Errol Flynn had nine lives in Hollywood, but by 1950 the charming rogue was wearing out his welcome. While shooting Montana (1950) Warner Bros. got tired of his on-set carousing and terminated his contract. Rocky Mountain, the picture made just before his termination, (and directed by pal William Keighley in budget-friendly black and white) tells the story of a Confederate officer whose mission to wrangle up renegades for the rebel cause is interrupted by the rescue of a stranded blonde (Patrice Wymore). Wymore looks angelic and pale surrounded by scruffy men, and it's easy to see what inspired Flynn to toss aside his engagement to a princess in order to make Wymore his final wife. The lines in Flynn's face are deeper, but he still stands with vigor admidst the craggy New Mexico landscape. Never mind stories from bit players who tried to take Flynn up on his generous offer to run lines, only to find he was never sober enough to do so: this is one of the last movies where audiences can bask in the devil-may-care greatness of the man who wanted to title his outrageously candid autobiography "In Like Me".

By Violet LeVoit