Errol Flynn

Known for ActingBorn 1909-06-20Died 1959-10-14Hobart, 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).Read more

Movies & web series

Tasmanian Devil: The Fast and Furious Life of Errol Flynn

The Errol Flynn Theatre

The Story of William Tell

Bambi

Murder at Monte Carlo

I Adore You

The Truth About Fidel Castro Revolution

Hooray for Hollywood

The Adventures of Errol Flynn

1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year

That's Entertainment!

Warner at War

The Adventures of Robin Hood

Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

Gene Kelly - An American in Hollywood

Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff

Gentleman Jim

The Sea Hawk

Captain Blood

Screen Director's Playhouse

What's My Line?

Out Where the Stars Begin

Show-Business at War

Footsteps in the Dark

The Colgate Comedy Hour

My Wicked, Wicked Ways: The Legend of Errol Flynn

The Ed Sullivan Show

Dodge City

Adventures of Don Juan

Rabbit Hood

Objective, Burma!

The Dawn Patrol

Uncertain Glory

The Prince and the Pauper

They Died with Their Boots On

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

Green Light

A Dream Comes True

Kim

Breakdowns of 1944

The Charge of the Light Brigade

The Dark Avenger

Dive Bomber

Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!

Another Dawn

The Perfect Specimen

Blow-Ups of 1947

Never Say Goodbye