Too Much, Too Soon (1958)
In one of his last films, Errol Flynn plays stage and screen icon John Barrymore in Too Much, Too Soon. They were friends in real life, so while it’s an understandable casting choice, it’s also incredibly sad to see Errol Flynn portraying his friend at the end of his life. Errol died the next year, in the same way, and it’s just heartbreaking to see him reaching for the bottle when he knows he shouldn’t.
The film is actually about Diana Barrymore, played by Dorothy Malone. After her Academy Award, Hollywood rewarded her with some pretty meaty roles, so if you want to see her giving the screen all she’s got, you’ll be interested in this movie. She starts off the film as a young girl, idolizing her movie star father and hoping to someday earn his attention and love. As a grown-up, she leaves her mother’s custody and moves in with her dad. She tries a stage career, but audiences are only drawn in by her name and not her talent. She tries to get her father to stop drinking, but he’s determined to destroy himself. She tries to find love, but she continually picks the wrong men. Ray Danton sure surprised me in this film; I’ve only seen him in likable roles from I’ll Cry Tomorrow and Majority of One, but he’s such a cad in this movie! An appealing cad, but quite a scoundrel.
I’m not usually a Dorothy Malone fan, but I’ll admit she put her whole heart into this movie. I was in it for Errol Flynn, and while he had some beautifully layered expressions, I found it incredibly sad. He looked so disappointed by life and disgusted by himself, it felt as though we were watching him drink himself to death on camera.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. When Dorothy spends the weekend on Errol’s yacht, the camera bobs up and down. Also, when Dorothy’s power is out in her apartment, the neon sign from across the street flashes on and off, and that will make you sick. In other words, “Don’t Look, Mom!”
Want to watch it? Click here to watch it on ok.ru. And thanks "The Projection Room" for posting!
More Errol Flynn movies here!
The film is actually about Diana Barrymore, played by Dorothy Malone. After her Academy Award, Hollywood rewarded her with some pretty meaty roles, so if you want to see her giving the screen all she’s got, you’ll be interested in this movie. She starts off the film as a young girl, idolizing her movie star father and hoping to someday earn his attention and love. As a grown-up, she leaves her mother’s custody and moves in with her dad. She tries a stage career, but audiences are only drawn in by her name and not her talent. She tries to get her father to stop drinking, but he’s determined to destroy himself. She tries to find love, but she continually picks the wrong men. Ray Danton sure surprised me in this film; I’ve only seen him in likable roles from I’ll Cry Tomorrow and Majority of One, but he’s such a cad in this movie! An appealing cad, but quite a scoundrel.
I’m not usually a Dorothy Malone fan, but I’ll admit she put her whole heart into this movie. I was in it for Errol Flynn, and while he had some beautifully layered expressions, I found it incredibly sad. He looked so disappointed by life and disgusted by himself, it felt as though we were watching him drink himself to death on camera.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. When Dorothy spends the weekend on Errol’s yacht, the camera bobs up and down. Also, when Dorothy’s power is out in her apartment, the neon sign from across the street flashes on and off, and that will make you sick. In other words, “Don’t Look, Mom!”
Want to watch it? Click here to watch it on ok.ru. And thanks "The Projection Room" for posting!
More Errol Flynn movies here!