Maurice Bennett Flynn (May 26, 1892 – March 4, 1959) was an American football player and actor. He was also known as "Lefty" Flynn because in football, he kicked with his left foot.

Biography

Flynn was born in

Greenwich, Connecticut Greenwich (, ) is a New England town, town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the town had a total population of 63,518. The largest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast (Conne ...

on May 26, 1892. He later attended

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

starting in 1910. He was expelled from Yale in January 1913 after he married Irene Leary, a chorus girl. They separated after 11 days, and their divorce became final in 1914. In 1916 he married Blanche Shove Palmer and they had two children, including basketball player and broadcaster

Bud Palmer John Shove "Bud" Palmer (born John Palmer Flynn; September 14, 1921 – March 19, 2013) was an American professional basketball player. He was a member of the New York Knicks during the team's first three seasons in the Basketball Association of A ...

. Between 1919 and 1927, Flynn appeared in 40 feature films, often as the lead actor, and sometimes as a sports hero or daring adventurer. He moved to

Tryon, North Carolina Tryon is a town in Polk County, on the southwestern border of North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,646. Located in the escarpment of the Blue Ridge Mountains, today the area is affluent and a center f ...

and was married for the third time to Nora Langhorne Phipps. She was the youngest sister of

Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor Nancy Witcher Langhorne Astor, Viscountess Astor, (19 May 1879 – 2 May 1964) was an American-born British politician who was the first woman seated as a Member of Parliament (MP), serving from 1919 to 1945. Astor's first husband was America ...

and of Irene Langhorne, who was married to the artist

Charles Dana Gibson Charles Dana Gibson (September 14, 1867 – December 23, 1944) was an American illustrator. He was best known for his creation of the Gibson Girl, an iconic representation of the beautiful and independent Euro-American woman at the turn of the ...

. Flynn was married to actress

Viola Dana Viola Dana (born Virginia Flugrath; June 26, 1897 – July 3, 1987) was an American film actress who was successful during the era of silent films. She appeared in over 100 films, but was unable to make the transition to sound films. Early lif ...

from 1925 to 1929. Nora, Flynn's third wife, persuaded Lefty to cure his alcoholism through Christian Science treatments. She tried less-than-successfully to convince F. Scott Fitzgerald to try the

Mary Baker Eddy Mary Baker Eddy (July 16, 1821 – December 3, 1910) was an American religious leader and author who founded The Church of Christ, Scientist, in New England in 1879. She also founded ''The Christian Science Monitor'', a Pulitzer Prize-winning s ...

approach in March 1934, when she and Lefty were caring for Scottie, Zelda and Scott's daughter, during trying times for a depressed Scott. The next month Fitzgerald published a story, "The Intimate Strangers," based on the Flynns. He died on March 4, 1959 in Camden, SC. He was 66.

Filmography

* '' Oh, Boy!'' (1919) * '' The Silver Horde'' (1920) * '' The Great Accident'' (1920) * ''

Going Some ''Going Some'' is a lost 1920 silent film directed by Harry Beaumont. It stars Cullen Landis, Helen Ferguson, Kenneth Harlan and Lillian Hall. It was released by Goldwyn Pictures.''Pictorial History of the Silent Film'', p.195 c.1953 by Daniel ...

'' (1920) * ''

Stop Thief! ''Stop Thief!'' is a 1901 British short silent drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually q ...

'' (1920) * '' Officer 666'' (1920) * ''

Just Out of College Just or JUST may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Just (surname) * Just (given name) Arts and entertainment * ''Just'', a 1998 album by Dave Lindholm * "Just" (song), a song by Radiohead * "Just", a song from the album ''Lost and Found'' by Mudvayne ...

'' (1920) * ''

Roads of Destiny ''Roads of Destiny'' is a 1921 American silent drama film produced and distributed by Goldwyn Pictures. The film is based on the 1909 short story of the same name by O. Henry that was turned into a play by Channing Pollock starring Florence ...

'' (1921) * '' Children of the Night'' (1921) * ''

Dangerous Curve Ahead ''Dangerous Curve Ahead'' is a 1921 American silent comedy starring Helene Chadwick and Richard Dix. The film is considered to be lost. Plot As described in a film magazine, Phoebe Mabee (Chadwick) is a much sought after small town belle who q ...

'' (1921) * ''

Voices of the City ''Voices of the City'' (also known as ''The Night Rose'', its intended original release title) is a 1921 American silent film, silent crime drama film starring Leatrice Joy and Lon Chaney that was directed by Wallace Worsley, based on the Leroy ...

'' (1921) * ''

The Old Nest ''The Old Nest'' is a 1921 American drama silent black and white film directed by Reginald Barker and starring Helene Chadwick. It was awarded for the National High School Students' Poll for Best Picture They Had Ever Seen. It is based on the ...

'' (1921) * '' The Last Trail'' (1921) * ''

Bucking the Line ''Bucking the Line'' is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by Carl Harbaugh and starring Maurice 'Lefty' Flynn, Molly Malone and Kathryn McGuire.Munden p.96 Cast * Maurice 'Lefty' Flynn as John Montague Smith * Molly Malone as Corona ...

'' (1921) * ''

Oath-Bound ''Oath-Bound'' is a 1922 American silent drama film directed by Bernard J. Durning and starring Dustin Farnum, Ethel Grey Terry, and Fred Thomson.Solomon p. 278 Cast * Dustin Farnum as Lawrence Bradbury * Ethel Grey Terry as Constance Hasting ...

'' (1922) * ''

The Woman Who Walked Alone ''The Woman Who Walked Alone'' is a 1922 American silent drama film directed by George Melford and written by John Colton and Will M. Ritchey. The film stars Dorothy Dalton, Milton Sills, E. J. Ratcliffe, Wanda Hawley, Frederick Vroom, Mayme K ...

'' (1922) * '' Roughshod'' (1922) * '' Smiles Are Trumps'' (1922) * '' Omar the Tentmaker'' (1922) * ''

Drums of Fate ''Drums of Fate'' is a 1923 American silent drama film directed by Charles Maigne and starring Mary Miles Minter. It was adapted by Will M. Ritchey from the novel "Sacrifice" by Stephen French Whitman. It was also referred to as "Drums of Desti ...

'' (1923) *'' Hell's Hole'' (1923) * '' The Snow Bride'' (1923) * ''

Salomy Jane Salomy Jane may refer to: *" Salomy Jane's Kiss", an 1889 western short story by Bret Harte, included in ''Stories of Light and Shadow'' (1898) * ''Salomy Jane'' (play), a 1907 stage adaptation by Paul Armstrong *"Salomy Jane", a 1910 western nove ...

'' (1923) * ''

The No-Gun Man ''The No-Gun Man'' is a 1924 American silent Western film directed by Harry Garson and starring Maurice 'Lefty' Flynn, William Quinn, and Gloria Grey. Plot As described in a review in a film magazine, following the robbery of a suburban bank, ...

'' (1924) * ''

The Millionaire Cowboy ''The Millionaire Cowboy'' is a 1924 American silent Western film directed by Harry Garson and starring Maurice 'Lefty' Flynn, Gloria Grey and Charles Crockett.Langman, p. 290 Cast * Maurice 'Lefty' Flynn as Charles Christopher Meredyth Jr., a ...

'' (1924) * '' The Uninvited Guest'' (1924) * ''

Code of the Sea ''Code of the Sea'' is a 1924 American silent drama film produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Victor Fleming and starred Rod La Rocque and Jacqueline Logan. Cast Preservation Prints ...

'' (1924) * '' Breed of the Border'' (1924) * '' Open All Night'' (1924) * ''

Speed Wild ''Speed Wild'' is a 1925 American silent action film directed by Harry Garson and starring Maurice 'Lefty' Flynn, Ethel Shannon Ethel Shannon (May 22, 1898 – July 10, 1951) was an American actress. She appeared in over 30 silent movi ...

'' (May 1925) * ''

High and Handsome ''High and Handsome'' is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Harry Garson and starring Maurice 'Lefty' Flynn, Ethel Shannon, and Tom Kennedy Thomas or Tom Kennedy may refer to: Politics *Thomas Kennedy (Scottish judge) (1673–175 ...

'' (September 1925) * '' Heads Up'' (October 1925) * '' Smilin' at Trouble'' (December 1925) * ''

The College Boob ''The College Boob'' is a 1926 American comedy film directed by Harry Garson and written by Gerald Duffy. The film stars Maurice Bennett Flynn, Jean Arthur, Jimmy Anderson, Bob Steele, Cecil Ogden and Dorothea Wolbert. The film was released on ...

'' (1926) * ''

Sir Lumberjack ''Sir Lumberjack'' is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Harry Garson and starring Maurice 'Lefty' Flynn, Kathleen Myers, and Tom Kennedy. Plot As described in a film magazine review, Bill Barlow, a ne’er-do-well decides reform him ...

'' (1926) * ''

The Traffic Cop ''The Traffic Cop'' is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Harry Garson and starring Maurice 'Lefty' Flynn, Kathleen Myers, and Nigel Barrie.Munden p. 825 Plot As described in a film magazine review, Joe Regan, a young traffic office ...

'' (1926) * ''

Glenister of the Mounted ''Glenister of the Mounted'' is a 1926 American silent Western film directed by Harry Garson and starring Maurice 'Lefty' Flynn, Bess Flowers and Lee Shumway. Cast * Maurice 'Lefty' Flynn as Sergeant Richard Glenister * Bess Flowers as Eliz ...

'' (1926) * ''

Mulhall's Greatest Catch ''Mulhall's Greatest Catch'' is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Harry Garson and starring Maurice 'Lefty' Flynn, Kathleen Myers and Henry Victor.Journeys of Desire p.461 It is also known by the alternative title of ''When Heroes L ...

'' (1926) * '' The Golden Stallion'' (1927)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Flynn, Maurice Bennett 1892 births 1959 deaths Yale Bulldogs football players Sportspeople from Greenwich, Connecticut Players of American football from Connecticut American male silent film actors 20th-century American male actors People from Tryon, North Carolina

Biography

Filmography

References

Further reading

External links