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