By my faith, but you're a bold rascal.

Happy Birthday Errol Flynn!!!! Hooray!!!!

Here's one of my favorite photos of him, courtesy of Doctor Macro.

And here are a couple of my favorite scenes of his. The first is from The Adventures of Robin Hood and it's one of my favorite movie scenes ever. The second is from Captain Blood.

Ah, the tall tinker.

As if Errol Flynn could disguise his beautiful self from anyone. Psh. I do enjoy this costume. He looks so dashing in it, don't you think? I found this one at the TCM archives.

Well, that's different.

I love this scene!

Then you do love me, don't you? Don't you?

It's February - the month of love. And what better couple to kick it off with than Errol and Olivia in one of my favorite kiss photos ever!!

Well, I can't imagine... any pleasanter journey, ma'am, than walking through life with you beside me.

I love this photo! I also love the line that I quoted in the title. To be honest, I omitted a small part of it (thus the ellipses). But, I love the way they're holding hands. If Errol Flynn were holding my hand like that, I'd definitely be running my fingers through my hair too!

From this point on, I'll use every means in my power to fight you.

This scene is amazing! And I enjoy this picture. And I enjoy him.

for a man to stir up reasons for resenting me? How refreshing!

I think you all know by now that I have to have at least one Errol photo a month now. It almost goes without saying.

I'm afraid of nothing, least of all you.

As if I need an excuse to post a photo of Errol and Olivia. I don't.

As a lady once said to a slave, "You are hardly in a position to have anything to say about it."

I don't know why she's complaining so much. Goodness knows I wouldn't mind.

Just brain over brawn, friend.

This month, I'd like to spotlight one of my favorite bloggers, Amanda Cooper from Noodle in A Haystack. She actually has other blogs that I'm crazy about but that one is her main one.

If you haven't checked out Amanda's blog, you really should. She was one of the first film bloggers I ever came across and I really love what she writes. It's especially nice if the people you read happen to like the same sorts of movies you like and she mostly talks about musicals and 60's comedies and she's as smitten with Errol Flynn as I am. What's not to like?

And since I missed posting this on Wednesday, I'm going to blend it together with my photography Friday post. So, here is another one of my favorite photos ever:



I found it via Doctor Macro.

Oh, those crazy watchmen. They're crazy, as usual.

I'm sure you all knew this was coming. I mean, after all of my crazy Errol Flynn hysteria, you had to know that I would post another one of his movies sooner or later in my 100 movies list. So, here you are:

#24 Four's A Crowd (1938)


Okay, so I picked the Italian poster. I've been trying to stick with the American posters, if only for consistency, but this one is so much cooler. I had no choice.

And now I'm going to do a horrible, terrible thing. You see, I'd just written "I'm going to try and nutshell this one" but I erased and have decided upon this tact instead. I wanted to credit Doctor Macro for the poster and I realized that he probably has a much better summary of the film than I could ever hope to do.. So here is the link for both the poster and the summary.

Click on photo for source

I avoided this movie quite ridiculously for a little while because I'd read that Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland don't end up together and I thought that was just too dreadful. What's the joy of watching an Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland movie if they don't end up together? It would be as bad as watching a Fred and Ginger film with Fred dying at the end and Ginger reminiscing about their dancing. Oh, wait... (sorry, I really don't like that one). Well, I bit the bullet and watched it and am I glad I did! This zany screwball comedy hits the ground running and doesn't stop for breath. Within the first five minutes, Rosalind Russell helps Patric Knowles with his pants. What a start! After watching the movie, I sent my roommate a message along these lines: "I just watched a romantic comedy with Errol Flynn. He wears pinstripe suits, sits by a pool shirtless, bites a dog, and sports a mustache. I need to own this movie!"

Sadly, I couldn't refind this one, so I can't credit it to anyone.

It's a pretty confusing storyline (which is why I was too cowardly to write a summary). Even the couples are confused as to which guy belongs with which girl. The only one who really seems to know what's going on is Errol Flynn and even he gets double-crossed sometimes. To be honest, there are still things that confused me about this film but I love it anyway. I can't wait to own it. I'm not sure when I'll buy it but, I assure you, it will end up in my collection eventually.

Click on photo for source

This is, sadly, the only comedy starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. I think they were marvelous as comedic actors. I've seen de Havilland in A Midsummer Night's Dream (which is, by the way, the craziest rendition of that play that I've ever seen) but I've yet to see her or Flynn in any other comedies. If you've seen either in a comedy, please let me know! I'd love to see it!

And because I simply cannot resist, I'm embedding my favorite scene in the film. The title of the post is from this scene and, I'm not sure why, but I love that line! It just strikes me as so funny! Am I alone in this?

And what about our young Saxon cockerel here?

Today's segment: spotlight on a scene.
Note: the photos are not necessarily from the scene.

I can't help it. I'm going to write about Errol Flynn.


I'm recently in the midst of a crazy Errol Flynn obsession that is only quieted by my long work hours and long to-do list. If I were in the midst of a summer break, you wouldn't be able to drag me away from that tv! Anyway, the spotlight today will feature one of my favorite scenes (possibly my very favorite) in The Adventures of Robin Hood:

The scene where Robin enters the Baron's Feast at Nottingham. To give you a bit of context, in case you haven't seen the movie (you should!), the various Norman nobles in the shire of Nottingham (how's that for inadvertent alliteration?) have gathered together to gloat about their power over the helpless Saxons and to plan how much more they're going to squeeze out of the Saxons. The conversation turns to a particular Saxon who, according to Sir Guy of Gisbourne, dearly deserves the hangman's rope but has thus evaded it: Sir Robin of Locksley. Prince John has just declared that he won't tolerate this Saxon noble's impudence and he wants these men to see to it that he's taken and hanged... when who should enter but Sir Robin of Locksley! I love this scene! I love the way he enters, with that deer slung over his shoulders; I love all of the dialogue, all of the action. I love it! Several particular things I've enjoyed from this scene:

• Robin Hood's laugh - really, he has the best laugh ever. He actually doesn't laugh much in this scene (I realized upon rewatching) but he laughs a little bit mid-line and you get a small dose of it.
  
• his vulgarity. I'm pretty sure it's used to contrast him with the Norman nobles and I think it works to great effect. I'm not usually one for vulgarity, but the part where he throws the deer on the table, the part where he jumps over the table to get to his seat, and the part where he spits out the meat are all great moments in the scene, I think.
• the looks. There are several looks that I really enjoy in this scene. I love the reactions to Prince John's statement, "From now on, I am the regent of England." So great! Even his most trusted followers don't trust him. The variety of their reactions is fascinating to me because you get an idea of their characters, just in that short space of time. And speaking of looks, the part where Robin sees them closing the doors and then keeps on eating - that kills me every time! He's so darn cool! Oh, and one final look I have to bring up. When Prince John says, "Here's poor Gisbourne so in love with Marian, he daren't say, 'boo,' to her," Robin looks from Marian, to Prince John, to Gisbourne in a very calculating way and I love it!
• Prince John's oiliness. I always think of Prince John when I see Claude Rains. He's so perfect in this role, so incredibly villainous. For some reason, I enjoy it when villains are courteous or feign politeness; it just makes them even more villainous, somehow. When Prince John says, "Robin, I like you," he just ups his villain-factor, in my mind. I can't explain it. I just love it.
• Robin's arrows. The man never runs out of them! Sadly, you don't get the action part in the clip below, but his seemingly bottomless quiver is pretty awesome.
  

There are a few things I don't like in this scene. They're pretty minor but I have watched this scene a millions times (approximately) and so these minor things really begin to grate. For instance: Prince John's line, "I've kicked Longchamps out!" Really? Prince John would say that sort of thing? That line has always bothered me. Also, when Prince John declares himself the new regent, everyone looks at him in surprise and horror... and the Archbishop looks in the wrong direction. Now, I'm pretty sure he's supposed to be looking around to see everyone else's reaction, but it's always throws me off. One final thing: Gisbourne jumps out of his seat and one point and says, "Let me ram those words down his throat!" Which makes sense, because Robin is pretty insolent. What doesn't make sense is that he says this after Robin states a fact that everyone is pretty much aware of; he's not stating an opinion. He does call them all "cutthroats," but I imagine they knew themselves to be cutthroats. I don't know. It just doesn't make sense to me. Honestly, these things are pretty minor but I thought I'd mention them.

But I really, truly do love this scene. It's a turning point in the movie even though the movie's only just started. It's the introduction of several important characters. It's the first action scene. It's the first time we get to see Robin Hood prove himself to be "the deadliest archerer in England."


Okay, okay. I'll stop! Sorry. I get a tad bit carried away when it comes to my favorites. Now, here is the scene in all of its glory and you can tell me what you think.




I can't help it. I'm going to gush a bit more. Here are some of my favorite lines and bits of dialogue:

Robin: You know, you should really teach Gisbourne hospitality. I no sooner enter his castle doors there with a piece of meat, and his starving servants try to snatch it from me. You should feed them, Gisbourne, they'll work better!

Prince John: By my faith, but you're a bold rascal. Robin, I like you.
Robin: I'm gratified, your highness. I don't think Gisbourne shares that sentiment, however. Mm, he does look sour! What's the matter, Gisbourne, run out of hangings?

Robin: Be seated, gentleman. No need to stand on ceremony on my account.

Marian: Why you speak treason!
Robin: Fluently.



Thank you ever so much for bearing with me while I gush! If you love the movie, and this scene, as much as I do, please feel free to gush too in the comments!

You are out of your continental mind!

Last night, I made brilliant plans to get started on my new project. I pulled my Busby Berkeley collection off of my shelves, settled down in front of the tv... and got completely distracted by Errol Flynn in The Prince and the Pauper, which happened to be airing on TCM. Oh, Errol!


He really is not in the movie very much, which is kind of sad because he is (in my opinion) the best part of it. It turned out to be a good thing for me, though, because I was able to get through the special features on The Gold Diggers of 1933. The documentary on 42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage was particularly interesting. I highly recommend it. I'd already watched the FDR documentary for class. Anyway, this is hardly fascinating so I will skip ahead to my movies count-up:


#20 The Awful Truth (1937)



The basic plot is as follows: when Jerry Warriner (Cary Grant) suspects his wife, Lucy (Irene Dunne) has had an affair, the couple decides to get a divorce. Only two problems remain: who gets the dog, Mr. Smith? and are they really still in love with each other? When Lucy gets custody of the dog and her aunt (Cecil Cunningham) pushes Lucy into the arms of Texan Dan Leeson (Ralph Bellamy), both problems seem inclined to be solved. However, Jerry is determined to prove to Lucy that Dan isn't right for her and when Jerry gets himself engaged to a wealthy heiress (Molly Lamont), Lucy is determined to return the favor.

I'm really quite terrible at nutshelling. I always want to include all the details because they're all important! For those of you who have not seen the movie, I highly recommend it. Grant and Dunne have delightful chemistry and they are hilarious to watch together. I think Irene Dunne is completely adorable in this movie. For years, I didn't consider her a comedic actress because I associated her with Penny Serenade, I Remember Mama, and what I used to consider the more serious parts of Roberta (although I've lately realized that there really are no serious parts to Roberta). But she has a wonderful talent for comedy. And Cary Grant, well, he's one of my favorite actors of all time. Even when he's being frustrating, he's still loveable ("Hello, Twinkletoes").

Here are a couple of my favorite scenes from the film that I found on YouTube. There are sadly few clips from the film online but I chose these two because you get to see Jerry messing up Lucy's romance and Lucy messing up Jerry's. Here's the first one and then here's the second.

It's entirely innocent I am

I'm a little late in my posting today because I'm sadly under the weather today. I was a call-in at work and I actually called in for my call-in shift (my manager thought it was rather funny). Pretty much all I've done today is sleep, drink, eat a little, and watch You Can't Take It With You (for the first time, I'll have you know!). I'm trying to wait a bit before I go to bed because I have to get up earlyish for work tomorrow and I want to make sure I sleep the full night. I don't know if this logic actually makes sense or if it just makes sense in my head. At any rate, I've decided to write a post with #16 in my count-up:
Captain Blood (1935)


I should warn you before I begin that this post has a lot of photos. I simply couldn't resist. Errol Flynn is so incredibly good-looking, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to bombard the post with pictures. The one trouble with doing this post is that I could talk for days about this movie. I really love it! I have a hard time finding people to watch it with me because most people get uneasy about the whole slavery sequence (I do too. I always fast-forward the branding scene). But compared to The Sea Hawk, which includes slavery in a much more horrific depiction, Captain Blood is pretty easy to watch. But, like I said, I always fast-forward what I don't want to watch. Okay, back to the point: this movie has everything: romance, drama, adventure, humor. The basic plot is as follows:

Dr. Peter Blood (Errol Flynn) is arrested while attending to a wounded friend in the middle of a civil war. Despite his pacifist standing, he is locked up and finally stands on trial under a very unjust judge. The judge pronounces Peter guilty of treason even though Peter has done nothing but his job as a doctor. Meanwhile, King James decides to make money off all of these traitors by selling them as slaves in Jamaica. So, Peter is shipped off to Jamaica and is bought, on a whim, by the niece of a plantation owner, Arabella Bishop (Olivia de Havilland). Arabella gets Peter a job as doctor to the governor of Jamaica; his new freedom allows him to plot an escape for himself and his fellow slaves. When a Spanish pirate ship attacks the town, Peter and his friends board the ship and turn to piracy. Later in the film, the tables are turned when Arabella finds herself a prisoner on board Peter's ship.


Okay, so that was a pretty bad nut-shelling job, especially since I'm trying to not to give away the ending too much. I usually just tell people, "It's about a doctor who becomes a slave who escapes and becomes a pirate." I've gotten mixed results when showing this around to people. The best reaction was my aunt who, near the end of the film said, "Oh, that's wonderful! Now that they can get married!" and the worst reaction was my friends in middle school who all fell asleep (sigh). But, no matter what reactions I get, I love this movie. I loved the movie so much that I read the surprisingly long book by Rafael Sabatini - which is very good and adds some wonderful insights into the characters but is quite lengthy.

Now, to go into the trivia section of the post. I must warn you on this one, I'm spouting out this trivia from memory. I feel pretty confident that I'm quoting these facts correctly but I couldn't quote you the sources if I tried. I've acquired most of these facts during several of my Errol Flynn obsession phases, where I watched his movies non-stop, watched documentaries, and read articles. If, however, I have spoken incorrectly, please let me know! This movie is responsible for launching Errol Flynn into stardom, with Olivia de Havilland at his side. Flynn and director Michael Curtiz did not get along very well and Curtiz actually tried to tell the producer that Flynn was no good. The producer asked Curtiz to give Flynn a second chance and Flynn became a stronger actor, that some scenes had to be reshot. While Flynn did not get along with his director too well, he and his costar famously got along famously (that's not a typo, by the way; it's an attempt at cleverness. I'm not sure if it worked). Flynn and de Havilland shared a mutual attraction to each other and he even discussed the possibility of them getting married - but that happened during The Adventures of Robin Hood which is a different story.

An unrelated bit of trivia that I just read on a Basil Rathbone site was that Captain Levassuer's death had to be timed perfectly to correspond with the waves so that he would fall into the water, a wave would splash over him, and reveal him to be dead. Apparently, it was very hard for him to keep his eyes open with the saltwater splashing over him - understandably! That sounds awful!

I love Errol Flynn in this movie. He's so passionate and brooding. I like the way he sets his jaw during the trial scene, the intensity of his look when he's looking at Arabella. One of my favorite scenes in the film is the one where Peter finds his friend, Jeremy (played by Ross Alexander), strapped to a post, having been beaten by their owners. The scene is tender and intense and it really makes me wish that Ross Alexander had been in more films.
... I'm pretty sure I'm rambling at this point. I truly apologize. If you want to read a slightly more cohesive discussion of the film, you can go to a post I wrote a little while ago, comparing it to Pirates of the Caribbean (2003).

Now, I'll close with a quote and some links to a few of my favorite moments in the film:
"However far this slave may go, he won't forget... it's a characteristic we Irish have in common with the elephants!"
As for the film clips, I should tell you that you can see the whole film online. I highly recommend it. If you're at all wary, I'll tell you now that it has a happy ending, so you needn't worry on that point.
- the trial scene
- My favorite scene with Peter and Arabella, starts at 6:30.
- The scene with Peter and Jeremy, starts at 3:36.
- the ending! Don't watch this if you don't want a spoiler! Starts at 4:24.

Thank you for being patient with me. If you love Errol Flynn and this film as much as I do, I'd love to read gushing comments about it! I'd actually love to hear any comments about it, gushing or not.

Question: I'm always quoting movies and I really love movie quotes (You may have noticed that the titles of my posts are almost always movie quotes). I've been thinking of adding a new post a week that would solely feature a random quote and everyone could guess what movie it was from. Maybe including a hint? There would be no rewards for this game, unfortunately. Just fun. What do you think? Good idea? Would you guess if I posted a quote a week?

You're a perfect lady. You're a regular guy. We should be together, you and I!

In January, I stated that I would like to a different list of favorites every month. I've already done Favorite Actresses and Favorite Actors. Now, in honor of February and Valentine's Day, I'd like to do Favorite Couples! I have a few disclaimers before I begin, however. First, there is a difference between a couple and a dance team. I'm specifically avoiding dance partners because I think they deserve a list all their own. So, these pairs are pairs because I like the way their chemistry while acting, sans dance (even if they happen to dance together, as is the case with #2). Also, I've carefully avoided doubling up on some actors. Each performer is listed only once (which is why you'll see no Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn, who I do actually like, but I prefer the Cary Grant pairing I have below). Instead of having ninth and tenth couples, I have two honorary mentions. That is, two pairings that I love that have only been paired together once. I'm also including the films in which I like the performers' chemistry best; in the first three choices, I'm including two films. If you like this list or this idea, please feel free to consider yourself tagged in this listing process. I'd love to see what couples you like!

#1. William Powell and Myrna Loy
The Thin Man and I Love You Again


#2. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
Swing Time and Roberta


#3. Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland
The Adventures of Robin Hood and Captain Blood


#4. Cary Grant and Irene Dunne
The Awful Truth


#5. Gene Kelly and Kathryn Grayson
Thousands Cheer


#6. Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell
Footlight Parade


#7. Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee
That Funny Feeling


#8. Frank Sinatra and Betty Garrett
On the Town


Honorary Mentions:
#9. William Holden and Judy Holliday in Born Yesterday


#1o. Claudette Colbert and Don Ameche in Midnight




P.S. I'd like to thank Noir Girl for picking up the movie review chain! I can't wait to read her review!
P.P.S. Don't forget to vote on the poll! There are only two votes so far, which is making the competition a very slow neck-and-neck race.
P.P.P.S. Happy Valentine's Day!! I've picked one of my favorite onscreen kisses as a banner for the occasion!
P.P.P.P.S. (I promise, this is the last one!) Because it relates to the list and to the day, I'm going to do some shameless self-promotion and post one of my videos. I hope you like it! It features my top three couples! The song is written by and performed by the incomparable Emma Wallace of Emma's Music

Top 20 Actors (aka Merry Christmas Ladies)

Kate Gabrielle at Silents and Talkies did a post the other day on her top 20 actors. She kindly opened the invitation to anyone who wanted to join in the fun. Well, I definitely want to join in the fun! So here are my top twenty favorite actors. The list is comprised of actors with whom I'm completely in love, the ones who are so great that they can do no wrong and character actors. I have a couple of explanations before I begin: the trend seems to be to list the actors along with your favorite roles they played - I simply couldn't decide with some of the actors and listed two movies (those are usually the ones who can do no wrong). Oh, and I too tag anyone who is interested. From my understanding, this meme has been going on for a while, which may mean I'm late in the game. Just the same, if anyone hasn't done this list yet and would like to then feel free to consider yourself tagged by me!

#1 Cary Grant
Philadelphia Story and Bringing Up Baby



#2 Fred Astaire
The Gay Divorcee and Swing Time



#3 Errol Flynn
The Adventures of Robin Hood and Captain Blood



#4 Gene Kelly
Singin' In the Rain and Summer Stock



#5 Danny Kaye
White Christmas and Court Jester



#6 William Powell
The Thin Man and I Love You Again



#7 Ricardo Montalban
Neptune's Daughter



#8 Rudolph Valentino
The Sheik


#9 Gary Cooper
Mr. Deeds Goes To Town



#10 James Stewart
The Philadelphia Story



#11 William Holden
Born Yesterday



#12 Donald O'Connor
Singin' in the Rain



#13 Frank Sinatra
On the Town


#14 Robert Redford
Barefoot in the Park



#15 Yul Brynner
The King and I



#16 Howard Keel *
Kiss Me Kate




#17 Peter Lawford
Easter Parade



#18 Bobby Darin
That Funny Feeling



#19 Charlie Chaplin
The Kid

(I'm a little obsessed with photos of Charlie Chaplin when he's not The Little Tramp. I think they're fascinating and very hard to find)

#20 Tony Curtis
Paris When It Sizzles



Wow! That was fun! Just out of curiosity, has anyone done a list of top 20 actresses or top 20 dancers?

Oh, and I'm going to take this opportunity for a little shameless self-promotion. Another one of my favorite hobbies is video editing. I actually considered pursuing editing as a career but realized I'd have to watch movies I don't like so I've been sticking to it as a hobby. Anyway, I made a movie a little while ago about who I think are the sexiest actors (most of them are on this list) and I thought I'd share it with you. The music is performed and written by a wonderful musician, Emma Wallace, who has a blog of her own.



I hope you like the video and the list! All comments are welcome! Thanks for reading!


* I originally had Edward Everett Horton because he is my favorite character actor. But then I thought about it and realized that I'd titled my entry "Merry Christmas Ladies" and Mr. Horton, though fantastic, is not exactly dreamy. I had just happened to watch Calamity Jane the other day and remembered how much I love Howard Keel, so I decided to name him instead.