Released – November, 1942

Directed By - Raoul Walsh 

Starring – Errol Flynn (James J. Corbett), Alexis Smith (Victoria Ware), Jack Carson (Walter Lowrie), Alan Hale (Pat Corbett), William Frawley (Billy Delaney), Ward Bond (John L. Sullivan).

Description – This story of heavyweight boxing champion Gentleman Jim Corbett is based on James J. Corbett’s autobiography The Roar of the Crowd.

Errol Flynn is terrific as the cocky, light-on-his-feet, 1890′s fighter. In a role said to be his favorite, Flynn’s portrayal of Corbett starts with his early days as a bank teller who saves the day for Judge Geary, a member of his banks Board of Directors after a police raid.

The judge, a boxing fan who is looking to improve on the brutal nature of the sport by introducing a more appealing class of fighter along with adherence of the Marquess of Queensberry rules takes an interest in Corbett.

Corbett, welll-spoken, polished, and possessing great fighting skills is a perfect canditate for the judge. However, his cockiness irritates some of the upper class of society including the beautiful Victoria Ware who Corbett is very attracted to.

Winning his early fights with relative ease using his scientific boxing skills and fancy footwork rather than the more common brawling style has earned him a championship fight with none other than John L. Sullivan.

Can Gentleman Jim win both the championship and the girl?

NOTABLE: This was the third Errol Flynn film to gross more than $2 million dollars for Warner Brothers in 1942. Big money in those days.

Errol Flynn did all of his own boxing stunts in the film.

Although Flynn portrayed Corbett as confident and arrogant, in real life James J. Corbett was said to have a quiet personality. 

Gentleman Jim

The Errol Flynn Signature Collection, Vol. 2 (The Charge of the Light Brigade / Gentleman Jim / The Adventures of Don Juan / The Dawn Patrol / Dive Bomber)

Enjoy browsing the Hollywood Movie Memories Film Store

Released – January, 1942 

Directed By - Raoul Walsh

Starring – Errol Flynn (George Armstrong Custer), Olivia de Havilland (Elizabeth Bacon), Arthur Kennedy (Ned Sharp), Charley Grapewin (California Joe), Anthony Quinn (Crazy Horse).

Description – The life of George Armstrong Custer is told from his early days at West Point, his experiences in the Civil War, and his ultimate fate at Little Big Horn.

Flynn portrays Custer as a dashing, fun-loving figure who prefers honor and glory over money. Corrupt politicians have brought about an Indian war in order to gain their land. With the lives of all white settlers in the area at risk, General Custer and his men make their valient last stand in order to prevent the slaughter.

NOTABLE: This was the last of eight films pairing Errol Flynn with Olivia de Havilland and proved to be one of the highest grossing films of the year.

Usually portrayed as the last to die at Little Big Horn, Custer may have actuall been one of the first killed.

During the battle of the Little Big Horn only 16 of the extras were actually Native Americans; the rest were Fillipino’s.

Personal Comment: Despite historical inaccuracies this is a very enjoyable film due to the huge appeal of Errol Flynn in just about any kind of action adventure lead role. One fact that was accurate was Custer’s sympathy for Native Americans and his dislike of President Grant’s Indian policy

They Died With Their Boots On

The Errol Flynn Signature Collection, Vol. 1 (Captain Blood / The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex / The Sea Hawk / They Died with Their Boots On / Dodge City / The Adventures of Errol Flynn)

Enjoy browsing the Hollywood Movie Memories Film Store

Released – September, 1951 

Directed By - Raoul Walsh

Starring – Gregory Peck (Capt. Horatio Hornblower), Virginia Mayo (Lady Barbara Wellesley), Robert Beatty (First Lt. William Bush), Terence Morgan (Second Lt. Gerard).

Description – A faithful film adaptation based on three of C. S. Forestor’s Horatio Hornblower novels. The adventure begins with Captain Horatio Hornblower, commanding the 36 gun HMS Lydia, on a secret mission to deliver arms to aid a rebel against Spain, who at that time, was an ally of Great Britains’s enemy France.

The sea voyage is long and difficult, with Capt. Hornblower finding himself in the position of having to take on the much larger and powerful Spanish warship, the 50 gun Natividad. Surviving this encounter, Hornblower finds unexpectable complications that force him to change his plans and play the unwilling host to the beautiful sister of the Duke of Wellington.

Remarkable sea-battles and a touch of star-crossed romance highlight this very enjoyable adventure film.

Captain Horatio Hornblower

Literary Classics Collection (Madame Bovary (1949), Captain Horatio Hornblower, The Three Musketeers (1948), The Prisoner of Zenda (1937 and 1952 Versions), Billy Budd)

Enjoy browsing the Hollywood Movie Memories Film Store

Released - January, 1941 

Directed By - Raoul Walsh

Starring – Ida Lupino (Marie), Humphrey Bogart (Roy Earle), Alan Curtis (Babe), Arthur Kennedy (Red), Joan Leslie (Velma), Henry Hull (Doc Banton).

Description – An entry in early film noir that centers around a gangsters plan to rob a California resort casino with the help of “Mad Dog” Roy Earle. After taking the job, Earle drives accross country to a mountain camp where he is to meet up with the other members of the gang.

While there, he also meets former dance hall girl Marie. Earle, not wanting the woman around, is convinced by Marie that she should be allowed to stay. Also showing up uninvited is a dog named Pard who Earle takes a liking to.

Soon a misplaced love triangle begins to take shape. Marie falls for Earle, while Earle proposes and is rejected by Velma, a woman he met during his drive up the mountains. After Velma’s rejection, Earle and Marie become lovers.

The heist time arrives and soon the plan goes bad. The robbery is interrupted by a security guard who is shot and killed. “Mad Dog” Earle and Marie are now on the run. Seperating so that Marie can have a chance of getting away, Earle heads for the Sierra mountains setting up an exciting final chase and confrontation.

NOTABLE: John Huston wrote the screenplay for the film, and it was this shared experience that set the permanent tone for Bogart and Huston to become life-long friends and drinking partners.

George Raft was offered this role, as he was the role of Sam Spade in ‘The Maltese Falcon’. He declined both. At the time Raft was trying to get away from the gangster image in films.

The dog used as Pard in this film was Bogart’s actual pet dog named Zero.

Personal Comment: As a huge Bogart fan who loves just about anything he has done, this is one of his best. Bogart give a performance that can be described as hard-boiled perfection with a dash of sympathy and humanity. In fact, the acting throughout this film is terrific. Another very enjoyable Warner Bros. gangster/noir film.

High Sierra (Keepcase)

Humphrey Bogart – The Signature Collection, Vol. 1 (Casablanca Two-Disc Special Edition / The Treasure of the Sierra Madre Two-Disc Special Edition / They Drive by Night / High Sierra)

Enjoy browsing the Hollywood Movie Memories Film Store

Released – August, 1940 

Directed By - Raoul Walsh

Starring – George Raft (Joe Fabrini), Ann Sheridan (Cassie Hartley), Ida Lupino (Lana Carlsen), Humphrey Bogart (Paul Fabrini).

Description – The Fabrini brothers are truck drivers who start their own business. Constantly battleing rivals the two are overworked.  One night they pick up Cassie, a hitchhiker who has just quit her job at a truckstop. Joe immediately starts to fall for her. 

On one run, Paul falls asleep at the wheel and has an accident that causes him to lose an arm. Joe now turns to an old friend, trucking executive Ed Carleson, for work.

Meanwhile, Eds wife Lana has fallen in love with Joe and murders her husband, trying to make it look like an accident. When Joe tells her he is not interested in her, or her offer of a share in her late husband’s trucking business, Lana tries to frame Joe for her husbands murder.

They Drive by Night (Keepcase)

Enjoy browsing the Hollywood Movie Memories Film Store