03 |
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In the Wake of the Bounty | Fletcher Christian | 1933-03-14 |
