Dear Staff of Cinema Retro:Â
Your magazine is the best of its type and along with FilmFax is one of my favorite reads! Your most recent issue was especially interesting. What caught my eye was the ad for "The Crimson Blade". I have been doing research re: the forgotten films of Sean Flynn, son of Errol Flynn. (I did notice when "the Italian offerings" were mentioned, there was no mention of 1962's "Il Figlio del Capitano Blood"!) The interesting coincidence is that when "The Son of Captain Blood" premiered in the U.K. in 1963, released by Warner-Pathe, in some regions it was shown on a double bill with Hammer's "The Scarlet Blade", which as I am sure your staff knows is the original title of the film released in the U.S.A. as "The Crimson Blade"!  Also according to articles I have been reading re: the release of Sean Flynn's first film in England, apparently it was well received; supposedly doing very well at the British box office, if not spectacular. Most of Sean Flynn's films saw theatrical release in the U.K., as opposed to the U.S.A. where only three of his films were released to theaters. (The rest were either sold directly to television or never saw release in the U.S.A.)
I was wondering if you could help me with something I have been searching for. In 1966, a film Sean Flynn made with the director Umberto Lenzi titled, "Sandok,Il Maciste della Jungla" was released in the U.K under the title "Temple of the White Elephant". (In the U.S.A. the film was apparently sold directly to U.S. television by AIP-TV) I have been unable to locate a copy of this film in English. If you can help me locate a copy, as it is the only movie of his I have been unable to see in a version I can understand, it would be a great service to me and would be greatly appreciated. Of course you may ask yourself why, Sean Flynn? As a fan of the films of Errol Flynn, the films of his son are a curiosity. Also they are from a period when many other Americans were trying their luck in European cinema, primarily Italy, and I have found he is no worse or better than some of the other American actors who inhabit these films. You will also find that many of the actors, directors, and technicians he worked with on these movies also worked on some movies that are well known. One example is in the film "Duel at the Rio Grande" (released in the U.K. in 1964 on a double bill with the Haya Harareet starrer, "The Lost Kingdom") one of his co-stars is Walter Barnes of "The Big Gundown" fame. Another co-star of his is the well respected British actress, Ann Todd who plays his mother in "The Son of Captain Blood".  Yet another co-star from his debut film is the American actor, John Kitzmiller who many will know better as "Quarrel", who assists Sean Connery in his first outing as James Bond, "Dr. No".
The rest of the issue #13 was also interesting for the other features such as the history of the "Man from U.N.C.L.E." movies which were shown here recently in the U.S.A. on the aforementioned Turner Classics cable network! (Unfortunately I missed most of them!)Â Thank you for your time!--
Mr. Angel Rivera of New York City, New York
Retro responds: Thanks for the kind words, Angel. Regarding the elusive Sean Flynn title you're looking for, maybe somebody out there among our readers might have a lead. If so, drop us a line at cinemaretro@hotmail.com and we'll pass on the info to Angel and our other readers. According the the IMDB, the film was an American International release in the English-speaking market. One possible source is www.moviehunter.tv, which specializes in finding elusive films. The cost is generally around $40.