The Sword Fights of Errol Flynn
April 26, 2012 3:07 PM   Subscribe

 
There's some serious buckles being swashed here.
posted by 40 Watt at 3:12 PM on April 26, 2012


If you're an Errol Flynn fan, and you haven't seen the homage that is My Favorite Year (practically a fan flick), do yourself a favor. It's one of my all-time favorites.
posted by Mike Mongo at 3:17 PM on April 26, 2012 [4 favorites]


What, no xylophone playing?
posted by gngstrMNKY at 3:17 PM on April 26, 2012 [1 favorite]


And drink? Forget about it.
posted by Trochanter at 3:49 PM on April 26, 2012


I've always loved his Robin Hood for his breezy attitude towards defying Prince John. Best line in the movie:

"You speak treason!"

"Fluently."
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 5:02 PM on April 26, 2012 [9 favorites]


Please. Where would Flynn be without Basil Rathbone? You can't sword fight with yourself. Well, not thrillingly.
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:29 PM on April 26, 2012 [4 favorites]


Errol Flynn was a serious swordsman.
posted by wilful at 6:55 PM on April 26, 2012


The Adventures of Robin Hood is the definitive version and I love Errol Flynn and his echoes in subsequent media (My Favorite Year, The Rocketeer).

But I as I grew up I always felt really bad for Basil Rathbone always having to lose to Errol Flynn swinging his tin sword in the air when he was a world-class fencer. Rathbone also taught Danny Kaye his stage fencing in The Court Jester, so he wins points for that.
posted by Muttoneer at 7:48 PM on April 26, 2012 [4 favorites]




I have to say, much as I love Errol Flynn, that I find those sword fights mind-numbingly boring. It's not just that you have no sense at all of two men trying to cut each other with huge knives; they don't even seem to be trying to hit each other at all. They just hit each other's swords in different ways. The sword fight in Olivier's hamlet is far better than anything Flynn ever did (in terms of onscreen swordplay.)
posted by Balok at 9:34 PM on April 26, 2012


Wow...it's pretty cool to see this post. I created and put that clip on Vimeo over 3 years ago. =)
posted by rmmcclay at 9:39 PM on April 26, 2012 [9 favorites]


Came home from fencing club to find this. Yay!
posted by chapps at 11:44 PM on April 26, 2012 [1 favorite]


Balok: "1I have to say, much as I love Errol Flynn, that I find those sword fights mind-numbingly boring. It's not just that you have no sense at all of two men trying to cut each other with huge knives; they don't even seem to be trying to hit each other at all. They just hit each other's swords in different ways. The sword fight in Olivier's hamlet is far better than anything Flynn ever did (in terms of onscreen swordplay.)"
Agreed. This is more to my liking when it comes to cinematic fighting.
posted by brokkr at 5:11 AM on April 27, 2012


I love looking at Errol Flynn in full flight.
posted by h00py at 5:53 AM on April 27, 2012


I have to say, much as I love Errol Flynn, that I find those sword fights mind-numbingly boring.

If you like cinematic sword fighting (in the Western tradition), you can't go wrong with fight choreographer William Hobbs. Here are a few of his fights.
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:06 AM on April 27, 2012


Rathbone also taught Danny Kaye his stage fencing in The Court Jester, so he wins points for that.

The Court Jester swordfight
posted by nonane at 7:27 AM on April 27, 2012


Going to enjoy watching this with my husband later. We love Errol Flynn movies.
posted by immlass at 3:00 PM on April 27, 2012


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