for the Malvern Festive which took place in July and August each year. How he managed to join this even is not clear. However, he played bit parts in five plays and after the Festival went with the cast of A Man’s House (John Drinkwater) to Glasgow from 20th August to 26th August, 1934. In September the play moved to London. When it finished after two weeks it seems Errol was unemployed. He had made himself known
to Irving Asher, Warner Brothers producer in Britain who was most impressed and convinced he had discovered a star. In November 1934 Errol sailed on the SS Paris for the US. Soon he was lucky to get the lead in Captain Blood and, as they say, the rest is history. Meanwhile life in Northampton
• The old Royal Theatre in Guildhall road same day.
Although Errol was at the Northampton
Repertory Theatre for only six months he appeared in another 19 productions ranging from Bulldog Drummond and Ibsen’s A Doll’s House to Pygmalion and Othello. His final appearance was in the whodunit 9:45 which finished on 2nd June, 1934. He had a very varied experience of acting which laid the foundation for his later career in Hollywood. His departure was sudden. Apparently he argued aggressively with the lady stage manager (who happened to be Robert Young’s wife) and next day he was sacked. Getting into his MG he drove to London to take part in rehearsals at the Old Vic
• The Swan Hotel, now The Mail Coach
went on as usual until one day in June, 1935, the Northampton Independent published a
photograph of Errol and the famous film star Lili Damita together captioned Film Romance. The following week the newspaper announced the marriage of the two in Yuma, Arizona. By March, 1936, the headline was ‘Errol Flynn’s Now Famous’ as they reported his role in Captain Blood. The film came to town on 12th June, 1936, and the Exchange Cinema was packed for one week – as usual.
Northampton as ‘a dowdy, dreary town, where they manufacture boots’.
In his autobiography, Errol described It
seems he has never been forgiven, even though he returned on two visits in 1952 and 1954 when he said ‘The best years
of my life were spent at Northampton Rep. I had no money, nothing to eat but I was happy’. Today there is little to commemorate him yet he could be an attraction for tourism in the town. There are several places which are associated with him. His first lodgings were with Mr and Mrs Kemp at 13 Hazelwood Road, near the Theatre. Although Errol and his red sports car were both appealing, there were girls staying the night, unpaid rent and he was told to go. Next he moved to more spacious accommodation owned by Mr and Mrs Starmer at 48 Guildhall Road, much closer to the Theatre. He seems to have kept up with the rent but left owing the milk! The main complaint was displaying himself every morning to the factory girls opposite who enjoyed the spectacle. His favourite drinking place was the nearby Swan Hotel, now the Mail Coach, where he might be seen in costume between shows having a pint with locals, many of them journalists. Almost opposite is a tailors where he was a good customer, and dominating the scene, the Guildhall where he appeared when charged with a traffic offence in March, 1934.
Then there is the Theatre itself, now
known as the Royal Theatre much expanded as Derngate, a focus of cultural activities in the town and region. So there is enough here still remaining
for a tourist trail with plaques along the way, and to show some pride in one of the town’s most famous personalities. Copies of Errol Flynn in Northampton
are available from the author Gerry Connelly, Dorma Publications, 65 Constable Road, Corby, NN18 ORT
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