The Tuesday, Oct. 1 offering in the Tryon Connection movie series at Tryon Fine Arts Center will give the audience an opportunity to experience the great days of the silent movie era. It will give them a chance to hiss and boo at the villains, ooh and ah at the damsel in distress, and cheer on the tall, handsome, hero, Maurice “Lefty” Flynn in the starring role.

With his good looks and athletic physique, Lefty went to Hollywood after Yale and was an immediate success, starring in 40 films between 1919 and 1928.

Following the failure of his third marriage and a hiatus in Hawaii, Lefty found his way to London around 1930, where he met a young divorcee, Nora Phipps (nee Langhorne), who was the Virginia-born sister of Lady Astor. Nora and Lefty were soon married and, not long after, they moved to Little Orchard, in Tryon. Nora had known Tryon since her visits with her family and her somewhat notorious sisters during her youth.

From numerous accounts, including memories of some of their friends still living in Tryon, Lefty and Nora were a popular couple who frequently played host to their friends from Hollywood and numerous members of Nora’s family. They formed a particularly strong friendship with Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald and their daughter Scottie, making their home available to them at a difficult time in the Fitzgeralds’ lives. Nora’s daughter, Joyce Grenfell, enjoyed several visits to Tryon and became a well-known actress and comedienne in Britain, and another close friend of the Flynns was the British actor David Niven. (F. Scott Fitzgerald, Joyce Grenfell, and David Niven, will all be the subjects of future showings in the TFAC Tryon Connection film series.)

The Flynns remained in Tryon until 1937, when Lefty returned to Hollywood in an attempt to restart his movie career, but they left their mark on Tryon as well as a lasting memory as generous and friendly couple.

This special silent movie program, with a few extra surprises, begins at 7 p.m. This film is the second in the “Tryon Connections” series of six films to be shown every other Tuesday between Sept. 17 and Dec. 3. Tickets for all films will be sold at the door. Call 828-859-8322 or visit www.tryonarts.org for more information.

– article submitted by Frances Flynn