Customer Reviews

Errol Flynn: The Life and Career

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This book rocks! I was given it as a gift for Christmas, and when I first unwrapped it and saw the cover, I was very wary - I said, "Uh-oh, yet another biography of Flynn?" I had seen some of the miserable ones written in the past, like Higham's and Bret's, and had feared for the worst. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised! This book took me on a wonderful flight from page one, and I didn't land until the last page, when I was left panting with excitement. Never boring or written with an eye to the pedestrian market, this book challenges and leaves the reader wanting more. It is written with great sympathy to Flynn, and at times some readers might think that it borders on sentimentality , but it never crosses the line. I, like many other readers, are sick and tired of all those quick-buck trash tell-all bios, from Higham to Kitty Kelly, that cater to people's morbid curiosity, but which employ no footnotes or documentation telling the reader where the author has gotten his or her information. Not so here! Mr. McNutly, a scholar in layman's clothing, carefully documents everything he claims, and for this I, and many other readers, will be deeply and lastingly grateful. And by the way, what's with these prattling blowhards who keep complaining - in English (or is that English?) and other languages about the price? I thought that it was against amazon's rules for reviewers! Look, sport, if you can't afford the book, then don't buy it; and if you can afford it, then shut up! I wish I could talk more about all there is in this book to admire, but I don't want to be boring - something that doesn't seem to trouble some of the other "reviewers" during their long-winded screeds - so I will simply say, in short, that this book will certainly be of use LONG after the dollars shelled out for it have been totally forgotten. And I am sure that the Flynn family will be very grateful - at long last - for a balanced work about Errol that satisfies both the average reader and the seasoned film scholar/critic. May I join them in expressing profound thanks to Mr. McNulty for his book, and for the great effort he has put into it? Bravo, Sir! May you and your kind increase!

At least 28 books have been written about swashbuckler Errol Flynn. Perhaps the most famous is Charles Higham's 1980 biography. It wasn't the best. This is. Thomas Mcnulty's "Errol Flynn: The Life and Career" discards myths and explodes the legends. Using legal documents, court records, newspaper clippings, eyewitness reports, and Errol Flynn's own diary, it concludes with the most accurate(and revisionist) history yet. Errol Flynn was born in Tasmania in 1909. A rebel, he left school at an early age, flaunting his mother's wishes. Literally a South Seas beach-bum at age 24, Flynn was signed as Fletcher Christian in the low budget "Wake of the Bounty". Viewed by an agent, Flynn was contracted by Warner Bros. studios. 2 years later he starred in 1935's "Captain Blood". By 1938, "The Adventures of Robin Hood" had made him a superstar. Handsome and athletic at 6'2", Flynn charmed pretty actresses and teenage fans alike. He enjoyed Hollywood night-life. But alcoholism and drug-use dulled his senses and tarnished his looks. By the late 1940's, a spectacular film career was spiralling downward. 3 failed marriages produced added stress and financial burden. Errol Flynn died of a heart attack in Vancouver on Oct. 14, 1959. He was 50 years old. For the first time here, author McNulty reviews Flynn's movies and TV appearances in lavish detail. McNulty acknowledges his fine acting in Edmund Goulding's "Dawn Patrol(1938)". Using his own money, Flynn bankrolled a lavish Cinemascope version of "William Tell" in 1954. But 8 weeks into shooting, the film shut down. Finances had run out. Today, a small Tyrolean movie set exists near Lake Como, Italy. This tourist attraction is all that remains of ""William Tell". 2 dozen reels of the aborted movie are locked away in Boston University's Special Collections Dept..And to this day, "William Tell" has never been seen by the public. In 1957, Flynn co-starred in Ernest Hemmingway's "The Sun Also Rises". Flynn plays middle-aged playboy Mike Campbell; his performance a haunting, resonant self-parody. In one scene, Flynn sits alone in a darkened European hotel room. Nursing a cocktail, he muses on his life, and drinks-in how it all might have been. The critics went wild. McNulty reviews the 1942 rape trial, and includes almost 100 photos; many rare and unseen before. One of the most intriguing pictures is of Flynn with his idol, John Barrymore, at a Hollywood party. Flynn and Barrymore were both one-time matinee idols. But they shared something else. Errol Flynn and John Barrymore had failed relationships with their mothers. Barrymore's mother died young, and he was raised by his grandmother, Mrs. John Drew(Louisa Lane). On his deathbed in 1942, Barrymore kept mumbling her name: Mummum. In Flynn's autobiography, he wrote "All my life I have tried to find my mother and I have never found her. My father has not been Theodore Flynn, exactly, but a will-o-the-wisp just beyond, whom I have chased and hunted to see him smile upon me, and I shall never find my true father, for the father I wanted to find was what I might become, but this shall never be..."This new biography explores the complex, sensitive Flynn as well. His fictional book, "Beams End", is a robust, tender tale of sailor/world travellers; searching, searching for the mysteries just around the next lagoon. McNulty's book may almost go to far in defending Flynn's self-destructive life-style, but it doesn't. In the end, it finds compassion, not sentimentality. Sadly, film director Irving Rapper said it best: "He was a very lucky boy. He had the whole world in the palm of his hand and threw it all away".

Thomas Mcnulty has written a good solid book on Flynn.The first in many a year. It has a few faults like any book of this nature.It is well written and a page turner it is, after the first couple of chapters which are a little slow to warm to.After that the the pages start to fly away and you get drawn into the depth of Errol Flynn and his exciting fun and surprisingly often sad adventures.

I could agree with the other reviwers with the price being a little on the steep side,which is a shame for the younger or those new to Flynn, who may be put off by the price as they loose out here.Yes the pictures are the one item I am disapointed about as a few others are!However I think the book is well worth reading even if it has to be at a later date, when the price comes down, and if it does I think the book will sell even more due to it style and presenation which is a more complete bio of Flynn that has never been available before now.

This is a superior book about Errol Flynn. The range is encyclopedic and the writing meticulous, at points even poetic. Packing an extraordinary amount of information between two covers, McNulty somehow manages to bring to life the much-abused Swashbuckler in the most engaging way. I have to believe that the enormous amount of research that went into this book is a testament to both the author's industry and his status as a budding writer of first-rate biographies. I had no problem at all with the price, which is typical of McFarland; their marvelous bindings and acid-free paper will last for centuries. (By the way, ignore the ranting and raving of the character who keeps leaving the silly "one star" reviews - he's well known as an obsessive crank who bears a grudge against the author which is as irrational as it is persistent . This individual, sadly, doesn't read any better than he writes, and, judging from his grammar and spelling, he doesn't do either very often; his speed is comic books.) I found one of the best things about this book to be the photos, which are outstanding, and the bibliography knocks the ball out of the park. Here is a volume that must be given its due: it provides a richly textured, fascinating treatment of an extremely difficult topic, and it should be treasured accordingly. Kudos to Mr. McNulty!

Vincent Sherman, the director of ADVENTURES OF DON JUAN, is quoted on page 217 of Thomas McNulty's excellent biography as saying of Flynn, "He was a very complex man and complicated in many ways." This book enlarges on that description but never glosses over the blemishes, and yet somehow the author keeps his affection for Flynn.

This is a nearly impossible task for most writers but McNulty made a book that is enriched with detail. This book never disappointed me although it is long and filled with many historical sidebars.

This is a portrait of Errol Flynn that is a refreshing tribute.

This book brought out many emotions in me with its retelling of Flynn's legend. He had a funny side, a serious side, wanted to be a writer, made some great films, but came to a tragic end. If you are at all interested in Errol Flynn then this book is for you.

The price is unfortunate, but most people understand that the publisher sets the book price, not the author. The publisher is McFarland and all of their books are expensive. That's because they are all limited print runs and not available in mass market editions. I would love to see a lower priced mass market edition of this book. It's also unfortunate that a smear campaign is being waged against Tom McNulty and his friends in the Errol Flynn fan community. It's a good book and Tom McNulty should be treated with respect and this book deserves a bigger audience. Too bad that one or two deranged fans are making it difficult for everybody. McNulty and Flynn deserve better than that!!

For both long-time fans and those new to the subject, readers will find Thomas McNulty's "Errol Flynn: The Life and Career" a truly wonderful experience.

The author has accomplished an impressive and astounding effort in piecing together a fascinating portrait of Mr Flynn as an adventurer, actor and writer. Mr McNulty's prose style is carefully constructed, poetic at times, captivating and objective. He covers the major points of Mr Flynn's life, and brings focus upon aspects of Flynn that had yet to be thoroughly researched and recorded for publication.

Knowledgable enthusiasts of Flynn will appreciate the passages on Flynn's early Hollywood years, particularly the filming of "The Adventures of Robin Hood". As Flynn's life story progresses, McNulty brings forth much detailed information on various movie productions in which Flynn was cast, and places these in context with developments in Flynn's personal activities. Exactly what a biography should do, indeed.

However, to date, no such biography on Flynn has so carefully weaved his Hollywood personna with his private life. The reader will appreciate this process of chronology, and gain a fuller understanding of Flynn's rise and subsequent fall as one of Warner Brothers leading stars.

McNulty carefully covers Flynn's trip to war-time Spain; the infamous rape trial; Flynn's FBI dossier; and, curiously one of the more enjoyable portions of the book, Flynn's efforts in authoring his story of "Charlie Bow-Tie".

These episodes, along with McNulty's scrutiny of Flynn's final decade, in which television became a source of both income and exposure for the declining star, bring forth a new viewing of Flynn as a man who lived his life to the fullest, both under the public spotlight as well as away from it.

As a fan of Flynn for many years, I greatly appreciate Mr McNulty's work. His meticulous research (well-documented with copious endnotes for each chapter) and first-hand sources are cited for reference. As an added bonus, the reader will much enjoy an appendix of "Remembrances", which contains impressions of Flynn by such notables as Kirk Douglas, Gene Autry, Tony Curtis and Veronica Lake.

The book has been carefully produced as a casebound publication, measuring approximately 7-1/4 x 10-1/4. With a laminated cover, pasted endleaves, a Smyth-sewn binding and head- and foot-bands, the quality of craftsmanship speaks for itself. The layout and typography are exquisite, coupled with acid-free, softwhite paper, it provides easy readership for the viewer. The photographs, many of which are obviously from vintage prints, are legibly scanned at a fine resolution and are thoughtfully interspersed within the text.

If one were to have an opportunity to introduce Errol Flynn to a newcomer, I would highly recommend this book, accompanied by Flynn's autobiography "My Wicked, Wicked Ways", "The Films of Errol Flynn" by Tony Thomas, and "Errol Flynn: A Memoir" by Earl Conrad.

This is a very fine publication. Mr McNulty should be most proud of the results that will be enjoyed by many, enlightening to most and greatly appreciated by true fans of Errol Flynn.

It is true that the sticker price on this book is a bit high. But if you are a devoted Flynnatic, this book is simply a 'must read'. There is just no other way of saying it.

Carefully researched, readable, and heavily illustrated with many pictures I'd never seen elsewhere (and I own over 20 books about Errol Flynn), this book is a joy to read.

McNulty is a scholar, not a sensationalist gossip-monger like a few of the Flynn 'biographers' (and I use that term very tongue-in-cheek) out there. He has done his homework, and has come up with a very fair, balanced, and factual account of the life of one of the most colorful (and controversial) actors ever to grace our movie screens.

If you want to read silly rumor and gossip, this is not the book for you. But if you are a serious Errol Flynn fan who is interested in an easy-to-read, yet scholarly account of the facts, then this is the book for you.

One of my favorite books about Errol - up there with Conrad and Thomas, in my opinion!

Errol Flynn, Hollywood's perennial bad boy, is back in yet another book dedicated to uncovering the truth, lies and scandal surrounding Flynn's career. At times eloquent but loaded to the top with trivia and enough background information to drive some readers over the edge. Thomas McNulty's Errol Flynn: The Life and Career often slips into romanticism, particularly when he dashes off lines like "So it was that Errol Flynn began his life in a seaport, and as he grew he would explore the winds and tides of the seven seas on the sails of his imagination." Intelligent and ultimately a tribute in disguise, this is not the usual biography. The price-tag will hold most readers at bay, at least until the publisher finds a way to release it as a mass-market paperback (To my knowledge, McFarland had never released any of their titles as a mass market option). Illustrated with over eighty photographs, including a few rarities, the deluxe hardcover makes it beautiful to look at and for once the text is on par with the essence of Flynn's appeal. The author has left nothing out. He covers the myths and the truths about Flynn's life with an eye for detail. He tackles the controversial allegations perpetuated by Charles Higham that Flynn was both a homosexual and fascist sympathizer dismissively, and perhaps too quickly. But he has other items on his agenda that clearly preoccupied him. It is something of an accomplishment to create a biography so riddled with facts that it remains readable. We witness Flynn's fractured childhood and his teenage years drifting about the South Pacific; all crucial experiences that had a lasting effect. Here is his meteoric rise to stardom, his glory years as the undisputed King of adventure films, the 1943 rape trial that held the public's attention, and his descent into alcoholism and drug abuse. The films are given a good deal of attention, some with excessive detail. Those familiar with the films will be tempted to skim the plot synopsis' but there are rewards for those willing to plow ahead. For example, it was interesting to learn that Flynn felt his role in Four's a Crowd was the closest to his own personality. The velocity and depth of Errol Flynn's experiences make for fascinating reading, a fact that is not lost upon the author. So McNulty, who is obviously infatuated with Flynn's screen performances, ends up plotting his life along historical-sociological-cultural analysis. His book is full of extensive cultural and historical sidebars. This was mildly distracting but the context is appropriate, and it all fits into what the author at one point refers to as "the tapestry of Errol Flynn's life." The poignancy is perhaps a little too obviously intentional, but it works. The world may not have needed another book about Errol Flynn, but this one is worth reading.

Many writers have written about Errol Flynn, some good and some bad. He is popular and every couple years a new book comes out. This one is really good. It is rare to read a book dedicated to good writing like this one is. And the book tells the whole truth about Errol Flynn, my favorite actor.

Nobody can say Errol Flynn is your typical actor. He was a genuine and original thinker. Thank goodness this book reaches into history and tells us the true story as it really happened!

The book has all of the famous stories about Errol Flynn and a few stories I never heard before. The author studies the man and his great films and turns it into a history lesson. I got this book for Christmas and was told only the price sucks. I'm glad I got it. this is a good book that all Errol Flynn fans should read!!!

Who among film fans cannot remember with fondness the many great scenes from The Adventures of Robin Hood? Are there those who have forgotten that Errol Flynn's films were treasured by millions and offered inspiration during some dark eras in history? This new biography comes along right when you think you have read everything possible about Flynn and his career. But you haven't read everything until you have read this amazing book. The author's examination of Flynn's film career, his personal life (which turned into a very public fiasco very quickly) and the cultural impact of his career is very well done. By comparison, the last three books on Flynn (by Charles Higham, David Bret and Jeffrey Meyers) offered salacious gossip, falsified documents, and disinformation, this book reads more like solid investigative journalism. This book allows for reflection on the historical era of Flynn's life which often reads like trivia, but with a higher purpose. And there are moments of inspiration unlike anything I have seen in any biography on Flynn. And I have read them all-- My favorite quote makes for one of the photo captions: "His picaresque life as a sailor on the seas of fate; his ability to find adventure amidst the mediocrity of daily life; his courage in facing his adversaries, both on and off the screen, all make for an intriguing portrait of a man who lived life to the fullest." Flynn is established as a rebellious and electrifying presence, on and off the screen. The author gives attention to the historical events of Flynn's lifetime. There is something here for everyone and although I know the basic chronology of Flynn's life and career, I was astonished to find a wealth of detail unseen in any Flynn book so far. This book is filled with quotes and the footnotes number in the hundreds. The photos vary between the common and the rare. I really loved this book. I really enjoyed the photo of Flynn with John Barrymore. A great photo of Flynn relaxing and reading an Evelyn Waugh book. Some great scene stills and some rare shots that are previously never published. My favorite is the photo of Flynn with Olivia de Havilland at the press junket holding hands and talking in a corner together. What could she be saying to him? Intriguing---!! A beautiful volume for those who cherish Errol Flynn's films as I do. Enjoy!