During the Golden Age of Hollywood, nobody wielded a stage-prop sword like Errol Flynn. The Australian-born actor, who in his youth was a world traveler, athlete, adventurer, and sailor, was often cast in romantic swashbuckler films that showcased his bravado, swordsmanship, and his muscular, tight-clad legs. Think Errol Flynn’s only swashbuckler movie was the 1938 film, The Adventures of Robin Hood? Think again. Here is an overview of some of Flynn’s best-known action-adventure films of the Golden Age of Hollywood that will help you understand why he was named one of the Greatest Heroes of American Films by the American Film Institute.
Before there was The Adventures of Robin Hood, there was Captain Blood, a swashbuckling pirate movie filmed in 1935. Warner Bros. Studios originally cast actor Robert Donat in the title role, but after he read the script, Donat, who suffered from chronic asthma, worried that he would not be physically able to take on the demanding role. The studio considered other actors, including Leslie Howard, but settled on a newcomer from Australia named Errol Flynn who gave an impressive screen test. Captain Blood was a huge success for Warner Bros. and launched Errol Flynn to stardom.
In 1936 and 1937, Errol Flynn appeared in two more action-adventure films. The Charge of the Light Brigade in 1936 was a military romance set in colonial India, but Flynn was called upon to wield a sword and perform daring stunts. In 1937, Errol Flynn was a last-minute replacement for Patric Knowles in the swashbuckling period film, The Prince and the Pauper.
Errol Flynn looked so good in tights and with a sword in his hand that Warner Bros. cast him in the title role of its 1938 Technicolor blockbuster, The Adventures of Robin Hood. The epitome of a swashbuckler during Hollywood’s Golden Era, The Adventures of Robin Hood was one of the highest-grossing films of the year. As the folk hero Robin Hood, Errol Flynn performed nearly all of his own stunts for the movie. One notable exception was the scene in which Robin, with his hands tied behind his back, jumps onto a horse.
With the successes of Captain Blood and The Adventures of Robin Hood, Errol Flynn was Hollywood’s go-to actor for swashbuckler and action-adventure role. He starred in The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex in 1939, The Sea Hawk in 1940, They Died with Their Boots On in 1941, and Desperate Journey in 1942.
Errol Flynn starred in The Adventures of Don Juan in 1948, a period piece that cast him as an adventurer, swordsman, and womanizer. Off-screen, Flynn had also gained a reputation for his womanizing ways and was twice accused of raping teenaged girls.
He followed up The Adventures of Don Juan with the 1950 film, Kim, based on a Rudyard Kipling novel, and the swashbuckling pirate film, The Adventures of Captain Fabian in 1951. Rounding out the list of Errol Flynn’s action-adventure movies are Mara Maru in 1952, All Against Flags in 1952, The Master Ballantrae in 1953, Crossed Swords in 1954, The Legend of William Tell in 1954, and The Dark Avenger in 1955.
Lest you think Errol Flynn only appeared in swashbucklers, we should point out that he also appeared in numerous romances, comedies, film noirs, dramas, and even a musical film. As the story goes, Flynn repeatedly asked Warner Bros. to cast him in different roles that would stretch his abilities as an actor. They agreed, and Flynn portrayed numerous non-swashbuckling characters, but the studio always returned to him when they began work on a new action-adventure project, particularly if that film required the star to wear tights and brandish a sword.