Errol Flynn

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

101

Gender

Male

Birthday

1909-06-20

Day of death

1959-10-14 (50 years old)

Place of Birth

Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

Errol Flynn

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).

Known For

  • What's My Line?

    What's My Line?

  • What's My Line?

    What's My Line?

  • Bambi

    Bambi

  • The Steve Allen Show

    The Steve Allen Show

  • The Colgate Comedy Hour

    The Colgate Comedy Hour

  • The Ed Sullivan Show

    The Ed Sullivan Show

  • Cry Wolf

    Cry Wolf

  • Kim

    Kim

  • I Adore You

    I Adore You

  • Rocky Mountain

    Rocky Mountain

  • Screen Director's Playhouse

    Screen Director's Playhouse

  • The Adventures of Robin Hood

    The Adventures of Robin Hood

  • Istanbul

    Istanbul

  • Objective, Burma!

    Objective, Burma!

  • Virginia City

    Virginia City

  • 1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year

    1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year

  • The Big Boodle

    The Big Boodle

  • Adventures of Don Juan

    Adventures of Don Juan

  • Breakdowns of 1942

    Breakdowns of 1942

  • Escape Me Never

    Escape Me Never

  • Montana

    Montana

  • Touring Australia

    Touring Australia

  • Breakdowns of 1938

    Breakdowns of 1938

  • Breakdowns of 1944

    Breakdowns of 1944

  • The Errol Flynn Theatre

    The Errol Flynn Theatre

  • Green Light

    Green Light

  • Classic Movie Bloopers: Uncensored

    Classic Movie Bloopers: Uncensored

  • That's Entertainment!

    That's Entertainment!

  • Cuban Rebel Girls

    Cuban Rebel Girls

  • It's a Great Feeling

    It's a Great Feeling

  • Breakdowns of 1937

    Breakdowns of 1937

  • Captain Blood

    Captain Blood

  • The Sea Hawk

    The Sea Hawk

  • Rabbit Hood

    Rabbit Hood

  • Dodge City

    Dodge City

  • Silver River

    Silver River

  • They Died with Their Boots On

    They Died with Their Boots On

  • Dive Bomber

    Dive Bomber

  • Gentleman Jim

    Gentleman Jim

  • The Sun Also Rises

    The Sun Also Rises

  • Edge of Darkness

    Edge of Darkness

  • Santa Fe Trail

    Santa Fe Trail

  • Cruise of the Zaca

    Cruise of the Zaca

  • San Antonio

    San Antonio

  • Four's a Crowd

    Four's a Crowd

  • The Roots of Heaven

    The Roots of Heaven

  • Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff

    Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff

  • The Charge of the Light Brigade

    The Charge of the Light Brigade

  • Desperate Journey

    Desperate Journey

  • The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex

    The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex

  • The Prince and the Pauper

    The Prince and the Pauper

  • The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender

    The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender

  • Northern Pursuit

    Northern Pursuit

  • The Dawn Patrol

    The Dawn Patrol

  • Thank Your Lucky Stars

    Thank Your Lucky Stars

  • Against All Flags

    Against All Flags

  • Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

    Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

  • Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers

    Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers

  • Tasmanian Devil: The Fast and Furious Life of Errol Flynn

    Tasmanian Devil: The Fast and Furious Life of Errol Flynn

  • A Dream Comes True

    A Dream Comes True

  • Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

    Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

  • The Perfect Specimen

    The Perfect Specimen

  • Uncertain Glory

    Uncertain Glory

  • The Sisters

    The Sisters

  • The Extraordinary Seaman

    The Extraordinary Seaman

  • Never Say Goodbye

    Never Say Goodbye

  • Mara Maru

    Mara Maru

  • Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!

    Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!

  • Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies

    Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies

  • The Adventures of Errol Flynn

    The Adventures of Errol Flynn

  • That Forsyte Woman

    That Forsyte Woman

  • Blow-Ups of 1947

    Blow-Ups of 1947

  • The Dark Avenger

    The Dark Avenger

  • Warner at War

    Warner at War

  • The Master of Ballantrae

    The Master of Ballantrae

  • The Story of William Tell

    The Story of William Tell

  • Hollywood Heaven: Tragic Lives, Tragic Deaths

    Hollywood Heaven: Tragic Lives, Tragic Deaths

  • Another Dawn

    Another Dawn

  • Blow-Ups of 1946

    Blow-Ups of 1946

  • Don't Bet on Blondes

    Don't Bet on Blondes

  • Lilacs in the Spring

    Lilacs in the Spring

  • Too Much, Too Soon

    Too Much, Too Soon

  • Show-Business at War

    Show-Business at War

  • Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1

    Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1

  • Hooray for Hollywood

    Hooray for Hollywood

  • Footsteps in the Dark

    Footsteps in the Dark

  • Showbiz Ballyhoo

    Showbiz Ballyhoo

  • Crossed Swords

    Crossed Swords

  • Adventures of Captain Fabian

    Adventures of Captain Fabian

  • King's Rhapsody

    King's Rhapsody

  • Gene Kelly - An American in Hollywood

    Gene Kelly - An American in Hollywood

  • The Case of the Curious Bride

    The Case of the Curious Bride

  • Out Where the Stars Begin

    Out Where the Stars Begin

  • In the Wake of the Bounty

    In the Wake of the Bounty

  • Pirate Party on Catalina Isle

    Pirate Party on Catalina Isle

  • The Sword of Villon

    The Sword of Villon

  • Peeks at Hollywood

    Peeks at Hollywood

  • Murder at Monte Carlo

    Murder at Monte Carlo

  • Without Incident

    Without Incident

  • The Truth About Fidel Castro Revolution

    The Truth About Fidel Castro Revolution

  • Deep Sea Fishing

    Deep Sea Fishing