Trivia of Errol Flynn

Trivia of Errol Flynn

*In the early days of establishing his Hollywood career, he passed himself off as Irish in the belief that few people knew of Australia. He was born, educated and began work in Australia, later drifting between Papua New Guinea and Sydney.The Australian film In the Wake of the Bounty (1933) captured some attention for him in the States and so, owing enormous debts to the Australian Taxation Office, he moved to America. He said to the ATO, "I'm willing to forget if you are".

*He and Olivia de Havilland acted together in nine movies: The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Captain Blood (1935), The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936), Dodge City (1939), Four's a Crowd (1938), The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939), Santa Fe Trail (1940), Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943) and They Died with Their Boots On (1941).

*Despite his flamboyant performance as Robin Hood, Errol Flynn privately professed that he found the role a boring one.On his autobiography, Flynn complained of having to film some scenes over because his "male contours" could be seen in his tights.

*His son Sean Flynn appeared in a few films but didn't particularly like being an actor. He switched careers and was a freelance photojournalist during the Vietnam War. He disappeared with another journalist as they followed the US Army invasion into Cambodia and both were thought to have been captured and executed by Khmer Rouge guerrillas. He is the subject of the 1981 The Clash song, "Sean Flynn."

*One of Flynn’s mentors and good friends was John Barrymore of the famous Barrymore acting dynasty.Flynn was devastated by the death of his friend John Barrymore in 1942, but little did he know he would see his friend once more, this time from beyond the grave.Prior to Barrymore’s burial, actor and director Raoul Walsh bribed the undertaker to take Barrymore’s body on a field trip to Errol Flynn’s house. When Flynn entered his home, he let out a horrifying scream as the pale and lifeless corpse of John Barrymore propped up on a chair.

*He began dabbling in opium in the late 1940s and quickly became a full-fledged addict. His opium addiction and the effects of the alcohol that ravaged his body over the years contributed to his premature death in 1959 at only age 50.

*Flynn wrote his final book with the help of ghost-writer Earl Conrad. The book majorly focuses on the story of his personal life as a Hollywood actor.He named the book ‘my wicked, wicked ways. Instead, he wanted to name the book ‘In Like Me’ but the publisher refused.