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Errol Flynn

Acting 50 (deceased) years old Hobart, Tasmania, Australia ★ 1.0
Born: June 20, 1909
Died: October 14, 1959

Biography

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).

External Links

🎬 IMDb

Known For

The Adventures of Robin Hood
The Adventures of Robin Hood Robin Hood 1938
Captain Blood
Captain Blood Dr. Peter Blood 1935
The Sea Hawk
The Sea Hawk Captain Geoffrey Thorpe 1940
Dodge City
Dodge City Wade Hatton 1939
That's Entertainment!
That's Entertainment! (archive footage) (uncredited) 1974

Filmography

Acting Credits (101)

Gene Kelly - An American in Hollywood
Gene Kelly - An American in Hollywood Self (archive footage) 2025
Classic Movie Bloopers: Uncensored
Classic Movie Bloopers: Uncensored Self (archive footage) 2013
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff Self (archive footage) 2010
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year Self (archive footage) 2009
Warner at War
Warner at War (archive footage) 2008
Tasmanian Devil: The Fast and Furious Life of Errol Flynn
Tasmanian Devil: The Fast and Furious Life of Errol Flynn Self (archive footage) 2007
The Adventures of Errol Flynn
The Adventures of Errol Flynn Self / Various Roles (archive footage) (archive sound) 2005
The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender
The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender Self (archive footage) 1997
Touring Australia
Touring Australia Self (archive footage) 1993
Hollywood Heaven: Tragic Lives, Tragic Deaths
Hollywood Heaven: Tragic Lives, Tragic Deaths (archive footage) 1990
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies 1988
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers Self (archive footage) 1985
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage Self (archive footage) (uncredited) 1983
Showbiz Ballyhoo
Showbiz Ballyhoo Self (archive footage) 1982
Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!
Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers! Self (archive footage) 1982
Hooray for Hollywood
Hooray for Hollywood Self (archive footage) 1976
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? Self (archive footage) 1975
That's Entertainment!
That's Entertainment! (archive footage) (uncredited) 1974
The Extraordinary Seaman
The Extraordinary Seaman Self (archive footage) (uncredited) 1969
Cuban Rebel Girls
Cuban Rebel Girls The American Correspondent 1959
The Truth About Fidel Castro Revolution
The Truth About Fidel Castro Revolution Himself - Reporter 1959
The Roots of Heaven
The Roots of Heaven Forsythe 1958
Too Much, Too Soon
Too Much, Too Soon John Barrymore 1958
The Sun Also Rises
The Sun Also Rises Mike Campbell 1957
Without Incident
Without Incident Capt. Russell Bidlack 1957
The Big Boodle
The Big Boodle Ned Sherwood 1957
Istanbul
Istanbul James Brennan 1957
The Errol Flynn Theatre
The Errol Flynn Theatre Self - Host 1956
The Steve Allen Show
The Steve Allen Show Self - Guest 1956
The Sword of Villon
The Sword of Villon Francois Villon 1956
Screen Director's Playhouse
Screen Director's Playhouse Francois Villon 1955
King's Rhapsody
King's Rhapsody Richard, King of Laurentia 1955
The Dark Avenger
The Dark Avenger Prince Edward 1955
Lilacs in the Spring
Lilacs in the Spring John 'Beau' Beaumont 1954
Crossed Swords
Crossed Swords Renzo 1954
The Master of Ballantrae
The Master of Ballantrae Jamie Durie 1953
The Story of William Tell
The Story of William Tell William Tell 1953
Against All Flags
Against All Flags Brian Hawke 1952
Cruise of the Zaca
Cruise of the Zaca Himself / Narrator 1952
Mara Maru
Mara Maru Gregory Mason 1952
Deep Sea Fishing
Deep Sea Fishing Self 1952
Adventures of Captain Fabian
Adventures of Captain Fabian Capt. Michael Fabian 1951
Kim
Kim Mahbub Ali, the Red Beard 1950
Rocky Mountain
Rocky Mountain Capt. Lafe Barstow 1950
The Colgate Comedy Hour
The Colgate Comedy Hour Self 1950
What's My Line?
What's My Line? Self - Panelist 1950
What's My Line?
What's My Line? Self - Mystery Guest 1950
Montana
Montana Morgan Lane 1950
Rabbit Hood
Rabbit Hood Robin Hood (archive footage) (uncredited) 1949
That Forsyte Woman
That Forsyte Woman Soames Forsyte 1949
It's a Great Feeling
It's a Great Feeling Jeffrey Bushdinkle, the Groom (uncredited) 1949
Adventures of Don Juan
Adventures of Don Juan Don Juan de Maraña 1948
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show Self 1948
Silver River
Silver River 'Mike' McComb 1948
Bambi
Bambi Self (archive footage) 1948
Blow-Ups of 1947
Blow-Ups of 1947 Self 1947
Escape Me Never
Escape Me Never Sebastian Dubrok 1947
Cry Wolf
Cry Wolf Mark Caldwell 1947
Blow-Ups of 1946
Blow-Ups of 1946 Self 1946
Never Say Goodbye
Never Say Goodbye Phil Gayley 1946
Peeks at Hollywood
Peeks at Hollywood 1946
San Antonio
San Antonio Clay Hardin 1945
Objective, Burma!
Objective, Burma! Capt. Nelson 1945
Breakdowns of 1944
Breakdowns of 1944 Self 1944
Uncertain Glory
Uncertain Glory Jean Picard 1944
Northern Pursuit
Northern Pursuit Corporal Steve Wagner 1943
Thank Your Lucky Stars
Thank Your Lucky Stars Self 1943
Show-Business at War
Show-Business at War Self 1943
Edge of Darkness
Edge of Darkness Gunnar Brogge 1943
Breakdowns of 1942
Breakdowns of 1942 Self 1942
Gentleman Jim
Gentleman Jim James J. Corbett 1942
Desperate Journey
Desperate Journey Flight Lt. Terry Forbes 1942
They Died with Their Boots On
They Died with Their Boots On George Armstrong Custer 1941
Dive Bomber
Dive Bomber Douglas S. Lee 1941
Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1
Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1 Self 1941
Footsteps in the Dark
Footsteps in the Dark Francis Monroe Warren II, alias F.X. Pettijohn 1941
Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe Trail Jeb Stuart 1940
The Sea Hawk
The Sea Hawk Captain Geoffrey Thorpe 1940
Virginia City
Virginia City Kerry Bradford 1940
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex The Earl of Essex 1939
Dodge City
Dodge City Wade Hatton 1939
Breakdowns of 1938
Breakdowns of 1938 Robin Hood (archive footage) (uncredited) 1938
The Dawn Patrol
The Dawn Patrol Capt. Courtney 1938
The Sisters
The Sisters Frank Medlin 1938
Four's a Crowd
Four's a Crowd Robert Kensington 'Bob' Lansford 1938
Out Where the Stars Begin
Out Where the Stars Begin Robin Hood (archive footage) 1938
The Adventures of Robin Hood
The Adventures of Robin Hood Robin Hood 1938
Breakdowns of 1937
Breakdowns of 1937 Self 1937
The Perfect Specimen
The Perfect Specimen Gerald Beresford Wicks 1937
Another Dawn
Another Dawn Captain Denny Roark 1937
The Prince and the Pauper
The Prince and the Pauper Miles Hendon 1937
Green Light
Green Light Dr. Newell Paige 1937
The Charge of the Light Brigade
The Charge of the Light Brigade Major Geoffrey Vickers 1936
A Dream Comes True
A Dream Comes True Himself (uncredited) 1935
Captain Blood
Captain Blood Dr. Peter Blood 1935
Pirate Party on Catalina Isle
Pirate Party on Catalina Isle Errol Flynn 1935
Don't Bet on Blondes
Don't Bet on Blondes David Van Dusen 1935
The Case of the Curious Bride
The Case of the Curious Bride Gregory Moxley 1935
Murder at Monte Carlo
Murder at Monte Carlo Dyter 1935
I Adore You
I Adore You Extra (uncredited) 1933
In the Wake of the Bounty
In the Wake of the Bounty Fletcher Christian 1933

Directing Credits (2)

Writing Credits (4)

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