Errol Flynn

Acting

Born Jun 20, 1909

From Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

Died Oct 14, 1959

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 Flynn

Known For

The Adventures of Robin Hood

Uncertain Glory

Dodge City

Captain Blood

The Sea Hawk

Santa Fe Trail

The Sun Also Rises

Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff

They Died with Their Boots On

That's Entertainment!

Filmography — Acting

The Adventures of Robin Hood

Uncertain Glory

Dodge City

Captain Blood

The Sea Hawk

Santa Fe Trail

The Sun Also Rises

Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff

They Died with Their Boots On

That's Entertainment!

1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year

The Charge of the Light Brigade

The Roots of Heaven

Against All Flags

Adventures of Don Juan

Silver River

Gentleman Jim

Kim

Cry Wolf

Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

The Dawn Patrol

Northern Pursuit

Thank Your Lucky Stars

The Adventures of Errol Flynn

It's a Great Feeling

Rocky Mountain

Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!

The Dark Avenger

The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex

The Master of Ballantrae

The Prince and the Pauper

Breakdowns of 1942

San Antonio

Objective, Burma!

The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender

Footsteps in the Dark

Escape Me Never

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

Classic Movie Bloopers: Uncensored

Gene Kelly - An American in Hollywood

Tasmanian Devil: The Fast and Furious Life of Errol Flynn

Edge of Darkness

Crossed Swords

Pirate Party on Catalina Isle

Virginia City

Hooray for Hollywood

Show-Business at War

Hollywood Heaven: Tragic Lives, Tragic Deaths

That Forsyte Woman

Adventures of Captain Fabian

Too Much, Too Soon

Dive Bomber

Montana

Mara Maru

A Dream Comes True

Don't Bet on Blondes

Another Dawn

Warner at War

The Extraordinary Seaman

The Case of the Curious Bride

Breakdowns of 1938

Desperate Journey

The Perfect Specimen

Out Where the Stars Begin

Green Light

Blow-Ups of 1947

Istanbul