Cuban Rebel Girls

Cuban Rebel Girls is a 1959 semi-dramatic documentary B movie, notable for being the last on-screen performance of Errol Flynn. He stars with his girlfriend of the time, Beverly Aadland.

Cuban Rebel Girls
Advertising Poster for Cuban Rebel Girls
Directed byBarry Mahon
Produced byBarry Mahon
Written byErrol Flynn
Based onstory by Errol Flynn
StarringBeverly Aadland
Jackie Jackler
Marie Edmund
Errol Flynn
Narrated byErrol Flynn
CinematographyMerrill S. Brody
Edited byAlan Smiler
Production
company
Exploit Films Inc
Distributed byJoseph Brenner Associates
Release date
25 December 1959 (New York)[1][2]
March 1960 (LA)[3]
Running time
68 mins
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

It was written and narrated by Flynn, who was sympathetic to the Cuban revolution being led by Fidel Castro in its early phase.[4]

In his memoir Flynn called it "an interesting side venture... I spent many days with Fidel just before the Batistans quit." [5]

Plot

Errol Flynn arrives in Cuba on behalf of the Hearst Press to do a series of articles on the revolution of Fidel Castro. He notices some changes in Cuba caused by the rebellion.

He checks into a hotel and is contacted by one of Castro's agents, a female, who takes him to a beach resort. He meets a young man who offers to take Errol behind the lines to meet Castro. Flynn flies his own plane, meets the rebels, and files several articles, including one of the Cuban Rebel Girls.

The movie then goes into the story of two American girls, Beverly and her friend, Jacqueline, whose brother Johnny (Beverly's boyfriend) is fighting for Castro in Cuba. The two girls decide to visit Cuba.

They take $50,000 raised by American friends of the revolution to be used to buy guns. They visit Key West and then fly to Cuba.

Cast
  • Errol Flynn as Errol Flynn
  • Beverly Aadland as Beverly Woods
  • John McKay as Johnny Wilson
  • Jackie Jackler as Jacqueline Dominguez
  • Marie Edmund as Maria Rodriguez
  • Ben Ostrowsky as Raoul 'Ben' Dominguez
  • Reynerio Sanchez
  • Andrés Fernández
  • Esther Oliva
  • Tod Scott Brody
  • Allen Baron
  • Clelle Mahon
  • Ramon Ramierez

Production notes
  • Also known as Assault of the Rebel Girls.
  • In opening credits: "Our thanks to the New Army of Cuba, whose help in creating this picture was invaluable."
  • After making the film, Beverly Aadland got into a brawl with Flynn's second wife, Nora Edington, at Aadland's birthday party in a night club. Nora later said this was because she took exception to Aadland referring to Flynn as "elderly".[6][7]

Release

Rights to the movie were bought by Joseph Brenner Associates. Brenner described the film as "an authentic and non political background drama."[8]

Critical reception

The New York Times said "Flynn and his associates provide little that is entertaining, artistic, or informative in this largely static, jerry-built independently made adventure ... Mr Flynn cannot be blamed for giving the appearance of being very, very tired throughout these phlegmatic proceedings."[1]

The Los Angeles Times said the:

Only interest this picture could possibly have is that is happens to be the last performance by the late Errol Flynn before the movie camera. That, and the fact that it gives the public a chance to see Beverly Aadland for the first time. Both are disappointing ... The storyline is weak and poor direction and editing merely add to the confusion. The remainder of the cast is inconsequential and their acting, if it can be called that, is on a par with the over-all production, which is uniformly bad. It is a sad ending to one of the most flamboyant actors of our times.[9]

Filmink magazine wrote that the film "compels interest mostly by virtue of showing Aadland in a lead role, Flynn on death's door, and the weirdness of such a pro-Castro film (even though he wasn’t a confirmed commie then) coming from a Hollywood movie star."[10]

References
  1. "Article 4 -- No Title" Weiler, A H. New York Times 26 Dec 1959: 7.
  2. "Of Local Origin". New York Times. Dec 25, 1959. p. 25.
  3. "FILM OPENINGS". Los Angeles Times. Mar 27, 1960. p. E3.
  4. Patrick Humphries, 'Errol Flynn's Cuban Adventures', BBC News, 10 October 2009 accessed 17 May 2012
  5. Flynn, Errol (1959). My Wicked, Wicked Ways. p. 18.
  6. "Flynn's Friends A-Feudin'". Chicago Daily Tribune. Sep 17, 1959. p. c14.
  7. Smith, Jack. (Sep 17, 1959). "Errol Flynn Retires From Party Squabble: ERROL FLYNN". Los Angeles Times. p. B1.
  8. HOWARD THOMPSON (Sep 30, 1959). "6 FOREIGN FILMS TO BE IMPORTED: Features Are Acquired by Around the World Group -- Comedy to Be Screened". New York Times. p. 32.
  9. Mulcahy, Frank (5 April 1960). "Alexander Nevsky' Remains Great Classic". Los Angeles Times. p. B8.
  10. Vagg, Stephen (December 15, 2019). "The Films of Errol Flynn: Part 6 – The Final Adventures". Filmink.
  • Flynn, E. My Wicked, Wicked Ways. G.P. Putnam's Sons 1959, Pan Books 1961 in association with William Heinemann Ltd, 5th Printing 1979.
  • Thomas, T., Behlmer, R. & McCarty, C. The Films of Errol Flynn. Citadel Press. 1969.
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