Errol Flynn: Satan's Angel

by David Bret

Long regarded as Hollywood’s prodigal son, Errol Flynn packed more into his 50 years than most of his high-living contemporaries could have done in several lifetimes. The quintessential hedonist and an insatiable womanizer, Flynn was infamous for his drinking binges and high-spirited bacchanalia. Here, David Bret traces the extraordinary life, loves, and career of the cinema’s first action-adventure star. With the spectacular looks and athletic prowess that first attracted the attention of Warner Brothers, Flynn reveled in the public acclaim for his performances in Captain Blood, The Adventures of Robin Hood, and The Adventures of Don Juan. But his on-screen panache did little to hide his scandalous personal life. In a series of compelling revelations, Bret divulges the star’s staggering appetite for young men and underage girls, his brawling, drinking, and drug experimentation, and his controversial political leanings. It is an often startling portrait of an incorrigibly complex man and one of the undisputed icons of the 20th century.

Genres: Biography

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

David Bret is a French-born British author of showbiz biographies. He chiefly writes on the private life of film stars and singers.

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Hollywood super star's life is detailed in this biography, which doesn't hold back at all in detailing the endless scandals he was involved in; which included same sex coupling, paedophilia, violence, drink and drugs! It also gives a lot of insight into the power of the studios that allowed Flynn to carry on working and making a living despite all these allegations, and in some cases no doubt criminal acts! 5 out of 12, as I don't feel like I got any sense of the man behind the hedonist. This book is all Satan and zero Angel. 5 out of 12.

2010 read

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Errol Flynn: Satan’s Angel by David Bret

The original Australian American action adventure star who was originally discovered by an agent of Warner Brothers. He didn’t kowtow to the studio heads though, he told it like it is, in his opinion. It’s filled with stories about his rise to stardom and life long history of debauchery, which turns out to have no bias toward either gender or age. He was also quite the party animal, which sometimes caused him trouble when he was working on movies. He found it easy to run into party buddies to join him in the evenings when he went out to prowl, and of course the women were always plentiful for all of them. He was a prodigious drinker and sometimes experimented with different drugs here and there as well.

Flynn was married 3 times and had a son and 3 daughters. I’ve gotten hooked on his exploits and have already ordered 2 more books on the subject, one written by him just before he died that came out just after, written with a ghostwriter, titled His Wicked Wicked Ways, which most are familiar with. The other book I’m getting was written as a memoir by the ghostwriter Conrad and looks to be just as juicy as he adds things that Flynn couldn’t say, really. It also goes into their time in Jamaica writing Flynn’s book together while Flynn was with the under aged Beverly Aadland, who he kept mum about in his own book, wanting to avoid another rape trial. He needn’t have worried after all, as he was too far gone to live to see any trial. Then I’ll want to look for his movies to watch, a few of the better ones, at least.

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[Michael Cinelli · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sucks...seems that everyone in hollywood was gay, bi, lesbian & sexually crazed!

[Lynn Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Hollywood movie star's life is fully detailed in this biography. It does not hold back at all in detailing the many scandals Flynn was involved in which doesn't hold back at all detailing the endless scandals he was involved in which including same sex coupling, paedophilia, violence, drink and drugs! It also gives a lot of insight into the power of the studios that allowed Flynn to carry on working despite all these scandals. He really was a true Hedonist and completely self-absorbed.
This is not always an easy read due to the content of the sexual scandals and sometimes you feel like you could do with a wash! He was a complex man and not one you fully get a sense of. I continue to enjoy his films - the best ones of course - but I do not like the man very much at all.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written, thoroughly researched account of a life that was unbridled, and too wild to believed. Flynn wrung every ounce of life that he could from his relatively short time on Earth with a passion and lack of caution that was surprising given the era and his popularity as a movie star. Mind you, it seems as though all of Hollywood was gay, lesbian, bisexual, and engaged in all manner of sexual shenanigans in those days despite the strict morals clauses adhered to by powerful studios. Flynn was not a good man, and he didn't pretend to be but he had the good looks, charisma, and charm that took him far.
An interesting read.

[Bookworm Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book. I was amazed to learn that errol was a fan of both men and women in bed....but given his love of teens...very young women...young pretty boys aren't much different. He was an unkind bastard to the very end

[Temptress2536 · Rating 4 out of 5]

crazy reading but worth is

[Michael Cinelli · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sucks....previously released as Satan's Angel

[Ronald · Rating 4 out of 5]

read SOMETIME in 2008