Cruise of the Zaca

Cruise of the Zaca is a short documentary on 16mm about a trip taken by Errol Flynn in 1946 on his boat the Zaca to collect specimens with his father, Professor Theodore Thomson Flynn, an eminent marine biologist.[1] The trip was done in association with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography of the University of California and took place off the east coast of Mexico and in the West Indies.[2][3]

Cruise of the Zaca
Directed byErrol Flynn
StarringErrol Flynn
Theodore Thomson Flynn
Howard Hill
Nora Eddington
Narrated byErrol Flynn
CinematographyJerry Corneya
Edited byRex Steele
Distributed byWarner Bros.
Release date
6 December 1952
Running time
17 mins
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Story

Errol Flynn leaves his house on Mullholland Drive by helicopter captained by Paul Mantz and goes to the Scripps Institution. He goes on board the Zaca and visits San Benito Island off the west coast of Baja California, home to a number of rare endemic plant and animal species, the Panama Canal and Jamaica.

Production

The trip started in August 1946. On board were Flynn, his father, his wife Nora, and John Decker, Howard Hill, Professor Carl Hubbs, Charles Gross and Jerry Corneya. After a month of sailing, many of the group left, including Flynn's wife and father, but Flynn pushed on through the Panama Canal to the Caribbean to Cap Haitien. Before going through the Canal Flynn stayed in Acapulco, where the Zaca had been hired to appear in location shooting during 1946 for The Lady from Shanghai (1948).[4]

Release

Due to Flynn's 1948 divorce from Nora, release of the film was held up until December 1952. Although shot on 16mm the film was blown up to 35mm.[4]

In October 1951 it was announced Flynn had produced two films based on his travels, Voyage of the Zaca and Whaling in the Pacific.[5]

Critical reception

The critic from the Los Angeles Times said "it is rather a family affair with Flynn narrating effectively enough."[6]

Filmink called it "not a bad little movie – mostly a travelogue to be sure, but a travelogue starring Errol Flynn, and it’s a fascinating insight to the sailing aspect of his life."[7]

Deep Sea Fishing
Deep Sea Fishing
Directed byErrol Flynn
Produced byHoward Hill
StarringErrol Flynn
Narrated byBob Edge
Release date
1952
Running time
10 mins
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Deep Sea Fishing was another film based on a fishing trip Flynn took with Howard Hill. It was shot in 16mm during the Cruise of the Zaca journey and involves Flynn and Hill boarding a small launch to fish for marlin and sail fish. Because of Flynn's contract with Warner Bros, which prevented his appearances of this kind, his name is never mentioned by the narrator.[4]

References
  1. "Errol Flynn's Father Arrives to Join Cruise". Los Angeles Times. 29 July 1946. p. 2.
  2. "Flynn's Scientist-Father Ready for Fish Study". Los Angeles Times. 8 August 1946. p. 4.
  3. Schallert, Edwin (26 December 1951). "Drama: Flynn to Bow In Today as Narrator; Hysteria Expert Wins New Break". Los Angeles Times. p. B7.
  4. Thomas, Tony; Behlmer, Rudy; McCarty, Clifford (1969). The Films of Errol Flynn. Citadel Press. pp. 181–3.
  5. Schallert, Edwin (5 October 1951). "Drama: 'Lion in Streets' Newly Activated for Cagney; Flynn Narrates Own Film". Los Angeles Times. p. C7.
  6. Schallert, Edwin (17 January 1953). "'Stop, You're Killing Me' Reminiscent". Los Angeles Times. p. 8.
  7. Vagg, Stephen (November 24, 2019). "The Films of Errol Flynn: Part 4 – Going to Seed". Filmink.
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