Errol Flynn was a very good actor. This statement always raises a snicker from film buffs who blithely assume that he coasted his way through his signature roles as Hollywood's Greatest Swashbuckler--"Robin Hood," "The Sea Hawk," "Captain Blood" and other giants of that genre on sheer good looks, panache and athleticism. All three of these had been depleted by the end of the 195O's by prolonged abuse of alcohol and drugs, largely triggered by the spiritually demoralizing effects of Flynn's statutory rape trial in 1942. Nevertheless, he proved his abilities in a surprise comeback in three films: "The Sun Also Rises"(1957), "Too Much, Too Soon" and "The Roots of Heaven" (both 1958), in all of which he played aging alcoholics with a depth of feeling that startled his detractors. At this point, most critics allege he "went out like a clown" with a dismal performance in a truly dismal film, "Cuban Rebel Girls"(1959). He didn't. He redeemed himself with a charming turn as an aging con man in "The Golden Shanty," helped in the by-now hard work of memorizing lines--a strain which seldom shows on screen--by the sympathetic direction of future screen great Arthur Hiller, and sharp supporting turns by Peter Hansen and Patricia Barry.
Yes, he looks old and tired, but these qualities are absolutely right for the part--and the role of "Doc Boatwright" offers Flynn fans a tantalizing glimpse of how he might have fared as an older, character actor had he lived. Watch his priceless facial expressions as Barry, who he's trying to swindle, talks giddily of running off to St. Louis with him, or his deliberately hollow protestations to Hansen ("Our national monuments!") This half-hour episode is funny and charming; don't be turned away by stories of the difficulties he had making it--it stands as a last, small triumph and a vindication of his acting ability.