Sean Flynn
Encyclopedia
Sean Leslie Flynn was an American actor and freelance photojournalist
best known for his coverage of the Vietnam War
. He started a news service in Saigon with John Steinbeck IV
, son of the American author
.
Flynn was the only child of the marriage of Errol Flynn
and Lili Damita
. After studying briefly at Duke University
, he became a movie actor like his parents. When he retired from acting, Flynn became a freelance photojournalist under contract to Time
. In a search for exceptional images, he attached himself to Special Forces
units and even irregulars operating in remote areas.
, Flynn filmed a scene in Hamilton's picture Where The Boys Are
. (Most of his scenes ended up on the cutting room floor, but he can still be seen in a scene walking by wearing a blue "Xavier University" sweatshirt.) In 1961, at the age of 20 (and after his father's death), Flynn accepted a contract to appear in a sequel to his father's hit film Captain Blood, The Son of Captain Blood (1964—year of U.S. release), also known as Il Figlio del Capitano Blood (1962, year of initial European release), a European production. He made a few more films in Europe, including, Il Segno di Zorro (1963, year of initial European release), aka Duel at the Rio Grande (1964, year of release of English version). He also starred in Stop Train 349 (1964) with José Ferrer
, aka Verspätung in Marienborn aka Delay in Marienborn
(1963, year of initial European release), Mission to Venice(1964), aka Agent Special a Venise "Voir Venise et...Crever" (1964) and Sandok, Il Maciste della Jungla (also 1964), aka Temple of the White Elephant (1966, year of release of English version).
Flynn became bored with acting and went to Africa in late 1964/early 1965 to try his hand at safari guide and big game-hunting. He also tried his hand at being a game warden in Kenya. In the latter part of 1965, he needed money, and made two Spaghetti Western
s back-to-back in Spain and Italy. (Sette Magnifiche Pistole and Dos Pistolas Gemelas, both receiving initial European release in 1966.) In the summer of 1966, in need of money again, Flynn went to Singapore to star in his eighth and final film, the French-Italian action film, Cinq Gars Pour Singapour (1967-year of initial European release), aka Five Ashore in Singapore (1968—year of release of English version). After its completion, he gave up acting for good.
Flynn also tried his hand as a singer; recording two songs for a company known as Hi-Fidelity R.V. Records in 1961. The two songs were released regionally as a 45rpm single, "Stay in My Heart" b/w "Secret Love" (Arvee 5043). The single is now considered a very rare collector's item.
In March, 1966, Flynn was wounded in his knee while in the field. In mid-1966, he left Vietnam long enough to star in his last movie. He returned to Vietnam and made a parachute jump with the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division
in December, 1966. In 1967, he went to Israel to cover the Arab-Israeli war of 1967
. He returned to Vietnam in 1968, after the Tet offensive, with plans to make a documentary about the war. In the spring of 1970, he went to Cambodia, when news of North Vietnamese advances into that country broke.
in Cambodia
, Flynn and Dana Stone
(on assignment for Time magazine and CBS News respectively) were captured by communist guerrillas at a roadblock on Highway One. They were never heard from again and their remains have never been found.
Although it is known that they were captured by Vietnamese Communist forces, it has been suggested that they died in the hands of "hostile" forces. Citing various government sources, the current consensus is that he (or they) were held captive for over a year before they were killed by Khmer Rouge
in June 1971.
Flynn's mother, Lili Damita
, spent an enormous amount of money searching for her son, with no success. In 1984 she had him declared legally dead.
The story of Sean Flynn was immortalized by The Clash
in the song "Sean Flynn" from the album Combat Rock
. He is a major character in Michael Herr
's Dispatches
. He was portrayed by Kevin Dillon
in the 1992 mini-series Frankie's House.
In June 2008, Mythic Films optioned the rights to the Perry Deane Young
memoir, Two of the Missing. Young is working on a screenplay with director Ralph Hemecker
.
In March 2010, a British team searching for Flynn's body thought they had found it, when they uncovered the remains of a Western hostage allegedly executed by the Khmer Rouge. Tests results on the human remains found at the grave site in eastern Kampong Cham province, Cambodia were released on June 30, 2010 and they were found not to be the remains of Sean Flynn. Lt. Col. Wayne Perry of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) said there was no match between DNA from the recovered remains and DNA samples they had on file from the Flynn family.
A film inspired by his exploits as a photojournalist entitled, The Road to Freedom
, was shot on location in Cambodia
.
Photojournalism
Photojournalism is a particular form of journalism that creates images in order to tell a news story. It is now usually understood to refer only to still images, but in some cases the term also refers to video used in broadcast journalism...
best known for his coverage of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. He started a news service in Saigon with John Steinbeck IV
John Steinbeck IV
John Steinbeck IV , was an American journalist and author. He was the second child of the Nobel Prize-winning author, John Steinbeck. In 1965, he was drafted into the United States Army and served in Vietnam...
, son of the American author
John Steinbeck
John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was an American writer. He is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden and the novella Of Mice and Men...
.
Flynn was the only child of the marriage of Errol Flynn
Errol Flynn
Errol Leslie Flynn was an Australian-born actor. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films, being a legend and his flamboyant lifestyle.-Early life:...
and Lili Damita
Lili Damita
Lili Damita was a French actress who appeared in 33 movies between 1922 and 1937.-Early life and education:...
. After studying briefly at Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
, he became a movie actor like his parents. When he retired from acting, Flynn became a freelance photojournalist under contract to Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
. In a search for exceptional images, he attached himself to Special Forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
units and even irregulars operating in remote areas.
Entertainment career
Flynn first appeared in front of the cameras at the age of 15, when he appeared in an episode of his father's television show,The Errol Flynn Theatre. The episode, "Strange Auction," was filmed in 1956. (The show was produced and broadcast in the U.K. in 1956 and was broadcast in syndication in the U.S.A. in 1957.) In 1960, at the suggestion of his friend, actor George HamiltonGeorge Hamilton (actor)
George Stevens Hamilton is an American film and television actor.-Early life:Hamilton was the youngest son of bandleader George "Spike" Hamilton and his first wife, Ann Stevens . He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and lived in Blytheville, Arkansas...
, Flynn filmed a scene in Hamilton's picture Where The Boys Are
Where the Boys Are
The kind of cool modern jazz popularized by such acts as Dave Brubeck, Gerry Mulligan, and Chico Hamilton, then in the vanguard of the college music market, features in a number of scenes with Basil...
. (Most of his scenes ended up on the cutting room floor, but he can still be seen in a scene walking by wearing a blue "Xavier University" sweatshirt.) In 1961, at the age of 20 (and after his father's death), Flynn accepted a contract to appear in a sequel to his father's hit film Captain Blood, The Son of Captain Blood (1964—year of U.S. release), also known as Il Figlio del Capitano Blood (1962, year of initial European release), a European production. He made a few more films in Europe, including, Il Segno di Zorro (1963, year of initial European release), aka Duel at the Rio Grande (1964, year of release of English version). He also starred in Stop Train 349 (1964) with José Ferrer
José Ferrer
José Vicente Ferrer de Otero y Cintrón , best known as José Ferrer, was a Puerto Rican actor, as well as a theater and film director...
, aka Verspätung in Marienborn aka Delay in Marienborn
Delay in Marienborn
Delay in Marienborn , is a 1963 German-French drama film directed by Rolf Hädrich. It was entered into the 13th Berlin International Film Festival. It was released in the US in 1964 by Allied Artists as Stop Train 349.-Cast:...
(1963, year of initial European release), Mission to Venice(1964), aka Agent Special a Venise "Voir Venise et...Crever" (1964) and Sandok, Il Maciste della Jungla (also 1964), aka Temple of the White Elephant (1966, year of release of English version).
Flynn became bored with acting and went to Africa in late 1964/early 1965 to try his hand at safari guide and big game-hunting. He also tried his hand at being a game warden in Kenya. In the latter part of 1965, he needed money, and made two Spaghetti Western
Spaghetti Western
Spaghetti Western, also known as Italo-Western, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western films that emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's unique and much copied film-making style and international box-office success, so named by American critics because most were produced and...
s back-to-back in Spain and Italy. (Sette Magnifiche Pistole and Dos Pistolas Gemelas, both receiving initial European release in 1966.) In the summer of 1966, in need of money again, Flynn went to Singapore to star in his eighth and final film, the French-Italian action film, Cinq Gars Pour Singapour (1967-year of initial European release), aka Five Ashore in Singapore (1968—year of release of English version). After its completion, he gave up acting for good.
Flynn also tried his hand as a singer; recording two songs for a company known as Hi-Fidelity R.V. Records in 1961. The two songs were released regionally as a 45rpm single, "Stay in My Heart" b/w "Secret Love" (Arvee 5043). The single is now considered a very rare collector's item.
Flynn the journalist
Flynn arrived in South Vietnam in January 1966, as a freelance photojournalist; first for the French magazine Paris-Match, then for Time-Life and finally for United Press International. His photos were soon published around the world. He soon made a name for himself as one of that group of high-risk photojournalists who would do anything to get the best pictures; even going into combat.In March, 1966, Flynn was wounded in his knee while in the field. In mid-1966, he left Vietnam long enough to star in his last movie. He returned to Vietnam and made a parachute jump with the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
in December, 1966. In 1967, he went to Israel to cover the Arab-Israeli war of 1967
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
. He returned to Vietnam in 1968, after the Tet offensive, with plans to make a documentary about the war. In the spring of 1970, he went to Cambodia, when news of North Vietnamese advances into that country broke.
Disappearance
On April 6, 1970, while traveling by motorcycleMotorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
in Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, Flynn and Dana Stone
Dana Stone
Dana Stone was a U.S. photo-journalist best known for his work for CBS during the Vietnam War....
(on assignment for Time magazine and CBS News respectively) were captured by communist guerrillas at a roadblock on Highway One. They were never heard from again and their remains have never been found.
Although it is known that they were captured by Vietnamese Communist forces, it has been suggested that they died in the hands of "hostile" forces. Citing various government sources, the current consensus is that he (or they) were held captive for over a year before they were killed by Khmer Rouge
Khmer Rouge
The Khmer Rouge literally translated as Red Cambodians was the name given to the followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, who were the ruling party in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, led by Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Son Sen and Khieu Samphan...
in June 1971.
Flynn's mother, Lili Damita
Lili Damita
Lili Damita was a French actress who appeared in 33 movies between 1922 and 1937.-Early life and education:...
, spent an enormous amount of money searching for her son, with no success. In 1984 she had him declared legally dead.
The story of Sean Flynn was immortalized by The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
in the song "Sean Flynn" from the album Combat Rock
Combat Rock
The album received positive reviews from critics, and reached the number two on the UK Albums Chart, the number seven on the Billboard Pop albums, and the top ten on many charts in other countries...
. He is a major character in Michael Herr
Michael Herr
Michael Herr is a writer and former war correspondent, best known as the author of Dispatches , a memoir of his time as a correspondent for Esquire magazine during the Vietnam War...
's Dispatches
Dispatches (book)
Dispatches is a New Journalism book by Michael Herr that describes the author's experiences in Vietnam as a war correspondent for Esquire magazine. First published in 1977, Dispatches was one of the first pieces of American literature that allowed Americans to understand the experiences of soldiers...
. He was portrayed by Kevin Dillon
Kevin Dillon
Kevin Dillon is an American actor.Kevin Dillon is also the name of:*Kevin Dillon , character from Rodman Philbrick's young adult novel Freak the Mighty and the film based on it, The Mighty...
in the 1992 mini-series Frankie's House.
In June 2008, Mythic Films optioned the rights to the Perry Deane Young
Perry Deane Young
Perry Deane Young is a journalist, author, playwright, historian, and professional gardener. He is the author of Two of the Missing, about fellow journalists Sean Flynn and Dana Stone, who went missing during the Vietnam War and whose fates remain unknown, and the co-author of The David Kopay...
memoir, Two of the Missing. Young is working on a screenplay with director Ralph Hemecker
Ralph Hemecker
Ralph W. Hemecker is an American director, writer and producer.Hemecker has amassed numerous credits in television, directing episodes of Dead at 21, The X-Files, Millennium, Numb3rs, Blue Bloods as well as directing a number of television films....
.
In March 2010, a British team searching for Flynn's body thought they had found it, when they uncovered the remains of a Western hostage allegedly executed by the Khmer Rouge. Tests results on the human remains found at the grave site in eastern Kampong Cham province, Cambodia were released on June 30, 2010 and they were found not to be the remains of Sean Flynn. Lt. Col. Wayne Perry of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) said there was no match between DNA from the recovered remains and DNA samples they had on file from the Flynn family.
A film inspired by his exploits as a photojournalist entitled, The Road to Freedom
The Road to Freedom (film)
The Road to Freedom is a 2010 war film directed by Brendan Moriarty in his directorial debut. The film is inspired by the true-life story of photojournalist Sean Flynn, who disappeared with fellow photojournalist Dana Stone in Cambodia in 1970. Joshua Fredric Smith portrays Sean while Scott...
, was shot on location in Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
.
See also
- Dana StoneDana StoneDana Stone was a U.S. photo-journalist best known for his work for CBS during the Vietnam War....
- John Dawson DewhirstJohn Dawson DewhirstJohn Dawson Dewhirst was a British teacher and amateur yachtsman who was one of nine western adventurers that fell victim of the Khmer Rouge during the genocidal rule of Pol Pot. Dewhirst was one of two Britons to die in Pol Pot's Cambodia....
- TortureTortureTorture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
- Mayaguez IncidentMayagüez incidentThe Mayaguez incident between the Khmer Rouge and the United States from May 12–15, 1975, was the last official battle of the Vietnam War. The names of the Americans killed, as well as those of three Marines who were left behind on the island of Koh Tang after the battle and who were subsequently...
External links
- Brief memoire about Flynn, with an example of his Vietnam images
- Photo of Flynn (left) and Stone taken two hours before their disappearance in 1970
- The Mysterious Disappearance of Sean Flynn and Dana Stone http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.salem-news.com/articles/april072010/sean-flynn-3-tk.php
- 1963 photo-report of Flynn filming Son of Captain Blood in Stars and Stripes.
- Peter's E.F. Club - An internet scrapbook dedicated to Errol Flynn with extensive archival articles, books, photographs, filmography, biography, and much more including Sean Flynn.
- Sean's Youtube channel by Carts.
