What caused the death of one of Hollywood's greatest adventure heroes? Let's take a
look at the tragically early death of Errol Flynn.
American-Australian actor Errol Flynn was one of the most handsome,
charming, and debonair leading men to ever grace the silver screen during Hollywood's Golden Age.
His good looks captivated audiences, and his physical prowess and natural athletic ability
caught the attention of Hollywood movie studios shortly after he made his first film,
"In the Wake of the Bounty," in Australia in 1933.
The dashing actor was born in Tasmania, Australia, on June 20, 1909. According to "Britannica," the
young Flynn was rowdy and disobedient. He was expelled from several schools and sought to
make a living early on in his life. After a series of unsuccessful odd jobs that included
gold mining and working on a plantation, he took up acting with "In the Wake of the Bounty." His
charm and natural athletic ability caught the eye of other producers, and a star was born.
Flynn was soon scooped up by Warner Brothers and made his American film
debut in "Captain Blood" with fellow rising star Olivia de Havilland in 1935.
It wasn't long before his romantic and swashbuckling roles made him an
international movie star. He quickly became known as a star in swashbuckling adventure films,
filling the void left by silent film star Douglas Fairbanks, who passed away in 1939.
Inevitably typecast as a brave,
brash adventure movie star, he went on to make a series of action movies,
including the title role in what's become his most famous film, "The Adventures of Robin Hood."
"This forest is wide. We can shelter and clothe and feed a band of good,
determined men. Good swordsmen, good archers, good fighters. Are you with me?"
Off screen, however, Flynn developed a reputation for being a womanizer and a drunk.
Both of these elements would later catch up with him and, ultimately, lead to his demise.
Known for his rugged athleticism, Flynn captivated women beyond the silver screen. He was married
three times by the time he was 40, but his relationships weren't limited to his wives.
He was so widely known as a ladies' man that his name was forever associated with the term
"In Like Flynn," a phrase which meant a person had quickly and easily gotten
exactly what they wanted. According to "Closer Weekly," he was unfaithful to all of his wives,
and many of his co-stars went on to say that women simply threw themselves at him. As for Flynn,
he notoriously said that he liked his "whiskey old and my women young." His philandering
ways would come to a head when two underage girls accused him of statutory rape in 1942.
According to "The Hollywood Reporter," Betty Hansen and Peggy Satterlee alleged that Flynn
seduced them when they were both just 17 years old. One incident allegedly occurred on a yacht,
the other at a Hollywood party. Flynn denied the allegations,
and specifically claimed that he'd, quote, "hardly" touched Hansen in particular.
Nevertheless, a scandalous trial ensued that had Flynn facing up to 25 years in prison.
He was eventually acquitted, but the damage to his reputation and his stardom was done.
After the trial, Flynn would never regain his status as a leading man. By 1950,
his contract with Warner Brothers had been terminated. In response,
Flynn plunged himself into drinking and yachting. On the verge of bankruptcy,
Flynn traveled to Vancouver to lease his yacht. It would be his last journey.
Errol Flynn died of a heart attack on October 14, 1959, when he was just 50 years old.
His autopsy report detailed a list of health troubles he might not have known he even had.
It listed no fewer than five serious medical issues, including coronary thrombosis,
fatty degeneration of the liver, portal cirrhosis of the liver, and diverticulosis of the colon.
Even if he had survived the heart attack, the cirrhosis would have killed him within a year.
Despite his diminishing stardom at the time of his death, Flynn was on his way to remaking his
image as a serious actor, in part by playing aging alcoholics who mirrored his own life.
Sadly, the comeback came too late. According to "The National Post," people who encountered Flynn
in Vancouver were appalled by his disheveled and, quote, "bloated" appearance. The coroner
who did his autopsy later recounted that the movie star looked far older than 50.
Because of his early death, and the health issues that led to his fall just as he was
beginning to build his career back up, Flynn is today often remembered more for his lifestyle
than for his acting. According to the "Tasmanian Times," his final resting place is in Forest Lawn
Memorial Park in Glendale, California, placing him among his fellow movie stars forever.
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