This was Errol Flynn's own favorite of his films and it's defiantly one of mine, too. He's perfectly cast as "Gentleman Jim" Corbett, in some ways the Muhammed Ali of his day. Boxing has repeated this scenario often: A powerful puncher is regarded at invincible: too awesome to lose. A great boxer comes along and avoid the champ's power and uses his defense to set up his offense, tired out the champ and wins the title. (see Jack Johnson vs. James Jeffries, Gene Tunney vs. Jack Dempsey and Ali vs. Sonny Liston and George Foreman. The power doesn't know what to do when he can't his big punch against his clever opponent - or what to do when he finds himself under attack instead of seeing his opponent cower from his power.
Corbett was also a flamboyant showman and self-promoter with the good looks and charm to attract the ladies. He was precisely the same size as Flynn, who was well-schooled in how to imitate Corbett's moves. Reliable character actor Ward Bond gets the role of his life as the brawny braggart, John L. Sullivan, who finally gets beaten after many years, then almost melts the celluloid with his sentimental appearance at Corbett's victory party. As a child watching this, (this was one of several classic Flynn films that a local station had in it's library), I was particularly moved by this scene and by the normally unsubtle Bond's tender performance. It taught me that rivals are not necessarily bad guys. That reversal left a tremendous impression on my young mind.
It's a Flynn adventure film with no bad guys and no deaths but plenty of fun and some great drama at the end. There are the usual problems with historical accuracy, (the tender scene with Sullivan never took place; Corbett was married to an actress throughout this period: Alexis Smith's character is an invention), but they seem minor and the film would not have been improved by adhering to reality. (I always say that Hollywood doesn't lie: it tries to improve on reality.) The Irish humor with Flynn's family led by the ubiquitous Alan Hale is amusing but not over-bearing. (This would be his last pairing with Flynn until The Adventures of Don Juan seven years later.) The romantic sparing with the delicious Alexis Smith is a lot of fun, too. I can't put this film quite on a level with The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Sea Hawk or They Died With Their Boots On but you can see why Flynn liked it and I suspect you will, too.
"The Films of Errol Flynn" by Tony Thomas, Rudy Behlmer and Clifford McCarthy has four chapters: "The Evolution of a Cavalier", "The Pinnacle Era", "The Slow Deflation" and "The Last Seven Years". This is the last film they cover in the "The Pinnacle Era". Several things were happening at this time that would contribute to "The Slow Deflation". Flynn collapsed on the set with what turned out to be a mild heart attack. This plus the fact that he'd had malaria kept him out of military service during the war. The war itself changed audience's tastes. They could no longer see conflict as an 'adventure'. Flynn's subsequent films took a noticeably darker turn. This was the time of his trial for rape: he was acquitted but it soiled his heroic reputation. His own lifestyle, which included substance abuse, would take a toll on his looks, his finances and his reliability. His own attitude that he wanted to be respected as a 'serious' actor in films a lot less entertaining that the ones he made his reputation on would become a factor, as well.
There were still some good films to come. But most of the great ones were already in the can.
Corbett was also a flamboyant showman and self-promoter with the good looks and charm to attract the ladies. He was precisely the same size as Flynn, who was well-schooled in how to imitate Corbett's moves. Reliable character actor Ward Bond gets the role of his life as the brawny braggart, John L. Sullivan, who finally gets beaten after many years, then almost melts the celluloid with his sentimental appearance at Corbett's victory party. As a child watching this, (this was one of several classic Flynn films that a local station had in it's library), I was particularly moved by this scene and by the normally unsubtle Bond's tender performance. It taught me that rivals are not necessarily bad guys. That reversal left a tremendous impression on my young mind.
It's a Flynn adventure film with no bad guys and no deaths but plenty of fun and some great drama at the end. There are the usual problems with historical accuracy, (the tender scene with Sullivan never took place; Corbett was married to an actress throughout this period: Alexis Smith's character is an invention), but they seem minor and the film would not have been improved by adhering to reality. (I always say that Hollywood doesn't lie: it tries to improve on reality.) The Irish humor with Flynn's family led by the ubiquitous Alan Hale is amusing but not over-bearing. (This would be his last pairing with Flynn until The Adventures of Don Juan seven years later.) The romantic sparing with the delicious Alexis Smith is a lot of fun, too. I can't put this film quite on a level with The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Sea Hawk or They Died With Their Boots On but you can see why Flynn liked it and I suspect you will, too.
"The Films of Errol Flynn" by Tony Thomas, Rudy Behlmer and Clifford McCarthy has four chapters: "The Evolution of a Cavalier", "The Pinnacle Era", "The Slow Deflation" and "The Last Seven Years". This is the last film they cover in the "The Pinnacle Era". Several things were happening at this time that would contribute to "The Slow Deflation". Flynn collapsed on the set with what turned out to be a mild heart attack. This plus the fact that he'd had malaria kept him out of military service during the war. The war itself changed audience's tastes. They could no longer see conflict as an 'adventure'. Flynn's subsequent films took a noticeably darker turn. This was the time of his trial for rape: he was acquitted but it soiled his heroic reputation. His own lifestyle, which included substance abuse, would take a toll on his looks, his finances and his reliability. His own attitude that he wanted to be respected as a 'serious' actor in films a lot less entertaining that the ones he made his reputation on would become a factor, as well.
There were still some good films to come. But most of the great ones were already in the can.