Sean Flynn (photojournalist)

Sean Leslie Flynn (May 31, 1941 – disappeared April 6, 1970; declared legally dead in 1984) was an American actor and freelance photojournalist best known for his coverage of the Vietnam War.

Flynn was the only child of Australian-American actor Errol Flynn and his first wife, French-American actress Lili Damita.

After studying briefly at Duke University, he embarked on an acting career.

The episode, "Strange Auction," was broadcast in the U.K. in 1956 and in the U.S. in 1957.

He retired by the mid-1960s to become a freelance photojournalist under contract to Time magazine.

In search of exceptional images, Flynn traveled with U.S. Army Special Forces units and irregulars operating in remote areas.

Flynn graduated from the Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, in 1960.

When Errol Flynn died, he left his son $5,000 to help with his college education.

Sean Flynn enrolled at Duke University.

Sean Flynn first appeared in front of the cameras at the age of fifteen, when he appeared in an episode of his father's television show, The Errol Flynn Theatre.

Over a summer break in June 1960, Flynn visited his mother in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

At the suggestion of his friend, actor George Hamilton, Flynn filmed a scene in Hamilton's picture Where the Boys Are, which was shooting in Fort Lauderdale at the time.

Most of his scenes ended up on the cutting room floor, but he can still be seen in a scene walking past wearing a blue "Xavier University" sweatshirt.

In May 1961, at the age of 20, Flynn accepted a contract with Sage Western Pictures to appear in 1962's Il Figlio del Capitano Blood, a sequel to his father's hit film Captain Blood.

He was paid $110 a week for the testing period, going up to $10,000 for twelve weeks' work in the film.

As Flynn was still legally a minor he needed his mother's permission, which was granted.

The test was successful.

In September 1961 it was announced Flynn had signed a recording contract for a company known as Hi-Fidelity R.V. Records, and had already recorded four songs for them.

Two came out: "Secret Love" b/w "Stay in My Heart".

The songs were released as a 45rpm single (Arvee A 5043, 1961, and HiFi Records R. 9003, 1962).

In 1962, Hamilton announced that he wanted to make The Brothers, based on a story by Hamilton, starring himself, Flynn, and Terry Thomas, but the film was never made.

Around this time Flynn's fiancé was Julie Payne, daughter of actors John Payne and Anne Shirley.

A few years later he was engaged to Alessandra Panao.

Flynn made a few more films in Europe, including Il segno di Zorro (1963; released in 1964 as Duel at the Rio Grande), Verspätung in Marienborn with José Ferrer (1963; released in 1964 as Stop Train 349), Agent Special a Venise "Voir Venise et...Crever" (1964; sold to U.S. television syndication as Mission to Venice), and Sandok, Il Maciste della Jungla (1964; released in 1966 as Temple of the White Elephant).

The film was released in the U.S. in 1964 as The Son of Captain Blood.

Flynn became bored with acting, and he went to Africa in late 1964 to try his hand at being a guide for safaris and big-game hunting.

He also spent time as a game warden in Kenya.

In the latter part of 1965, Flynn needed money, so he made two Spaghetti Westerns in Spain and Italy that were released in 1966: Sette Magnifiche Pistole (Seven Guns for Timothy) and Dos Pistolas Gemelas (Sharp-Shooting Twin Sisters) co-starring the Spanish twin performers Pili and Mili.

In the summer of 1966, Flynn went to Singapore to star in his eighth and final film, the French–Italian action film Cinq Gars Pour Singapour (1967; released in 1968 as Five Ashore in Singapore).

Flynn arrived in South Vietnam in January 1966 as a freelance photojournalist, first for the French magazine Paris Match, then for Time Life, and finally for United Press International (UPI).

Flynn's photos were soon published around the world.

He made a name for himself as one of a group of high-risk photojournalists which included Dana Stone, Tim Page, Henri Huet, John Steinbeck IV, Perry Deane Young, Nik Wheeler, and Chas Gerretsen, who would do anything to get the best pictures, even go into combat.

In March 1966, Flynn was wounded in the knee while in the field.

In April, Flynn was on patrol with some Green Berets and Nung mercenaries when they were ambushed by the Viet Cong.

Flynn was carrying an M-16 rifle at the time and had to fight his way out along with the other soldiers.

"I thought not only me but all of us were greased."

While on assignment in Cambodia in April 1970, Flynn and fellow photojournalist Dana Stone were captured by communist guerrillas.

Neither man was seen or heard from again.

In 1984, Flynn's mother had him declared dead in absentia.

Flynn's parents separated when he was young; he was raised by his mother, Lili Damita.