Errol Flynn
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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
Credits
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
as Robin Hood
Another Dawn (1937)
as Captain Denny Roark
That's Entertainment! (1974)
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
Dodge City (1939)
as Wade Hatton
Captain Blood (1935)
as Dr. Peter Blood
Gene Kelly - An American in Hollywood (2025)
as Self (archive footage)
They Died with Their Boots On (1941)
as George Armstrong Custer
Montana (1950)
as Morgan Lane
The Sea Hawk (1940)
as Captain Geoffrey Thorpe
Istanbul (1957)
as James Brennan
The Prince and the Pauper (1937)
as Miles Hendon
Silver River (1948)
as 'Mike' McComb
Objective, Burma! (1945)
as Capt. Nelson
Escape Me Never (1947)
as Sebastian Dubrok
The Sun Also Rises (1957)
as Mike Campbell
Kim (1950)
as Mahbub Ali, the Red Beard
Adventures of Don Juan (1948)
as Don Juan de Maraña
Edge of Darkness (1943)
as Gunnar Brogge
The Roots of Heaven (1958)
as Forsythe
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage (1983)
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Northern Pursuit (1943)
as Corporal Steve Wagner
The Master of Ballantrae (1953)
as Jamie Durie
Dive Bomber (1941)
as Douglas S. Lee
Against All Flags (1952)
as Brian Hawke
Santa Fe Trail (1940)
as Jeb Stuart
The Big Boodle (1957)
as Ned Sherwood
Breakdowns of 1942 (1942)
as Self
Rocky Mountain (1950)
as Capt. Lafe Barstow
Hooray for Hollywood (1976)
as Self (archive footage)
The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936)
as Major Geoffrey Vickers
The Adventures of Errol Flynn (2005)
as Self / Various Roles (archive footage) (archive sound)
Virginia City (1940)
as Kerry Bradford
The Dark Avenger (1955)
as Prince Edward
San Antonio (1945)
as Clay Hardin
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? (1975)
as Self (archive footage)
Warner at War (2008)
as (archive footage)
Gentleman Jim (1942)
as James J. Corbett
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939)
as The Earl of Essex
The Extraordinary Seaman (1969)
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Desperate Journey (1942)
as Flight Lt. Terry Forbes
Cruise of the Zaca (1952)
as Himself / Narrator
Green Light (1937)
as Dr. Newell Paige
Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943)
as Self
The Perfect Specimen (1937)
as Gerald Beresford Wicks
Cry Wolf (1947)
as Mark Caldwell
Four's a Crowd (1938)
as Robert Kensington 'Bob' Lansford
It's a Great Feeling (1949)
as Jeffrey Bushdinkle, the Groom (uncredited)
Hello God (—)
as US Soldier on Anzio Beach
The Case of the Curious Bride (1935)
as Gregory Moxley
Breakdowns of 1944 (1944)
as Self
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff (2010)
as Self (archive footage)
Breakdowns of 1938 (1938)
as Robin Hood (archive footage) (uncredited)
Mara Maru (1952)
as Gregory Mason
The Dawn Patrol (1938)
as Capt. Courtney
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year (2009)
as Self (archive footage)
The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender (1997)
as Self (archive footage)
Uncertain Glory (1944)
as Jean Picard
Never Say Goodbye (1946)
as Phil Gayley
Show-Business at War (1943)
as Self
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers (1985)
as Self (archive footage)
Breakdowns of 1937 (1937)
as Self
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies (1995)
as Self (archive footage)
Lilacs in the Spring (1954)
as John 'Beau' Beaumont
Classic Movie Bloopers: Uncensored (2013)
as Self (archive footage)
Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers! (1982)
as Self (archive footage)
The Sisters (1938)
as Frank Medlin
Cuban Rebel Girls (1959)
as The American Correspondent
Footsteps in the Dark (1941)
as Francis Monroe Warren II, alias F.X. Pettijohn
Too Much, Too Soon (1958)
as John Barrymore
Rabbit Hood (1949)
as Robin Hood (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Sword of Villon (1956)
as Francois Villon
In the Wake of the Bounty (1933)
as Fletcher Christian
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies (1988)
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
Out Where the Stars Begin (1938)
as Robin Hood (archive footage)
Don't Bet on Blondes (1935)
as David Van Dusen
Crossed Swords (1954)
as Renzo
Blow-Ups of 1946 (1946)
as Self
Showbiz Ballyhoo (1982)
as Self (archive footage)
A Dream Comes True (1935)
as Himself (uncredited)
Legends in Light: The Photography of George Hurrell (1995)
as Self (archive footage)
Blow-Ups of 1947 (1947)
as Self
Without Incident (1957)
as Capt. Russell Bidlack
Adventures of Captain Fabian (1951)
as Capt. Michael Fabian
The Story of William Tell (1953)
as William Tell
Tasmanian Devil: The Fast and Furious Life of Errol Flynn (2007)
as Self (archive footage)
Hollywood Heaven: Tragic Lives, Tragic Deaths (1990)
as (archive footage)
That Forsyte Woman (1949)
as Soames Forsyte
Murder at Monte Carlo (1935)
as Dyter
The Truth About Fidel Castro Revolution (1959)
as Himself - Reporter
Pirate Party on Catalina Isle (1935)
as Errol Flynn
Deep Sea Fishing (1952)
as Self
Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1 (1941)
as Self
King's Rhapsody (1955)
as Richard, King of Laurentia
Peeks at Hollywood (1946)
Actor
I Adore You (1933)
as Extra (uncredited)
Touring Australia (1993)
as Self (archive footage)