memorable tv           

TELEVISION

MUSIC

MORE STUFF

TASMANIAN DEVIL - THE FAST AND FURIOUS LIFE OF ERROL FLYNN

Umbrella Entertainment / All region / Released March 2008

One of the key figures from the Golden Age of Hollywood, Errol Flynn was the hard living, hedonistic, swashbuckling, often troublesome star whose off screen antics all too often eclipsed his work on the screen.

Tasmanian Devil, just out in an extras filled release by Umbrella, is a 60 minute romp through his life and times. Narrated by Christopher Lee and full of excellent archive footage and indepth interviews with the key people from his life TD has been made with a huge amount of attention to detail (as befits an ABC doco of course). It touches on his early yeares growing up in Tasmania, mythic tales of his days in Australia (which he eventually had to leave in a hurry, taking with him a set of valuable diamonds belonging to his society lover).

The documentary also spends quite a bit of time on Flynn's supposed revolutionary sympathies, something of a surprise when you realise he was actually turned down for active service during World War II because of an alleged heart condition.

Flynn was dead at fifty, an alcoholic who had been through several troubling years, including time in court on a charge of statutory rape thanks to his love for young women. It's something of a shame really that Flynn's lifestyle and the publicity it generated meant that his film work was often over looked because he was a fine actor who made some really great movies.

Tasmanian Devil is an insightful and highly watchable documentary of interest not just to fans of the man himself but also as a fascinating glimpse into the glory days of the Hollywood system.

It features plenty of extras too including additional interviews, a featurette on Flynn's time in Cuba; A look at Errol Flynn at the Zaca' 2 radio plays featuring Errol with the Gulf Screen Actors Guild, a photo gallery and a filmography.

back to dvd reviews | home

Umbrella Entertainment

RSS FEEDS AND EMAIL NEWSLETTER

Subscribe to memorable tv for updates,comp news and more or Via Email