8mm Forum: The Sword of Villon (Errol Flynn) 1956 Blackhawk films

This is topic The Sword of Villon (Errol Flynn) 1956 Blackhawk films in forum 8mm Print Reviews at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on February 12, 2014, 12:32 PM:

I recently won this on ebay and had only seen this come up a few times. I had always been a fan of Flynn’s films and always admired them as good old swashbuckling fun.

When I heard of this very obscure TV program, I assumed, “poor Errol, slumming on TV, he couldn’t get any work”.

Well, actually, that wasn’t true. Errol kept on working until the day of his death, though, at 49, his endless lifestyle of binge drinking had certainly taken it’s toll, (and all those rumors of those underage … ummm, ladies), as Errol was a paunchy sagging mess, aged before his time.

So, I didn’t expect much of this. After all, I had watched the “Robin Hood” TV show of the 50’s and expected low production values and a well, lest be honest, an over the hill Errol.

I was pleasantly surprised.

I had seen Errol in films of the early to mid 1950’s, and Errol was looking tired and sad. It appears that he lost some weight for this role, (he would appear on the same TV show a year later but in a different role and story), and he didn’t “phone in” his performance either.

Instead, what we get is some very good swordplay (two sword fights in the film), and Errol smiling, leering, and apparantly, having a good time. The other actors also are having loads of fun and it’s all acted out rather well. To makes things better, the interiors, exteriors and costuming are all top notch.. It has the look of a Hollywood film!

Now, onto the print!

This was one of Blackhawk’s many great TV program releases, (others include a very good 30 minute Buster Keaton TV appearance, which is worth finding). It originally came on 2X400ft and runs approximately 22 or 23 minutes, (it originally ran in a 30 minute time slot and comes, minus ads and original beginning and end credits, Black-
-hawk simply has they’re generic beginning and “The End” titles.

Blackhawk could be hit or miss when it came to they’re print quality, but this is top notch, considering it’s from 1950’s TV. It was printed either from a top notch 16MM dupe or original 35MM material, as, it is quite sharp, right up there with the best of Blackhawk. Please note that reel 1 appears to have the slightest touch of being printed just a little bright, but barely noticeable. Reel 2 is spot on, and both reels are very sharp. Both reels have excellent grain and grey tones from beginning to end. The audio is of course,. mono, but being that it was originally from a mono source, the audio is very sharp and clean. A great record!

I personally believe that the best thing about this film, is that this was the very last time that Errol Flynn, the swashbuckler of swashbucklers, would do the thing that he was best known for, great sword play. Flynn would quickly go downhill physically in his last two years, and this is an excellent chance to see him in, perhaps, his very last great performance!

Kudos to Gerald Santana for making this available for sale

As always …

LONG LIVE SUPER 8!!!!

Posted by Robert Crewdson (Member # 3790) on May 30, 2018, 08:17 AM:

I've got this film as well. It was imported into the UK by Regent Films in Blackpool, and was on a 600ft reel. I think the actual footage is 578ft. I always wanted a copy, but somehow never got around to it; then years later I saw a copy come up from a dealer, and was pleased to find it was in like new condition. Someone pasted the original review of the print on the box. This was Errol Flynn's first TV performance, and his last swashbuckling role. Like always, I thought he put 100% into his performance.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on May 30, 2018, 11:24 AM:

Even an aging Flynn was still great to watch.

I've wondered if this was an effort for Flynn to potentially start a TV series, but nothing came of it after this one episode.

Blackhawk films did a great job with these 50's TV shows!

Posted by Robert Crewdson (Member # 3790) on May 30, 2018, 11:37 AM:

Agree with that Osi. Errol did do a series, I think it was called 'The Errol Flynn Theatre', I believe it was made at Warner's Teddington Studios, London. I wish Blackhawk had kept the original titles intact, but we have to be grateful to own this at all.

Posted by Panayotis A. Carayannis (Member # 1220) on May 30, 2018, 01:26 PM:

Well,he did play Don Juan in an episode of "The Erroll Flynn Theatre", one year later! Both "Sword of Villon" and the Keaton episode,"The Silent Partner" were produced by Hal Roach for his Screen Directors' Playhouse tv series. We can safely assume that the richness of "Villon",as well as Roach's earlier failed pilots, "Sword of D'Artagnan" and "Tales of Robin Hood", rests on the plush sets left over from "Joan of Arc",which was filmed at the Roach studios in 1948.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on May 31, 2018, 11:47 AM:

that info is AWESOME!!!!!

No wonder that Blackhawk was able to release these two on super 8 specifically. They were no doubt a part of the overall catalogue that Blackhawk could work with that came from the Hal Roach studios and no doubt the reason why the quality on these are exceptional! They were taken from archival 35MM, ([possibly), but most definitely, from the studio of origination.

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on May 31, 2018, 02:59 PM:

In 1952, he lost money on his own production of WILLIAM TELL - Villon also has the lovely Hillary Brooke, and yes this swordplay film was his last hurrah and a fine way to go out on - Shorty

Posted by Robert Crewdson (Member # 3790) on June 01, 2018, 03:57 AM:

Actor Bruce Cabot insisted that he get paid for his work in 'William Tell', and Errol had to sell his beloved Yacht.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on June 01, 2018, 11:45 AM:

I've HEARD about that "William Tell"!

Has there ever been any attempt to put all the footage together or was there enough footage to have a finished film?

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on June 01, 2018, 12:32 PM:

Same with "The Making of I, Claudius", the laughton project, WNET-13 aired some production footage of the unfinished work - I'm sure Flynn had any separation masters in his collection, or possibly the BFI might have some film left - Interesting how unrealized projects take the helm and are aborted quite easily, due either to financials or artistic decisions - Shorty

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on June 02, 2018, 11:43 AM:

Hey! I almost had one of my scripts off the ground, even had my movie star, (Sybll Danning) almost signed on, but the money just tanked and, well, while I'd still like to get this made, it'll have to wait until my "ship comes in". [Smile]

Posted by Panayotis A. Carayannis (Member # 1220) on June 18, 2018, 04:07 AM:

There are about thirty minutes of completed footage.

Posted by Robert Crewdson (Member # 3790) on June 18, 2018, 05:36 AM:

The only footage I have seen is amateur stuff, behind the scenes. According to Errol's biography, he completed a third, which would be about 30 mins, and was to be filmed in scope.

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