Cuban Story
Fidel Castro and Errol Flynn together in a movie?
Strange, but true. Flynn and movie producer Victor Pahlen were in Havana enjoying the high life when History with a capital 'H' exploded around them. Seeing Castro and his revolutionaries wrench power away from Batista, the two filmmakers grabbed their cameras and proceeded to make a unique documentary, with unparalleled footage of the Cuban Revolution hosted and narrated by Flynn - sure, he was no Edward R. Murrow, but he happened to be there - and the resulting film went on to total obscurity. This film has essentially never been seen. Working with the Pahlen family, All Day Entertainment has used the original negatives to create a new digital master for this exclusive DVD edition.
Member Reviews
An Insightful Documentary - bwod
Even though the sound and video isn't up to par, the unusual documentary about revolution in 1959 Cuba is very interesting. I don't think I ever saw such film footage about Castro, Che Gueverra, and all the other players before. Really worthwhile seeing if you're interested about Fidel and the overthrow of Batista. Errol Flynne lends a certain credibility to the proceedings, even though he is older and way past his prime. I give it one firm thumb up, for its historical significance.Fascinating - on so many levels - Alexandra
Errol Flynn - who knew? This man was clearly a deeply dedicated socialist, very impressed by Fidel Castro and his movement. It makes one wonder what happened to this fascinating film - was it blacklisted? Why did Flynn die so young? Not to completely put the reader off by these conspiracy theories, but the group who watched this film the other night all had the same thoughts after we had watched it and then explored the biography of Flynn as it appears on Wikipedia.
Never before have I seen such remarkable footage of Castro, Che Guevara and other leaders of the Cuban revolution. The scenes are often breaktaking: shots of crowds running through the streets with banners, filmed from street level as well as from the air; Batista's army in shreds attempting to bomb the invaders; the airport in flames; the crowds welcoming the revolutionaries in the heart of Havana.
Framing these highly memorable scenes is Flynn himself, attempting to explain the experience to an audience who have only now had the opportunity to view the film. Things may appear different from our present day view of Cuban politics, yet one cannot deny the romanticism of it all in 1959.Cuban Story - Deanna
I thought this was quite fascinating, Errol Flynn is a poor narrator, but the images are very interesting to watch. Considering this was captured as it happened, it is good from a historical interest perspective. Very young Fidel and Che. Worth seeing.
Member Reviews
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An Insightful Documentary - bwod
Even though the sound and video isn't up to par, the unusual documentary about revolution in 1959 Cuba is very interesting. I don't think I ever saw such film footage about Castro, Che Gueverra, and all the other players before. Really worthwhile seeing if ...Fascinating - on so many levels - Alexandra
Errol Flynn - who knew? This man was clearly a deeply dedicated socialist, very impressed by Fidel Castro and his movement. It makes one wonder what happened to this fascinating film - was it blacklisted? Why did Flynn die so young? Not to completely put the ...Cuban Story - Deanna
I thought this was quite fascinating, Errol Flynn is a poor narrator, but the images are very interesting to watch. Considering this was captured as it happened, it is good from a historical interest perspective. Very young Fidel and Che. Worth seeing.