My Days With
Errol Flynn
Noted Hollywood stuntman Buster Wiles met Errol Flynn on the set of Captain Blood, where they became good friends. From then on, Buster served on most of Flynn's biggest films as stunt double. He even for a time lived at Mulholland House, was on hand when the star went through the notorious statutory rape trial, and was instrumental in bringing Errol and second wife Nora together. Wiles' reminiscences are very engaging indeed.
Also interesting is Wiles' own story: a midwestern lad growing up in Memphis Tennessee, who pursues his dream to work in pictures. A man ready for adventure, Wiles was certainly the right sort of buddy for Flynn.
Wiles was inspired to write when the notorious Errol Flynn: The Untold Story came out and enjoyed a hail of publicity while promoting lies about his old friend. Wiles sets the record straight on many counts.
The second part of the book consists of a thorough essay called THE FLYNN CONTROVERSY. Author William Donati (IDA LUPINO: A BIOGRAPHY) tracked down Charles Higham's so-called contacts and documentation allegedly used as evidence to back his deductions reported in UNTOLD STORY.
Donati sought as many people who had allegedly contributed information towards UNTOLD STORY, only to find that they had either not been interviewed, or their answers differed. There is even a copy of an original document whose content Higham altered to serve so that it may serve as evidence to support his illusory theory that Flynn had been a Nazi spy.
And with regard to the spy story, Donati went right to the source: to Errol Flynn's old traveling comrade Dr. Hermann F. Erben. THE FLYNN CONTROVERSY is a sobering piece; between you and me, I think too many people read UNTOLD STORY and nowhere nearly enough people read this to undo the mess.
Further investigation into the validity (or lack thereof) of Higham's damaging allegations may be found in Errol Flynn: The Spy Who Never Was by Tony Thomas.
- Orig. Publisher (1988):
- Roundtable Publishing
- Orig. ISBN: 0-915677-36-9
- 264 pages hardbound w/photos