A Century After Birth, Errol Flynn Is In Again

"Glass paintings, the Schüfftan process, optical overlays, miniatures, mirror shots and rear projection -- they were very believable," Staples said.

He also stresses the influence of Erich Korngold's grand film scores, used in several Flynn epics ("Captain Blood," "Robin Hood," "The Sea Hawk"). "The Korngold scores are magnificent, whether in swashbucklers or others," Staples said. John Williams -- who composed the music for "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" and who has won five Oscars -- "has referenced Korngold in many of his scores."

With three marriages and numerous other dalliances, women were a big part of Flynn's life.

In 1937, Beverly Roberts appeared in "The Perfect Specimen," with Flynn. "He was extremely attractive and gallant," she recalls. "I never had any sort of romantic entanglement with him. But a lot of women threw themselves at his feet. It's hard not to be characterized as a womanizer when they do that!"

Roberts remembers Flynn's chivalry well: "I was smoking during a break one day, when Errol suddenly bounded across the set, knocking the cigarette out of my mouth. I was astounded because he was always such a gentleman. I later learned that the cigarette, which I'd been given, was actually marijuana!"

Few Hollywood co-stars have matched the screen chemistry of Flynn and de Havilland in their eight movies together (they appeared in a ninth, in separate scenes).

"His roguish reputation was very well deserved, as he more than candidly revealed in his remarkable autobiography, 'My Wicked, Wicked Ways,' " said de Havilland from Paris, where she has lived for many years. Of his acting, she said, "He played his roles with unmatchable verve, conviction and style."

But by 1952, with heart and liver problems, chronic back pain and reoccurrences of malaria contracted during his pre-Hollywood adventures, his health was failing. This was evident to Maureen O'Hara, who says he would start drinking in the afternoons while working on the physically demanding pirate adventure "Against All Flags." Nevertheless, she says, in the mornings he was "100 percent professional."

"He still did all his own stunts -- and so did I!" said O'Hara, 88, by phone from her home in Ireland.

In fall 1959, on what would be his final adventure, Flynn traveled to Canada, where he died shortly after suffering a heart attack.

"His legend lives on," says McNulty, referring to the many swashbuckler/action stars in modern blockbuster adventures. McNulty, though, argues that today's stars can't compare: "Flynn showed great depth in his heroic roles, and he also demonstrated he had emotional range, too. Now Johnny Depp created a remarkable character with Jack Sparrow, and those films are outstanding modern adventure films . . . but Jack Sparrow is far removed from Errol Flynn's Captain Blood."