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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Gene Kelly mène la danse | Self (archive footage) | 2025-01-02 |
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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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Warner at War | (archive footage) | 2008-11-11 |
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Tasmanian Devil: The Fast and Furious Life of Errol Flynn | Self (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 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 Scandals and Tragedies | 1988-09-19 | |
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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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Showbiz Ballyhoo | Self (archive footage) | 1982-05-05 |
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Hooray for Hollywood | Self (archive footage) | 1976-01-01 |
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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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The Extraordinary Seaman | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1969-05-14 |
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The Truth About Fidel Castro Revolution | Himself - Reporter | 1959-07-08 |
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Cuban Rebel Girls | The American Correspondent | 1959-12-25 |
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Too Much, Too Soon | John Barrymore | 1958-04-17 |
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The Roots of Heaven | Forsythe | 1958-10-15 |
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The Big Boodle | Ned Sherwood | 1957-03-11 |
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Istanbul | James Brennan | 1957-01-23 |
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Without Incident | Capt. Russell Bidlack | 1957-06-06 |
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The Sun Also Rises | Mike Campbell | 1957-08-23 |
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The Sword of Villon | Francois Villon | 1956-04-04 |
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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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Lilacs in the Spring | John 'Beau' Beaumont | 1954-12-21 |
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Il maestro di Don Giovanni | Renzo | 1954-05-20 |
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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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Mara Maru | Gregory Mason | 1952-04-23 |
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Cruise of the Zaca | Himself / Narrator | 1952-12-06 |
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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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Montana | Morgan Lane | 1950-01-28 |
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Kim | Mahbub Ali, the Red Beard | 1950-12-07 |
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Rocky Mountain | Capt. Lafe Barstow | 1950-11-11 |
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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) | 1949-08-20 |
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Rabbit Hood | Robin Hood (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1949-12-24 |
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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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Blow-Ups of 1947 | Self | 1947-12-31 |
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Escape Me Never | Sebastian Dubrok | 1947-11-07 |
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Cry Wolf | Mark Caldwell | 1947-08-19 |
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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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Objective, Burma! | Capt. Nelson | 1945-02-17 |
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San Antonio | Clay Hardin | 1945-12-29 |
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Breakdowns of 1944 | Self | 1944-12-31 |
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Uncertain Glory | Jean Picard | 1944-04-07 |
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Northern Pursuit | Corporal Steve Wagner | 1943-11-07 |
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Show-Business at War | Self | 1943-05-21 |
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Edge of Darkness | Gunnar Brogge | 1943-04-09 |
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Thank Your Lucky Stars | Self | 1943-09-25 |
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Breakdowns of 1942 | Self | 1942-12-31 |
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Desperate Journey | Flight Lt. Terry Forbes | 1942-09-26 |
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Gentleman Jim | James J. Corbett | 1942-11-14 |
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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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Santa Fe Trail | Jeb Stuart | 1940-12-20 |
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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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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 Adventures of Robin Hood | Robin Hood | 1938-05-13 |
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Breakdowns of 1938 | Robin Hood (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1938-12-31 |
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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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Four's a Crowd | Robert Kensington 'Bob' Lansford | 1938-08-04 |
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The Prince and the Pauper | Miles Hendon | 1937-04-30 |
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Green Light | Dr. Newell Paige | 1937-02-20 |
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Breakdowns of 1937 | Self | 1937-12-31 |
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The Perfect Specimen | Gerald Beresford Wicks | 1937-10-23 |
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Another Dawn | Captain Denny Roark | 1937-06-26 |
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The Charge of the Light Brigade | Major Geoffrey Vickers | 1936-10-20 |
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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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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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Captain Blood | Dr. Peter Blood | 1935-12-26 |
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The Case of the Curious Bride | Gregory Moxley | 1935-04-13 |
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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 |
