Errol Flynn was born on June 20th 1909 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. He is known for being the greatest movie swashbuckler of the sound period and maybe for all time.
After years of being tossed out of schools, having odd jobs and getting into wicked amounts of trouble Flynn took up acting and in 1933 starred in his first movie In The Wake Of The Bounty. It wasn't until the 1935 movie Captain Blood that made him a hot commodity in Hollywood. He was a replacement for Robert Donat who never showed up and after scrambling for a replacement, they gave the chance to Errol Flynn, who was basically a no name at the time. Captain Blood was also the first of eight times he would be paired with Olivia de Havilland. After the success of Captain Blood Flynn was often put in roles as a swashbuckler and often as a cowboy. His most memorable role came in the 1938 film The Adventures Of Robin Hood. It was almost as this was the role he was born to play. He became the definitive Robin Hood. Not many other actors could wear the period costumes, speak the heroic dialogue and arm a sword so naturally as he did.
In 1940 Flynn played another swashbuckling role in Sea Hawk. He then went on to play larger-than-life historic figures such as General Custer in the 1941 Western They Died With Their Boots On and as James J. Corbett in the 1942 film Gentleman Jim. Some of his widely accepted Western roles were Dodge City in 1939, and Sante Fe Trail and Virginia City in 1940, just to name a few. Flynn did venture off a few times in light-hearted comedies, but the public favored him in historic and action-type roles.
Unfortunately, in 1942 he was charged with two counts of statutory rape. He was acquitted of both and it has been said that both stories were most likely fabricated. It was no secret that Flynn was a playboy, but this particular incident crushed him. Flynn was often accused of sympathizing with the Nazi party and it was suspected that this was a way to make him pay for that. However, the rumors of him being a sympathizer of the Nazi party is just that...rumors. However, after the whole scandal the affect it had on him showed in his next works. Flynn no longer portrayed high energy characters as he so often did. His work fell into a decline. He did show he still had it in the 1949 film Adventures of Don Juan. The character of Don Juan is most likely making fun of his public image as a womanizer. Flynn did make films until his death, but no longer had the spark he once did in the 1930s and early 1940s. His drinking caught up with in the 1950s and it showed in his films.
I, however, am not one to remember someone for what they did in their personal lives or the scandals they were involved in. I love to remember them for what they brought to the screen. Errol Flynn gave us an image of a high energized swashbuckler, cowboy and an all around heroic image. That is how I will remember him.
Flynn passed away in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on October 14th 1959 from a heart attack. His last words, oddly enough, sum up his whole career: I've had a hell of a lot of fun and I've enjoyed every minute of it.
