Dodge City: Errol Flynn Goes West

Dodge City was one of the highest grossing films of 1939 and the fifth of eight feature films to team up Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. There is the Western genre before Stagecoach and then there is everything that came afterwards. Prior to Stagecoach, the genre was seen as a B movie. In addition to Stagecoach and Dodge City, other big Westerns of 1939 included Union Pacific and Jesse James. When studios realized what…

"Dodge City: Errol Flynn Goes West"

Santa Fe Trail: What Was Warner Bros. Thinking?

In watching Santa Fe Trail, one starts wondering if this Western was the consolation prize for Warner Bros. after losing Gone with the Wind. In the first moments after pressing play, my first question was just what the hell was Warner Bros. thinking? It’s not just the studio. Michael Curtiz is a filmmaker that is better than this pro-Confederate propaganda. Leave it to him to read into the history of the Santa Fe trail but…

"Santa Fe Trail: What Was Warner Bros. Thinking?"

Captain Blood Made Errol Flynn A Star

Errol Flynn was only a small contract player for Warner Bros. going into Captain Blood but the swashbuckler propelled him to stardom. The film takes us to England 1685 where Irish doctor Peter Blood (Errol Flynn) is just performing his duties as a doctor. Next thing you know, he is being arrested for treason against King James II (Vernon Steele). But rather than follow through with the death sentence from Judge Jeffreys (Leonard Muddie), the…

"Captain Blood Made Errol Flynn A Star"