What was Errol Flynn's Net Worth?
Errol Flynn was an Australian-American actor who had a net worth of $10 million at the time of his death (adjusted for inflation). Errol Flynn was was among the biggest stars of Hollywood's Golden Age. He was best known for his roles in romantic swashbucklers, such as "Captain Blood," "The Adventures of Robin Hood," and "The Sea Hawk," as well as in Westerns such as "Dodge City" and "San Antonio." Flynn was also notorious for his hedonistic, womanizing lifestyle.
Early Life
Errol Flynn was born on June 20, 1909 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia to Marelle and Theodore. Both of his parents were born in Australia of English, Scottish, and Irish descent. Flynn was educated at the Hutchins School, Hobart College, the Friends School, and Albura Street Primary School; he was expelled from every one of them. From 1923 to 1925, he attended the South West London College, and in 1926 returned to Australia to attend Sydney Church of England Grammar School. However, he was once again expelled. Flynn went on to work as a junior clerk at a Sydney shipping company, but was fired for stealing cash. After that, he moved to Papua New Guinea to work in the tobacco planting and gold mining industries.
Start of Film Career
Flynn made his film debut in 1933 in the Australian film "In the Wake of the Bounty." He subsequently moved to Britain, where he studied acting with the Northampton Repertory Company and performed at festivals. Flynn soon got into trouble there when he threw a female stage manager down the stairs, resulting in his dismissal from the company. He went on to land the lead role in the film "Murder at Monte Carlo," which led to him being recommended to Warner Bros. in Hollywood.
Hollywood Breakthroughs
Flynn appeared in his first Hollywood films in 1935. After acting in "The Case of the Curious Bride" and "Don't Bet on Blondes," he had his breakthrough as the titular character in Michael Curtiz's swashbuckling pirate film "Captain Blood." The film was a massive success, kicking off a prolific partnership between Flynn and his costar Olivia de Havilland. In 1936, the pair starred together in the historical adventure film "The Charge of the Light Brigade," which was another major success for Warner Bros. Flynn went on to star in "Green Light," "The Prince and the Pauper," "Another Dawn," and his first comedy, "The Perfect Specimen." In 1938, he starred in what would become his most famous film, "The Adventures of Robin Hood." The film reunited him with Olivia de Havilland and director Michael Curtiz, and was the first large-budget Warner Bros. title to use three-strip Technicolor. "The Adventures of Robin Hood" was an international hit, cementing Flynn as a star of romantic swashbucklers.
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Further Film Career
After "The Adventures of Robin Hood," Flynn again starred with de Havilland in a Michael Curtiz film, "Four's a Crowd." However, the screwball comedy was a commercial disappointment. Next came "The Sisters" and "The Dawn Patrol." In 1939, Flynn starred in his first Western, "Dodge City," directed by Curtiz and costarring de Havilland. The film became Warner's highest-grossing of the year. Also that year, Flynn, de Havilland, and Bette Davis starred in Curtiz's "The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex." Flynn subsequently returned to the Western genre, starring in Curtiz's "Virginia City." Despite serious turbulence behind the scenes, the film was a big hit. Flynn then starred in the swashbuckler "The Sea Hawk," his tenth collaboration with Curtiz, and the Western "Santa Fe Trail," also directed by Curtiz, and costarring de Havilland. In 1941, Flynn starred in his final film by Curtiz, the aviation film "Dive Bomber." The following year, he kicked off another long-term relationship with a director when he starred in Raoul Walsh's "They Died with Their Boots On." The film was his first with Walsh but his last with costar de Havilland. Flynn went on to star in Walsh's "Desperate Journey," "Gentleman Jim," "Northern Pursuit," "Uncertain Glory," and "Objective, Burma!," among other titles. His other credits in the 40s include "Edge of Darkness," "Thank Your Lucky Stars," "San Antonio," "Silver River," "Adventures of Don Juan," and "That Forsyte Woman," which he did for MGM.
Returning to Warner Bros. in 1950, Flynn starred in the Westerns "Montana" and "Rocky Mountain." He subsequently wrote and co-produced the low-budget 1951 film "Adventures of Captain Fabian." The following year, Flynn starred in "Mara Maru" for Warner Bros. and "Against All Flags" for Universal. His final film for Warner Bros. was the swashbuckler "The Master of Ballantrae," released in 1953. Flynn then relocated to Europe, where he made the swashbuckler "Crossed Swords" with Gina Lollobrigida. That film inspired him to produce "The Story of William Tell," which had a disastrous production and was never released. Moreover, it left Flynn in financial ruins. In need of money, he accepted a supporting role in the British musical film "Lilacs in the Spring." Flynn appeared in two more British films, "The Dark Avenger" and "King's Rhapsody," before returning to Hollywood and making his comeback with the Universal film noir "Istanbul." He subsequently starred in "The Big Boodle," "The Sun Also Rises," "Too Much, Too Soon," "The Roots of Heaven," and "Cuban Rebel Girls." Flynn's final known credit was as the narrator of the 1959 documentary "Cuban Story: The Truth About Fidel Castro Revolution."
Controversies
Flynn was a very controversial figure behind the scenes due to his womanizing, hard drinking and smoking, and abusive behavior. In 1942, two 17-year-old girls accused him of statutory rape, resulting in a major scandal. Flynn was ultimately acquitted at trial, but the charges would hang over him for the rest of his career. Later, in 1961, it was revealed that he had been in a sexual relationship with actress Beverly Aadland since she was 15.
Personal Life and Death
Flynn was romantically linked to a number of famous women throughout his life, including actresses Marlene Dietrich and Dolores del Rio. Beyond his dalliances, he was married a total of three times. He was with his first wife, actress Lili Damita, from 1935 until their divorce in 1942. They had a son named Sean. Flynn was subsequently married to actress Nora Eddington from 1943 until their divorce in 1949; they had two daughters named Deirdre and Rory. Finally, in 1950, he married actress Patrice Wymore, with whom he had a daughter named Arnella.
While being driven to the airport in Vancouver, Canada with actress Beverly Aadland in 1959, Flynn experienced severe pain in his legs and back. He was transported to the residence of a doctor, Grant Gould, who administered medicine. When Aadland came to check on Flynn, she found him unconscious. Flynn was quickly transferred to the hospital, where he passed away that evening from myocardial infarction with liver damage as a contributing factor. He was 50 years of age.
