Errol Flynn
“The dashing swashbuckler of Hollywood's golden age, born to play heroes with a roguish grin.”
In 1935, Warner Bros. gambled on a little-known Tasmanian actor for the lead in the pirate epic Captain Blood. Errol Flynn's dashing charm made him an overnight sensation and Hollywood's definitive swashbuckler, launching a string of action-romance classics.
Tasmanian Adventurer
Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn was born in Hobart, Tasmania, in 1909 and led a roving early life. He drifted through New Guinea and amateur theater before landing in Hollywood.
The Great Swashbuckler
Captain Blood and The Adventures of Robin Hood made him the screen's premier action hero. His athletic grace and roguish charm defined the costume adventure of the 1930s and 1940s.
A Turbulent Life
Off screen Flynn was dogged by scandal, including a sensational 1942 trial that ended in acquittal. Hard living took its toll, and he died at just 50 in 1959.
Career Timeline
- 1909Born June 20 in Hobart, Tasmania
- 1933Begins acting in Australia and Britain
- 1935Captain Blood makes him a star
- 1936Stars in The Charge of the Light Brigade
- 1938The Adventures of Robin Hood triumphs
- 1940Plays a sea captain in The Sea Hawk
- 1942Acquitted in highly publicized trial
- 1942Stars as boxer in Gentleman Jim
- 1948Plays Don Juan in costume adventure
- 1957Praised for The Sun Also Rises role
- 1959Dies October 14 in Vancouver at 50
Biggest Hits
- He made eight films with Olivia de Havilland, one of Hollywood's great screen pairings.
- His swashbuckling reputation helped inspire the phrase 'in like Flynn.'
The Moment You Remember
As the title hero in <em>The Adventures of Robin Hood</em>, Flynn striding into Nottingham's hall with a stag across his shoulders, laughing in the face of his enemies, captured the swashbuckling spirit of an entire era.
Portrait: Unknown (studio photographer) · Public domain (PD-US-no notice) · via Wikimedia Commons