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Directing the General George Custer picture opened and then deepened Raoul Walsh's friendship with the picture's star, Errol Flynn, who became a lifelong friend—mishpocha, in fact. They Died with Their Boots On materialized in the same way as many other male-driven Warner Bros. projects of the late 1930s and early 1940s—as a possible vehicle for James Cagney, still the studio's biggest box-office draw. Warner Bros. was not alone in thinking that Custer had box-office potential. The film follows the life of George Custer from the time he enters West Point to his death at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Walsh and Flynn found a common thread in creating characters seeking to look heroic, men who above all else wish to leave a legacy of uncommon valor (suggestive of Flynn–Walsh films to come) and dignity. This began with Boots, and continued on with Gentleman Jim and their cycle of war films. Moreover, Walsh directed Desperate Journey.

Curtiz directed The Sea Hawk, an epic swashbuckler starring Errol Flynn. Shot on the studio’s Stage 21, which could be flooded with water and included two hydraulically operated ship sets, the picture was personally crafted by Curtiz, who shot unauthorized action scenes instead of relying on stock footage that Hal Wallis wanted to use. The picture was a smash, although Flynn had become increasingly upset about his typecasting and working with Curtiz. Also explored is a famous Curtiz anecdote that illustrates the director’s total focus on realism and disregard for the safety of performers. After a whirlwind trip to New York City, Curtiz directed the notoriously inaccurate Santa Fe Trail, with Flynn and de Havilland, and an outstanding version of Jack London’s The Sea Wolf, starring Edward G. Robinson, Ida Lupino, and John Garfield. Curtiz and Flynn had a final falling-out during Dive Bomber, a Technicolor tribute to the aerial navy. Flynn physically attacked the director, and the pair never worked together again.Although bereft of Warner’s top male star, Curtiz would move on to his greatest films as World War II began.

Curtiz coped with a variety of tribulations with his daughter Kitty, who surfaced in Europe as a cabaret singer. After his daughter rejected her father’s entreaties and attemptedsuicide, Curtiz eventually helped her settle in London—without ever leaving the soundstages of Warner Bros. He directed The Case of the Curious Bride (1935), a Perry Mason mystery that briefly introduced the newcomer Errol Flynn to the screen.As the studio reorganized for greater efficiency and bigger pictures, Wallis tapped Curtiz to helm Captain Blood (1935). Robert Donat was signed to play the title role, but he fell out because of illness. There was nobody for it but Flynn, who made a smashing debut as the swashbuckling doctor-turned-pirate. Curtiz directed him ably, but his autocratic demeanor alienated Flynn, thus setting the stage for a difficult relationship between director and star. Wallis fought Curtiz for control of the production as the director continued to make the movie in hisown style,which was contrary to that of the executive producer.Emotions cooled when the picture became a hit; the profitable relationship of producer, director, and star boded well for the future.

Curtiz finished Marked Woman for Lloyd Bacon and directed Mountain Justice, a fact-based drama about the Edith Maxwell murder case, followed by Kid Galahad, an all-star Warner melodrama. Curtiz was denied the assignment of The Adventures of Robin Hood when Errol Flynn begged Warner and Wallis not to let Curtiz direct him. William Keighley was assigned instead.The hugely budgeted production began to founder, andWallis eventually removedKeighley and appointed Curtiz to rescue the picture. He imbuedwhat is clearly one of his greatest films with his energetic creativity. The chapter provides an in-depth accounting of the Robin Hood production, including the action sequences and the Oscar-winning score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. The picture was one of Warner Bros.’ biggest triumphs, and Curtiz was then the leading director at the studio.

Curtiz was assigned to finishBlackwell’s Island.This was followed by his direction of Sons of Liberty, a patriotic short championed by the brothers Warner.The film won an Oscar for Best Short Subject, and Curtiz was given a $3,000 bonus from a grateful Jack Warner. Building on the original success of Four Daughters, he established a successful franchise with Daughters Courageous and Four Wives. Curtiz also beganhis relationship with the renowned cinematographer James Wong Howe, who would shoot four films for him. The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essexwas a difficult production because of the dueling egos of Errol Flynn and Bette Davis and the dissatisfaction of Olivia de Havilland, whom Jack Warner deliberately cast in a secondary role to punish her.Curtiz made the picture beautifully, but it was a box-office disappointment. Curtiz also had to cope with a family calamity when his daughter Kitty cut her wrists in a Hollywood hotel room. He was also short of cash owing to his and Bess’s careless financial management. Borrowing money from Jack Warner, he got his mother and two of his brothers out of Hungary and resettled in Hollywood. After directing Virginia City, amid the outbreak of war in Europe, Curtiz prepared for an epic swashbuckler.

Curtiz embarked on the most successful portion of his career as his cinematic style merged with the rapid-paced Warner studio technique. His relentless attention to detail includedresearching the nuances of his adopted country asthey might be applied to each of his film assignments. Screenwriters such as Casey Robinson and Robert Buckner questioned his ability to maintain story continuity, but no one could argue with his ability to make a successful picture. He was nominated as Best Director for Four Daughters,which rocketed John Garfield to stardom, and also for Angels with Dirty Faces, starring James Cagney.He closed out the year by directing Dodge City, a sprawling Technicolor Western starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havillandthat would be one of the top-ten Hollywood moneymakers in 1939. Curtiz and Bess settled into a comfortable routine on the Canoga Ranch; Kitty attended CCNY as the Warners launched a campaign to rally the country against the specter of Nazism in Europe.

Jack Warner cancels All This, and Heaven Too, a decision that Hopkins doesn’t take well. They agree that when the film is produced, Hopkins will do it. When her divorce is granted, she returns to Hollywood and is blackmailed by Jack Warner. At an impasse, Hopkins relinquishes All This, and Heaven Too and accepts a role opposite Errol Flynn. On Virginia City, Hopkins battles with Flynn and director Michael Curtiz. Zuckmayer returns to Vermont; Hopkins is devastated. Warner Bros. produces All This, and Heaven Too with Bette Davis. Hopkins is almost broke. She appears in The Guardsman for Bela Blau, but her political differences with Fascist costar Tullio Carminati postpones production and Blau sues Hopkins. Once resolved, Hopkins agrees to do a play by a new writer, Tennessee Williams, but not until she makes her next film, Lady with Red Hair. Hopkins’s battles continue at the studio. She reunites with ex-husband Anatole Litvak, until a scandal ends their relationship.

Curtiz was assigned a horror programmer, The Walking Dead, that he turned into a highly credible film.This picture beganhis association with Irving Rapper as a dialogue director. Rapper became a respected director who considered Curtiz his professional mentor. Wallis and Curtiz finally had it out during the production of The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936).Curtiz continued to defy Wallis by eschewing close-ups while using an excess amount of camera movement and foreground composition in his setups. Wallis eventually threatened to fire Curtiz, who acquiesced to filming more to the producer’s desired style. The chapter includes a detailed account of the alleged mistreatment of horses during the charge sequences,whichErrol Flynn and David Niven blamed on Curtiz.Author’s research revealed that these stories were grossly exaggerated; Curtiz was not even present when some horses were injured and put down. Despite a wave of bad publicity, the picture was another hit. Curtiz endured a separation from Bess and divorce proceedings that ended abruptly when the couple reconciled. He also achieved his long-sought-after American citizenship, even though he lied about the existence of his European children.

George Walsh sent his brother, Raoul, numerous letters that consisted of stories with one common element, a love story. Each wrapped around the love of a man for a woman or a man fighting the odds to fight the good fight while still knowing a woman stood waiting for him. If the scenario didn't include a good love story somewhere in the plot, Walsh was not interested. He directed Revolt of Mamie Stover, The King and Four Queens, and Band of Angels. Walsh then worked up great enthusiasm for his next film, The Naked and the Dead, adapted from Norman Mailer's best-selling antiwar novel about World War II. Twenty years previously to A Private's Affair, Walsh's comedies could not have been compared to television products, but now they might very well have been. To make matters worse, Walsh lost good friends in the 1950s. Bogie and Errol Flynn passed away in 1957 and 1959, respectively. But his adventures were nowhere near finished; he had a store of sadness he needed to escape.

This chapter begins with a concise history of Warner Bros.—its inception, its combative founders, and the key role that music played in the studio’s releases. Steiner’s first work at Warners, The Charge of the Light Brigade, would be another milestone—a grand action-adventure score foreshadowing contemporary film music. Despite a tight deadline, and high expectations from producer Hal Wallis, Steiner triumphed, which made his return to Selznick all the more crushing. David’s increasing micromanagement extended to music; and Max was devastated when the producer who had called himself Steiner’s “biggest fan” eviscerated his score for A Star Is Born, Selznick’s latest film. A proud (if often insecure) individual, Steiner resigned his post at Selznick but stressed to the producer his desire to remain friends. His motives were not solely personal. Max knew that Selznick was about to film the most successful novel of the decade: Gone with the Wind.