Errol Flynn and the Cuban Rebel Girls

 Errol Flynn’s 58^th and last film Cuban Rebel Girls was universally panned upon its 1960 release shortly after his death at 50 in 1959. The LA Times review was typical: “The storyline is weak and poor direction and editing merely add to the confusion. The remainder of the cast is inconsequential and their acting, if it can be called that, is on a par with the over-all production, which is uniformly bad. It is a sad ending to one of the most flamboyant actors of our times.” FilmInk agazine went further saying “the film compels interest mostly by virtue of showing Flynn on death’s door, and the weirdness of such a pro-Castro film (even though he wasn’t a confirmed commie then) coming from a Hollywood movie star.”^[

But the film is a must see for Flynn fans like myself who has seen all but a couple of Flynn’s flicks, and anyone interested in US Cuban relations.

It might be the most interesting of all Flynn’s films for several reasons. First, it’s a most unique film of art imitating life showing Flynn as himself in his last great real life adventure covering Castro’s revolution as a Hearst correspondent. When the victorious rebels entered Havana on Jan 2, 1959, Flynn was the only US correspondent on the ground with them. Quite a late in life scoop for the adventurous Errol Flynn. It’s fascinating because Flynn is clearly in support of Castro seeking to overthrow the brutal quarter century US supported Batista regime. Not a hint of Castro communism or anti-Americanism in his telling.

Secondly, Flynn wove in a fictional story of American girl Beverly Woods who travels to Cuba with her girlfriend Jacqueline to hook up with Jacqueline’s brother fighting wth Castro who is Beverly’s boyfriend. And playing Beverly Woods is Flynn’s 16 year old real life gal pal Beverly Aadland. Flynn and Aadland have 2 touching scenes together that show more chemistry between them than that between Aadland and her much younger fictional boyfriend.

Third, tho Flynn was on death’s door from lifelong carousing, he doesn’t show it in his few scenes as he chooses to showcase his last love Aadland. And his voice is still terrific in his movie long narration. He pops up in the end to give a shout out to the Cuban rebels, Cuban people and peoples resisting brutal repression worldwide. The film should make us all ponder America’s stupidity to embark on a now 66 yearlong failed campaign to overturn the Cuban revolution.

Cuban Rebel Girls…not a bad way for Flynn to exit stage left