The Master of Ballantrae (William Keighley, UK, 1953): Starring Errol Flynn (1909–1959), b. Battery Point, Tas

Tasmanian-born actor Errol Flynn starred as Jamie Durie in his archetypal role as a romantic swashbuckler.

Based on the 1889 novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, this was Flynn’s last film with Warner Bros, the end of a nearly 20-year association which yielded 35 films.

Flynn came to acting by accident, reputedly making his film debut in Charles Chauvel’s In the Wake of the Bounty (1933) after actor John Warwick brought him to a casting session.

Flynn achieved worldwide fame during Hollywood’s golden age but gained a shocking reputation for a life clouded by scandal, drink, sex, and drugs.

This dynamic poster serves up romance, drama, and a hint of flesh. The central shield motif on the poster projects power and royalty, a theme central to the film’s narrative.

Notes by Michelle Davenport