The Errol Flynn Collection V2

The Errol Flynn Signature Collection, Vol. 2

The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936) The Dawn Patrol (1938)
Dive Bomber (1941) Gentleman Jim (1942) Adventures of Don Juan (1948)

Along with volume 1 of "The Errol Flynn Signature Collection" this entry makes for a pretty strong collection of the most formidable swashbuckler (inherited from Douglas Fairbanks) of the silver screen's quintessential performances with both "The Charge of the Light Brigade" and "The Adventures of Don Juan" being absolutely essential to the list. All five are helmed by high quality directors - Edmund Goulding, Raoul Walsh, Vincent Sherman and two by Michael Curtiz. These films represent a golden-age for Hollywood adventure epics.

Titles

The Charge of the Light Brigade
Stars Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Patric Knowles, Henry Stephenson, Nigel Bruce
Directors: Michael Curtiz
Theatrical Release Date: October 20, 1936
Synopsis - Major Vickers is an officer at the 27th Lancers in India 1856. When the regiment is on maneuver, the barracks are attacked by Surat Khan and his soldiers who massacre British women and children. This leaves an inextinguishable memory and Vickers promises to revenge the dead.

The Dawn Patrol
Stars Errol Flynn, Basil Rathbone, David Niven, Donald Crisp, Melville Cooper
Directors: Edmund Goulding
Theatrical Release Date: December 24, 1938
Synopsis - In 1915 France, Major Brand commands the 39th Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. The young airmen go up in bullet-riddled "crates" and the casualty rate is appalling, but Brand can't make the "brass hats" at headquarters see reason. Insubordinate air ace Captain Courtney is another thorn in Brand's side...but finds the smile wiped from his face when he rises to command the squadron himself. Everyone keeps a stiff upper lip.

Dive Bomber
Stars Errol Flynn, Fred MacMurray, Ralph Bellamy, Alexis Smith, Robert Armstrong
Directors: Michael Curtiz
Theatrical Release Date: August 30, 1941
Synopsis - A new flight surgeon and a Navy pilot overcome personal differences to work on solving the problem of Altitude Sickness which causes blackouts at high altitude. The real stars of the film are the pre-World War II navy aircraft featured in full color

Gentleman Jim
Stars Errol Flynn, Alexis Smith, Jack Carson, Alan Hale, John Loder
Directors: Raoul Walsh
Theatrical Release Date: November 25, 1942
Synopsis - The biography of famed boxer James J. "Gentleman Jim" Corbett, the colorful Irish-American fighter who became the first heavyweight champion of the world under the new Marquis of Queensberry rules.

Adventures of Don Juan
Stars Errol Flynn, Viveca Lindfors, Robert Douglas, Alan Hale, Romney Brent
Directors: Vincent Sherman
Theatrical Release Date: December 1, 1948
Plot Outline - The great lover Don Juan comes to the assistance of his queen.

Posters

Theatrical Releases: 1936 - 1948

DVD Reviews

DVD Review: Warner (5-disc) - Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Warner - Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC
Time:	About 8+ hours of feature films.
Audio	English (2.0 stereo)
Subtitles	(see specifics below)
Features	Release Information: Studio: Warner Home Video Aspect Ratio: All Original Aspect Ratios - 1.33 Edition Details: • Commentary by Vincent Sherman and Rudy Behlmer on 'Don Juan' • Assorted 'war era' or comedy featurettes including 'Give Me Liberty', 'Shop Talk (with Bob Hope), 'The Prisoner of Swing', 'Romance Road', 'Calgary Stampede', 'Joe Dokes' , ' Wartime Sports page', and two Technicolor 'Sports Parades' • 4 cartoons (Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig etc.) • Dive Bomber 'Keep'em in the Air' retrospective with Robert Osborne • Theatrical Trailers DVD Release Date: March 27th, 2007 5 Slim Slim Transparent Keep Cases inside a cardboard box Chapters: 28 X 4

Comments:

The 5 main features of this boxset are housed in individual slim Slim Transparent Keep Cases (see image above) and they are also sold separately. All 5 DVDs are dual-layered - coded for Regions 1,2,3,4 in the NTSC standard. Like the film quality there are some inconsistencies in the transfers (and options).

All except 'Dive Bomber' are progressive. A mistake was made and it was rendered interlaced (see combing sample below).

'The Charge of the Light Brigade' and 'The Adventures of Don Juan' have English only subtitles as an option.

'Dawn Patrol' and 'Gentleman Jim' have English and Spanish subtitle options.

'Dive Bomber' has English, Spanish or French.

Overall I would say that I am happy with most of the transfers. 'Dive Bomber' being interlaced is an error - one that should not have been overlooked. The positive about it is that the film is the poorest of the lot and if I was to have one slipshod transfer it would preferably be the worst film of a boxset. 'Dawn Patrol' has a tendency to look quite soft and the colors in 'Don Juan' (with a slightly paunchy Flynn) are kind of wonky and seem to have had some digital manipulation (skin tones are very red). Other than that things looked and sounded quite acceptable. Contrast and detail are at Warner's usual strong standard for classic films.

Aside from the fine Sherman/ Behlmer commentary on 'Don Juan' and the Osborne discussion on Dive Bomber - the supplements are a mixture of classic featurettes (usually comedic or war effort) including 'Give Me Liberty', 'Shop Talk' (with Bob Hope), 'The Prisoner of Swing', 'Romance Road', 'Calgary Stampede', 'Joe Dokes' , a' Wartime Sports page', and two Technicolor 'Sports Parades'. There are 4 vintage cartoons (Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig etc.) and some theatrical trailers. I used to enjoy some of these older featurettes but I find them kind of fluff/filler now and would trade them all for a second commentary as good as the charming Sherman/ Behlmer one.

The Errol Flynn Signature Collection, Vol. 2 is almost $10 cheaper than the excellent Vol. 1 (with 5 commentaries) and its nice to see Warner not gouging us (films are only about $7/each). I enjoyed this 2nd collection and still recommend the boxset ('The Charge of the Light Brigade' is a must-have film) although not as much as the first Signature DVD set it still has much to offer for fans of Flynn and classic Hollywood.