Errol Flynn to Marelle. Flynn described his mother's family as ""seafaring folk"" and this appears to be where his lifelong interest in boats and the sea originated. Both of his parents were Australian-born of Irish, English, and Scottish descent. Despite Flynn's claims, the evidence indicates that he was not descended from any of the Bounty mutineers. Flynn received his early schooling in Hobart. He made one of his first appearances as a performer in 1918, aged nine, when he served as a page boy to Enid Lyons in a queen carnival. In her memoirs, Lyons recalled Flynn as "a dashing figure –
Errol Flynn was slightly bigger, in "Don't Bet on Blondes" (1935), a B-picture screwball comedy. Warner Bros were preparing a big budget swashbuckler, "Captain Blood" (1935), based on the novel by Rafael Sabatini and directed by Michael Curtiz. They originally intended to cast Robert Donat, but he turned down the role. Warners considered a number of other actors, including Leslie Howard, James Cagney, and also conducted screen tests of those they had under contract, like Flynn. The tests were impressive and Warners finally cast Flynn in the lead, opposite Olivia de Havilland. The resulting film was a magnificent success for both the