Sean Flynn (1941-1971)

biography

Born on May 31, 1941, in Los Angeles to actor Errol Flynn and beautiful French actress Lili Damita, Sean Flynn obviously inherited some great genetic material. After his parents divorced the year following his birth, Sean Flynn was the subject of a lengthy custody battle. In the end, he was raised primarily by his mother, who had retired from acting upon her 1935 marriage to Errol Flynn. During his youth, Flynn spent much time in California, New York, and Florida.

Flynn had appeared on the short-lived TV anthology series Errol Flynn Theatre during the show's 1957 season. In 1959, he enrolled at Duke University; just a few weeks thereafter, his father died of a heart attack at the age of 50. Sean Flynn, having grown into a tall (6'3") and handsome youth, was a natural for films and soon left college for Hollywood.

Sean Flynn made his film debut in a bit role in Where the Boys Are (1960; with Connie Francis and Barbara Nichols). In 1961, he accepted the starring role in the swashbuckler Son of Captain Blood (1962).

the films of sean flynn

The Son of Captain Blood (1962)

Sign of Zorro (1963)

Stop Train 349 (1964)

Two Guns for Two Twins (1966)

Seven Magnificent Guns (1966)

later years

Although Flynn developed into a credible actor, he was never at ease in front of the camera. Much like his father, he longed for adventure and became bored with acting. He put his career on the back burner in 1964 after wrapping filming on Temple of the White Elephants, moving to Kenya in 1965. However, a lucrative film offer compelled Flynn to return to acting in 1966. He made three more films, and after the 1967 comedy release Singapore, Singapore, he abandoned his film career entirely and became a photojournalist.

By 1968, Flynn had arrived in Vietnam; he began covering the war, often on the front lines, and sold his photos and news stories to media outlets. On April 6, 1970, while freelancing for Time magazine, Flynn and his friend Dana Stone (a CBS reporter) disappeared while covering the fighting in Cambodia. Flynn was 28 years old at the time of his disappearance. He and Stone were likely executed by their captors in June 1971. His mother, Lili Damita, spent fourteen years hoping to hear something about her son's fate. She had Sean Flynn declared legally dead in 1984. Damita passed away in 1994 at the age of 92.

sean flynn films available from movies unlimited

Mission To Venice [DVD](1963) DVD
Sean Flynn, Errol's son, stars as a private detective who travels to Venice looking for a woman's missing husband but quickly finds himself hip-deep in international intrigue when he gets mixed up with a ring of spies. Madeleine Robinson also stars. AKA: "Mission to Die."
Stop Train 349 [DVD](1963) DVD
Exciting Cold War drama about an American train to Frankfurt from Berlin carrying an East German stowaway. The Communists insist that the train be stopped, but commanding officer Sean Flynn (Errol's son) has other designs. Jose Ferrer, Nicole Courcel also star. 95 min.
Where The Boys Are [DVD](1960) DVD
The original fun-in-the-sun romp, as four young gals head to pleasurable Fort Lauderdale during Easter vacation for tans, music and boys. Connie Francis, Paula Prentiss, Yvette Mimieux, Dolores Hart, Jim Hutton and George Hamilton star. 99 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French; audio commentary; documentary; newsreel footage; theatrical trailer.

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filmography

FILMS
Singapore, Singapore (1967)
Seven Magnificent Guns (1966)
Two Guns for Two Twins (1966)
Mission to Venice (1964)
Temple of the White Elephants (1964) with Giacomo Rossi-Stuart
Stop Train 349 (1964) with Jose Ferrer and Jess Hahn
Sign of Zorro (1963) with Helga Line
The Son of Captain Blood (1962) with Ann Todd and Raf Baldassarre
Where the Boys Are (1960) with Connie Francis, Paula Prentiss, Jim Hutton, and Barbara Nichols

TELEVISION GUEST APPEARANCES
Errol Flynn Theatre, two appearances, originally aired 1957

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Road to Freedom
This film is inspired by the life story of Errol Flynn's slain photojournalist son Sean. The remains of Sean Flynn are believed to be among those recently uncovered in a mass grave in Cambodia - 40 years after he and a colleague went missing. The two photographers were covering the Cambodian War for Time magazine when they were believed to have been captured by Khmer Rouge guerrillas.