Classic movie site with rare images, original ads, and behind-the-scenes photos, with informative and insightful commentary. We like to have fun with movies!
Archive and Links
grbrpix@aol.com
Search Index Here




Saturday, June 30, 2012


Flynn Sails With Universal-International --- Part One

Among the unexpected to show up on Region 2 Blu-Ray comes Against All Flags, a costume actioner Errol Flynn did for Universal-International shortly before truest career plummet began. Did U-I maintain standing sets for repeated pirate forays their contract and guest players took? Certainly these had polish, if not lasting value, of Warner, or even Fox, sailings. I watched Flags close for economies, there in abundance, but not once does it openly cheat, as pretender sword pics oft-would. Errol looks surprisingly preserved as well --- did he behave in hopes of continued Uni work and more percentage pay like Alan Ladd, Jim Stewart, and Tyrone Power were getting?

So Far as Errol Figured, Those Scars on His Back Were Ones Slave-Driving Warner Bros. Left

Flynn was represented by MCA agent Lew Wasserman, lately responsible for getting Stewart 50% of profit flowing from Universal's Winchester '73, a deal said to have yielded upwards of $600K to the actor. Soon enough came other name players beating at the percentage door. The money seems to have been real enough, at least for some. Tyrone Power allegedly took $750,000 by The Mississippi Gambler's theatrical wind-up. Alan Ladd was satisfied enough with Desert Legion to stay on for Saskatchewan. Wasserman by 1951 represented power beyond that of most studio heads. He had succeeded in re-negotiating Errol Flynn's Warner pact to allow outside pictures, one per annum, Against All Flags to be the star's first go at profit participantion with Universal.

Errol at Maureen's Mercy --- She'd Write Later That He Was a Pleasure To Work With

Flynn Rehearses Swordplay on Universal Soundstage
Flynn's doubled a lot in Flags --- Blu-Ray betrays such in action not as noticeable before. Were 35mm Tech prints so sharp as HD projection? I've gone long enough with digital to have near-forgot. You're way past surfeit of this stuff when sword scuffles become more a matter of spotting stand-ins than what action is performed. Flynn was good with medium-shot dueling ... sometimes he'd get too frisky, or in cups, so opponents got cut. Didn't I read where young Chris Lee spilled blood a few years later on TV's Errol Flynn Theatre wherein he guested?


There is Maureen O'Hara as a lady pirate, loath to kiss Errol unless it's her idea. Was she any sort of feminist role model ... ever? ... or did too many pairings with (and spankings from) John Wayne scotch O'Hara placement among icons for gender equality? She's actually good with a sword, near so as Flynn. Small wonder Universal touted their teaming as one that had to happen. Blu-Ray supports O'Hara's rep as a (no, the) Queen Of Technicolor. With lards of damaging make-up they used to put on stars, especially for Tech work, I'm surprised her complexion stood up to years of such application (and maybe it didn't, as unretouched stills of any Gold Age femme star are hard to come by).


Errol Flynn's Most Dependable Companions --- A Good Book
 and a Faithful Dog
George Sherman directed Against All Flags. He knew action from herding horseflesh and cowboys mounted thereon. I'll bet he finished this under budget. Sherman's is effort we call "workmanlike," by no means a pejorative, as age and further exploration of modest output makes me better appreciate pro jobs done by journeymen still awaiting their due. Universal saw Against All Flags highlighting a '52 season --- this was a money show and they'd spend (comparative) lots to put it equal as possible with period-dressed Metro, the latter's Stewart Granger series by far richest of adventure writ with feathers. Just having Flynn got AAF in venues less receptive to Uni programmers Tony Curtis or Jeff Chandler top-lined. It was sure-fires like Flynn, Stewart, Ladd, and Power that gave U-I revenue to develop in-house Curtis, Rock Hudson, and others who'd come to represent stardom for 50's youth, and indeed, it was company quest for unassailable A's that made them roll over for big-name % demands.

Among Universal's Junior Varsity Pirate Crew --- Philip Friend and Yvonne De Carlo

Universal's were otherwise the dime comic books of pirate movies. Looking at one was same as watching six for as much as they varied. Star potential was tested, option pick-ups determined by how (mostly) kid/teens responded to new faces. Some clicked, like Yvonne De Carlo as titular Buccaneer's Girl in 1950, but opposite number Philip Friend, "introduced" here (despite being in pics ten years), didn't register and walked the plank. Such product serviced what was left of a movie-mad public, down principally to youth, enough of them fortunately there to generate profits so long as Universal kept costs at bay. Technicolor was a common thread through postwar U-I actioners, westerns and costume piece alike. Whatever deficiency lay in script or direction saw compensation for being at least pretty to look at. With proper DVD delivery, many still are.

Part Two on Universal-International piracy is HERE.

12 Comments:

Blogger John McElwee said...

Make-up artist Craig Reardon e-mails with detail on Golden Age studio applications ... (Part One)


Hi John,


I've never seen "Against All Flags"! I'd like to---I mean, I think I would. I wonder what exactly happened to U-I, which started with high hopes of becoming a quality alternative to the Universal that preceded it, and instead sort of surrendered (after some very good initial films, and I'm thinking of Hellinger's three films, and "Letter From an Unknown Woman") to B-dom for another decade-and-change?


I wanted to put in my two cents as to the remarks about Technicolor makeup. I think the rumor mill contributes to the notion that "old time" movie makeup was destructive, somehow. All it really was was heavy, in my opinion. In the early '30s, I think some of the studio makeup artists were still using grease paint, which was not only a generic name but a literal one, printed right on tubes of the stuff manufactured by Max Factor. This was considered an upgrade from stick grease paint, which was a bit stiffer and required some warming up before it was capable of being rubbed all over the face. Lon Chaney Sr.'s makeup kit, which actually still exists and somehow fell into the hands of the L.A. Museum of Science and Industry (versus the L.A. Museum of Natural History, its nextdoor neighbor), has a couple of sticks of greasepaint in it, which I take it for granted is petrified! It also contains such interesting items as some dentures he wore (character ones, I mean!), as well as some full-sclera (they cover the entire eye) glass contact lenses. So much for old, screwball rumors of Chaney putting "the skin of an egg" or alternately "collodion" (very much a bad idea!) over his eye. Collodion was a dispersion of something called 'gun cotton', or nitrocellulose (a primitive plastic) in either ether or acetone---not something you'd put in your eye in your right mind! But, back to makeup itself, the color---in the '30s, most makeup departments at the studios were moving over to new Factor products, either Pan Stik or Pan Cake makeup. The "pan" referred to its suitability for "panchromatic" film, film which could detect all wavelengths of light. Earlier orthochromatic film was insensitive to blue light, for one, which rendered some silent movie stars rather scary if they had light-colored eyes, especially blue! Pan Stik and Pan Cake were still in use when I got into the business as late as 1976, and they or their imitators remained in use for a decade or more. Today, it's a nightmare frankly, for there are scores of brands that trade places being the 'sine qua non' to this or that diva. A big pain in the ass, if you ask me. (Plus, many actors and actresses are actually air-brushed now, which is unnecessary, but not to hear the makeup artists tell their credulous clients.)

4:26 PM  
Blogger John McElwee said...

Part Two from Craig Reardon ...


I think that makeup in the '30s, '40s, and '50s (forward) was probably only different from that of today insofar as the desire in those years to blank out the natural complexion of a given performer and replace it with a highly-esteemed 'perfect' one, without blemishes of any kind, this in a day when even freckles were sometimes contrued as blemishes! But, I very much doubt that makeup did any damage---permanent damage---to any actor. I've never, ever heard any such conversation within the union I've belonged to for 34 years, even as gossip.
I think that although it was once very popular to simply smear on 'cold cream' to quickly emulsify and remove heavier coatings of coverage, and now it isn't---though makeup removers are still used for their relative speed, even though modern makeup is lighter in texture and more thinly applied----that actors always took care to clean the stuff off, and smart ones probably washed up too. I've never bought into the idea that faces were ruined with makeup. I think the fact is that we all grow old. When we see one of the gods or goddesses of the screen do the same, something in our brains short circuits and we feel there must be some reason why they don't look as great as they did when they were young and transcendent. I think the reason is age. What they do in their spare time, that's where a lot of the real problems begin and become serious. Erroll Flynn?! 'Nuff said on that subject---though I know you weren't speaking of Flynn in relation to makeup wear-and-tear.


Always great columns, John. BTW, where is this new BD being marketed, in the U.K.? I know one company over there previously put out BDs (I don't have them, unfortuntely) of "The Black Shield of Falworth" and "Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves" (not "Arabian Nights", alas!) Did they ever put out "Cobra Woman" on BD?


Craig

To your question about "Against All Flags," Craig, I think the Blu-Ray was from Amazon Spain ... and there isn't, so far, a "Cobra Woman" in Blu-Ray yet, at least that I'm aware of. It has been shown in HD on some of the Cinemax channels, and looks great.

4:26 PM  
Anonymous Paul Duca said...

I have heard the story that Margaret Hamilton wound up with permanent wrinkles on her chin from the Wicked Witch of the West makeup in THE WIZARD OF OZ...as well as Buddy Ebsen's near-fatal reaction to the aluminum compound he was to wear as the Tin Man (which was reformulated by the time Jack Haley took over the role).

8:19 PM  
Anonymous DBenson said...

"Against All Flags" is on a Universal DVD set called "Pirates of the Golden Age" with "Buccaneer's Girl", "Yankee Buccaneer" (boredom in Technicolor), and "Double Crossbones" (Donald O'Connor sunk by a lame comedy vehicle).

It's $8.02 on Amazon right now. Pretty good deal even if you skip a couple of films.

If Universal didn't stint on AAF, it's probably because they saw it as an investment. Sets and model shots reappear in other films in the set (YB was evidently made just to keep the AAF sets busy during a break in filming).

AAF was remade as very television-like "King's Pirate" in the 60's, with Doug McClure, Richard Deacon as the pirate version of Mel Cooley, and Jill St. John in very tight pants.

11:34 PM  
Anonymous Len said...

I don't recall what actress it was who said it or where I read it even, but whoever it was, she put the blame on many performers of her generation not aging well on those beautiful, dark, healthy, glowing tans they all wanted in those days.

8:12 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

They're wonderful photos, but all I can think when looking at later pics of Flynn is 'this guy isn't even fifty yet and look at him!' - and I don't think we can blame the make-up for that ;-)

Poor Flynn. he's a hero of mine in his weird way, I know he's this mythic hellraiser, but IMO people don't wreck themselves with quite such determination unless there's something seriously wrong somewhere.

OT but does anyone know of a person who who collects Basil Rathbone letters and who might be able to help identify some unpublished ones as genuine?

Second OT - I've jut opened up my own Basil Rathbone blog titled "The Baz" (massive effort of imagination on my part, you can see).

http://thegreatbaz.wordpress.com

The first post is about this little book I found online called "Watcher What of the Night?" that details the fraught effort to get The Heirss on Broadway in 1947.

There's a marvellous little cameo of Basil and Ouida. - She was a very strange person indeed!

7:26 AM  
Blogger Kevin Deany said...

If memory serves, Flynn and Christopher Lee were filming a duel for "The Warriors" (1955)when Flynn got a little too enthusiastic with the sword and sliced open part of Lee's hand.

11:33 AM  
Anonymous Bob said...

I'm a great fan of Flynn -- He was able to make anything watchable. (Yes ... even Cuban Rebel Girls!) I think he's an actor who has not really gotten his due.

@TheGreatBaz -- as one Rathbone lover to the next, congrats on the site!

2:08 PM  
Blogger Mary said...

Wasserman was not the first to get profit participation for a client. Agent Myron Selznick earned several of his clients either net or gross as early as the mid-1930s. Director Leo McCarey earned net profit on LOVE AFFAIR, Fredric March received net on RKO and United Artists films, Fred Astaire earned gross on RKO, and Carole Lombard earned gross participation on RKO films as well.

12:44 AM  
Blogger John McElwee said...

How right you are, Mary. In fact, even Marie Dressler contracted for a percentage of "Tillie's Punctured Romance" in 1914! There's an excellent new book on this subject, "Hidden Talent," by Tom Kemper, that I'd highly recommend.

5:11 AM  
Blogger Mike Cline said...

Love Natalie Wood's stereo.

9:13 AM  
Blogger StevensScope said...

WILL U-I EVER RELEASE their OTHER Errol Flynn title, "ISTANBUL"? This WAS his real 'comeback' film to Hollywood, and NOT "THE SUN ALSO RISES"!! Nothing great here, but IT IS a romantic little gem in 'SCOPE and TECHNICOLOR, with an additional PLUS having Nat 'KING' Cole sing a couple of neat songs; While the film is no great shakes, it remains a sentimental favorite for some of us...I think the film has received a 'bad rap' through the years, perhaps because it hasn't been viewed much.. (just AMC, years ago, SCREENED IT, when Bob Dorian hosted what was then, the BEGINNING of the wide screen 'letterboxed' versions EVER shown on TV..way back when!!, or if a collector ever got so lucky as to find a print of it..!). Flynn fans will note that he only made 5 titles in 'scope! Thank you for this Flynn article, and for my recent discovery of GREENBRIER!!

7:24 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home

grbrpix@aol.com
  • December 2005
  • January 2006
  • February 2006
  • March 2006
  • April 2006
  • May 2006
  • June 2006
  • July 2006
  • August 2006
  • September 2006
  • October 2006
  • November 2006
  • December 2006
  • January 2007
  • February 2007
  • March 2007
  • April 2007
  • May 2007
  • June 2007
  • July 2007
  • August 2007
  • September 2007
  • October 2007
  • November 2007
  • December 2007
  • January 2008
  • February 2008
  • March 2008
  • April 2008
  • May 2008
  • June 2008
  • July 2008
  • August 2008
  • September 2008
  • October 2008
  • November 2008
  • December 2008
  • January 2009
  • February 2009
  • March 2009
  • April 2009
  • May 2009
  • June 2009
  • July 2009
  • August 2009
  • September 2009
  • October 2009
  • November 2009
  • December 2009
  • January 2010
  • February 2010
  • March 2010
  • April 2010
  • May 2010
  • June 2010
  • July 2010
  • August 2010
  • September 2010
  • October 2010
  • November 2010
  • December 2010
  • January 2011
  • February 2011
  • March 2011
  • April 2011
  • May 2011
  • June 2011
  • July 2011
  • August 2011
  • September 2011
  • October 2011
  • November 2011
  • December 2011
  • January 2012
  • February 2012
  • March 2012
  • April 2012
  • May 2012
  • June 2012
  • July 2012
  • August 2012
  • September 2012
  • October 2012
  • November 2012
  • December 2012
  • January 2013
  • February 2013
  • March 2013
  • April 2013
  • May 2013
  • June 2013
  • July 2013
  • August 2013
  • September 2013
  • October 2013
  • November 2013
  • December 2013
  • January 2014
  • February 2014
  • March 2014
  • April 2014
  • May 2014
  • June 2014
  • July 2014
  • August 2014
  • September 2014
  • October 2014
  • November 2014
  • December 2014
  • January 2015
  • February 2015
  • March 2015
  • April 2015
  • May 2015
  • June 2015
  • July 2015
  • August 2015
  • September 2015
  • October 2015
  • November 2015
  • December 2015
  • January 2016
  • February 2016
  • March 2016
  • April 2016
  • May 2016
  • June 2016
  • July 2016
  • August 2016
  • September 2016
  • October 2016
  • November 2016
  • December 2016
  • January 2017
  • February 2017
  • March 2017
  • April 2017
  • May 2017
  • June 2017
  • July 2017
  • August 2017
  • September 2017
  • October 2017
  • November 2017
  • December 2017
  • January 2018
  • February 2018
  • March 2018
  • April 2018
  • May 2018
  • June 2018
  • July 2018
  • August 2018
  • September 2018
  • October 2018
  • November 2018
  • December 2018
  • January 2019
  • February 2019
  • March 2019
  • April 2019
  • May 2019
  • June 2019
  • July 2019
  • August 2019
  • September 2019
  • October 2019
  • November 2019
  • December 2019
  • January 2020
  • February 2020
  • March 2020
  • April 2020
  • May 2020
  • June 2020
  • July 2020
  • August 2020
  • September 2020
  • October 2020
  • November 2020
  • December 2020
  • January 2021
  • February 2021
  • March 2021
  • April 2021
  • May 2021
  • June 2021
  • July 2021
  • August 2021
  • September 2021
  • October 2021
  • November 2021
  • December 2021
  • January 2022
  • February 2022
  • March 2022
  • April 2022
  • May 2022
  • June 2022
  • July 2022
  • August 2022
  • September 2022
  • October 2022
  • November 2022
  • December 2022
  • January 2023
  • February 2023
  • March 2023
  • April 2023
  • May 2023
  • June 2023
  • July 2023
  • August 2023
  • September 2023
  • October 2023
  • November 2023
  • December 2023
  • January 2024
  • February 2024
  • March 2024