Errol Flynn died on October 14, 1959, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at just 50 years old. The official cause of death was a heart attack, triggered by coronary thrombosis and coronary atherosclerosis. Contributing factors included fatty degeneration of the liver and partial cirrhosis. The death marked the end of one of Hollywood’s most turbulent and flamboyant lives.
Flynn was born Aerrol Lesie Thompson Flynn in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, in 1909. His father, Theodore Thompson Flynn, was ao respected marine biologist and academic, while his mother was Lily Mary Young. From an early age, Flynn rejected discipline, was expelled from several schools, and gravitated toward adventure. Before Hollywood discovered him, he worked as a sailor, miner, boxer, and overseer on a farm in Papua New Guinea.
These experiences forged the rugged charm that would later define his screen persona. Flynn’s acting career began in Australia in 1933 with the low-budget film “In the Wake of the Bounty, where he played Fletcher Christian. Warner Brothers soon noticed his natural presence on camera and brought him to Hollywood. His breakout role came in 1935 with Captain Blood, which made him an international star overnight.
He followed with a string of swashbuckling hits, including The Charge of the Light Brigade in 1936, The Adventures of Robin Hood in 1938, Dodge City in 1939, and The Sea Hawk in 1940. Opposing Olivia de Havilland, he became part of one of the era’s most beloved on-screen pairs, known for warmth, humor, and mutual respect. Yet Flynn was not merely a handsome action hero. He sought serious dramatic roles, delivering notable performances in They Died with Their Boots Onin 1941, Gentleman Jim in 1942, and The Sun Also Rises in 1957.
He also surprised critics with his work in the 1949 film That Forsyte Woman, demonstrating depth beyond action fare. Off screen, his personal life was notoriously chaotic. Flynn married three times. His first marriage, to French actress Lilæl Damita, began in 1935 amid his rapid rise to fame.
They had one son, Shaun Flynn, born in 1941, who later pursued a tragic and remarkable career as a photographer during the Vietnam War. The marriage ended in divorce in 1942. The following year, Flynn married actress Nora Eddington, with whom he had two daughters, Deirdra in 1945 and Rory in 1947. For a period, he appeared to embrace family life, but the pressures of fame, personal struggles, and an increasingly reckless lifestyle led to divorce in 1949.
His third and final marriage, to actress Patrice Wymore, took place inn1950 and lasted until his death. They had one daughter, Arnella Roma Flynn, born inn1953. Through his daughter Rory, Flynn became the maternal grandfather of actor Sean Flynn, known for starring in the television series Zoey 101. His influence thus extended beyond his own career into subsequent generations.
Flynn’s later years were shadowed by declining health and financial troubles. He continued working, often in smaller and foreign productions during the 1950s, bringing a tired, reflective quality to his performances. He was also linked for decades to a rumored romantic connection with fellow star Robert Taylor, although in the climate of 1930s and 1940s Hollywood, any such relationship could have destroyed both men’s careers. The studio system enforced rigid morality, and both actors maintained highly publicized relationships with women, which served as protection from suspicion.
Flynn himself reportedly spoke with tired irony about the pressures of maintaining a consistent public legend, remarking,“They didn’t want a man. They wanted a legend, one that never contradicted itself. ” He also reflected,“I lived the life they needed me to live. The rest belonged to me.
” In his final days, Flynn’s financial desperation led him to travel to Vancouver on October 9, 1959, hoping to lease his beloved yacht, Zaka, to a businessman named George Caldow. He traveled with 17-year-old actress Beverly Aadland, whose presence later added a layer of controversy to his death. On October 14th, en route to the airport for a return flight to Los Angeles, Flynn complained of intense pain in his back and legs. Caldow turned the car around and drove to the home of Dr.
Grant Gould. Flynn, once known for athletic ease, struggled merely to climb the stairs. Dr. Gould diagnosed likely degenerative disc disease and spinal osteoarthritis, and administered an injection of 50 milligrams of Demerol.
As the pain subsided, Flynn grew animated, reminiscing at length about his adventures and triumphs. Notably, he declined a drink when offered, an unusual choice for a man whose excesses were legendary. After receiving a leg massage, he reportedly said he felt“ever so much better. ” About 20 minutes later, Aadland found him unresponsive.
Emergency treatment followed, and Flynn was rushed by ambulance to Vancouver General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead later that evening. The coroner’s report painted the picture of a body worn down by years of strain, citing the heart attack as the immediate cause along with significant liver damage. It was also reported that he had previously sought treatment for genital warts, illustrating how much his health had quietly deteriorated. Flynn left behind a son, two daughters, both parents, anda legacy as complex as it is enduring.
The final journey, intended to rescue a failing fortune, became instead the closing chapter of a legend whose life burned brightly and briefly against the golden age of Hollywood.
