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My Wicked, Wicked Ways
Known to millions as the preeminent swashbuckler of the silver screen, Errol Flynn was a complex man who lived a life far more adventurous than any of his films. In My Wicked, Wicked Ways, Flynn reveals himself to be a self-aware and cosmopolitan devotee of excitement and pleasure. With gusto, he recalls his years as a soldier of fortune in the South Seas, his trip to war-...more
Paperback, 438 pages
Published
by Cooper Square Publishers
(first published 1959)
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I've never read anyone wallow so gloriously in their own evil--and evil is the only word for it. The womanizing was apparently the least wicked thing he did. He was a slave trader in New Guinea, for God sakes!
So, I obviously didn't come away liking him as a person. But as a writer he was remarkably good, in a glib, raconteurish type of way. It reminded me of Humbert Humbert, the unctuous, self-justifying narrator of Lolita. He is describing his own evil acts, but doing it i...more
So, I obviously didn't come away liking him as a person. But as a writer he was remarkably good, in a glib, raconteurish type of way. It reminded me of Humbert Humbert, the unctuous, self-justifying narrator of Lolita. He is describing his own evil acts, but doing it i...more
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There was nobody like Errol Flynn. He was one-of-a-kind, a grown-up kid who, constantly looking for adventure, sailed through life on his good looks and innate charm.
He was really a "flake". He avoided responsibility, usually letting his "little head" dictate to the one on top of his neck.
No woman could hold him for very long.
You'd be a fool to loan Errol money, as his creditors back in his native Tasmania would be quick to tell you. He spent tha...more
He was really a "flake". He avoided responsibility, usually letting his "little head" dictate to the one on top of his neck.
No woman could hold him for very long.
You'd be a fool to loan Errol money, as his creditors back in his native Tasmania would be quick to tell you. He spent tha...more
The autobiography of Errol Flynn (1909-1959) is an extraordinary story of an iconic actor who starred in a string of swashbuckling movies in the 1930's and 1940's, including "Captain Blood", "The Charge of the Light Brigade", "The Sea Hawk", and "The Adventures of Robin Hood". A brawler, drinker, drug addict, and womanizer, he became a caricature of himself and, despite wealth, fame, multiple marriages and affairs, was a deeply unhappy man.
Thi...more
Thi...more
Flynn, Errol. MY WICKED, WICKED WAYS: The Autobiography of Errol Flynn. (1959). ****. I’m not sure what drove Flynn to write this autobiography. It was either to provide the truth of his background and subsequent life, or to add further to his boxoffice image and build upon the popular press surrounding him. The book reads much like “The History of Tom Jones.” We learn that Flynn was not Irish; he was born in Tasmania. He attended several schools there and in Australia, mostly because hi...more
I started laughing from the start and found myself amused throughout.
It's not nearly as candid as the blurb claims - there's no mention of his 15-year-old girlfriend, and all sorts of other naughty or outright scandalous bits of anecdote are left out - but the ghostwriter did a good job of echoing Flynn's style - he did fancy himself a writer did our Errol.
Is it an amusing snapshot of Hollywood in the 30s and 40s? Yes. Is it sometimes awfully sad? Sure. Is he just lying throu...more
It's not nearly as candid as the blurb claims - there's no mention of his 15-year-old girlfriend, and all sorts of other naughty or outright scandalous bits of anecdote are left out - but the ghostwriter did a good job of echoing Flynn's style - he did fancy himself a writer did our Errol.
Is it an amusing snapshot of Hollywood in the 30s and 40s? Yes. Is it sometimes awfully sad? Sure. Is he just lying throu...more
I would give this book 2.5 stars, if I could.
I found the first half of the book a fascinating read. If he lived through half of the things that he had written about, he led a very exciting life. I thoroughly enjoyed it and read it in less than three days.
Once he got to Hollywood, I became bored stiff. I did not care to hear his name dropping and how many sets of tennis that he played everyday. I was not impressed with who or how many famous women that he had slept wit...more
I found the first half of the book a fascinating read. If he lived through half of the things that he had written about, he led a very exciting life. I thoroughly enjoyed it and read it in less than three days.
Once he got to Hollywood, I became bored stiff. I did not care to hear his name dropping and how many sets of tennis that he played everyday. I was not impressed with who or how many famous women that he had slept wit...more
Both my husband and myself enjoyed this novel immensely.
I love his movies, his carefree way of facing his life head-on, and the way he saw himself in this book.
A lot of it read like fiction, but who cares.
It was one scandalous event after another, a different setting and another woman, and then his wife left to sift through the reality she was living in the shadows of his ego.
What a scoundrel~But, a loveable one.
If half of this book was true, it was one hell of a li...more
I love his movies, his carefree way of facing his life head-on, and the way he saw himself in this book.
A lot of it read like fiction, but who cares.
It was one scandalous event after another, a different setting and another woman, and then his wife left to sift through the reality she was living in the shadows of his ego.
What a scoundrel~But, a loveable one.
If half of this book was true, it was one hell of a li...more
Although this book gives some fascinating insight into the early days of Hollywood and the sinister inner workings of the major studios, it is really a checklist of unworthy deeds committed by a man who was unfortunately revered by many. Flynn does seem rather proud of his "wicked, wicked ways" and shows no remorse nor does he try to justify his actions. He shoots straight, which makes for some interesting reading, but leaves you feeling sorry in the end that someone could be so prou...more
With all the commotion about stars and starlets in the popular press today- it was refreshing to read about a real character. Although I have heard the wickedness admitted to in Errol's biography maybe exaggerated, by all measures it is more exciting that anything any actor or actress today could dream up. I thought the best part of this book was the first half- which covers Flynn's life up to his rise to popularity. After that- it becomes a sort of boo-hoo story of depression and desperation in...more
I found this a compelling read, although parts are disturbing - not quite what I'd expected. Although there is some juicy Hollywood gossip, and a lot of humour, much of the book is quite dark and brooding.
It's supposed to be an amazingly frank autobiography (though actually written by a ghostwriter) and some parts do feel like that, but a lot of it seems like exaggeration or downright lies, especially some of Flynn's wild adventures in New Guinea in the first part of the book. This f...more
It's supposed to be an amazingly frank autobiography (though actually written by a ghostwriter) and some parts do feel like that, but a lot of it seems like exaggeration or downright lies, especially some of Flynn's wild adventures in New Guinea in the first part of the book. This f...more
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absolute and unfettered entertainment from start to finish. i cannot recommend this book highly enough. i now have to read the motley crew autobiography to see if it can possibly compare. like a real showman, errol flynn gives you everything you want and none of what you don't. the outrageous-anecdote-to-page ratio runs about 1:1 all the way through. among some that will stick in my head- the final gag with john barrymore, the private steamboat cruise up the mississippi, the spanish teeth that n...more
Such a scandalous man! form what i read it was good, i wish i couldve kept reading but i simply got bored of the book. i liked the information about him and hes one of my fav old actors but i think he shouldve kept to acting and not writing
This was a fun read, although (as the preface points out) it’s impossible to know how much of this is truth and how much is pure fabrication. Either way, Errol Flynn spins a good yarn or two during the first portion of the memoir (though note that his perspectives on other cultures reflect those of a less-enlightened generation). It is the final portion that truly makes this a worthwhile read; Flynn’s musings on his own life, reputation, and the meaning of it all is incredibly honest and forth...more
Maybe he wasn't the greatest actor in the world, but everyone loved him and everyone wanted to BE like him... to be "in, like Flynn."
Errol Flynn is one of my arch-types. Like my own life, he filled it with fascinating adventures and interests, but fulfillment always seemed to elude him.
The consummate swashbuckler, the ardent adventurer and a man's man. He writes here about his experiences from about age 16 to his move to America to become one of the biggest mo...more
Errol Flynn is one of my arch-types. Like my own life, he filled it with fascinating adventures and interests, but fulfillment always seemed to elude him.
The consummate swashbuckler, the ardent adventurer and a man's man. He writes here about his experiences from about age 16 to his move to America to become one of the biggest mo...more
Charming and honest without always being factual, Flynn's book is as much a reflection of the way he wanted to see himself as it is an autobiography. A fascinating insight into Hollywood and one of the first action movie stars.
According to Errol Flynn, Errol Flynn was a wild degenerate with stints as a petty thief and a slave trader in the Pacific before ultimately becoming an actor and a bankrupt drunk adrift listlessly in his yacht. Lots of stuff in this book is apparently intense fabrication, and it's hard to figure out what's what. Best part hands down: Flynn wanted to name the book, "In Like Me" but was denied. Now that's awesome. Oh wait, and he also fed a piece of pork on a string to a duck and when t...more
This biography reveals the giant of an author within his deepest soul. He loved life and the adventure that life presented to him. An incredible journey that opened many doors to me, to explore life.
An adventurous and private insight into the swasbuckling and glamorous life of a great movie star revealing as often the case they are far unhappier off screen than on it.
I read this when I was recuperating from jaw surgery. Not much you can do with two broken jaws but settle down and read books, trashy or no. But it was entertaining.
Reads very much like listening to your great grandpa tell war stories. Enjoyable, interesting, sometimes fascinating, , but takes time to get through.
Very entertaining, but tinged with sadness. Flynn was obviously unfulfilled not enjoying his reputation but unable to help himself from living it. It's not a woe is me narration and there is much more to this man than meets the eye.
Favourite Quote: I now stood in the nude, and the starry light of early morning displayed Flynn in all his valor but no armor.
I would love to sit down when I'm over 65 and tell a story about my life like this one. The entire time you read this book your shaking your head thinking that this man should have hung nine times over. I love his attitude and scams to make money how ever he can in any part of the world with all kinds of strange scarry people. He knows how to work his ass off, piss people off, hook up with all kinds of women, drink, cock fight, drink, trick natives into thinking he has magic powers, fight, drink...more
I am not normaly drawn to autobiograhys, but this is not a normal autobiography. From his inauspicious beginings in Tazmania, to his wild adventures in New Guiny where he literally ran from head-hunters (not the recruitment kind) to his sexual exploits in Hollywood (he met his third wife at a snack stand in the LA courthouse, where he was standing trial for statutory rape) this guy's life was truly stranger than fiction. His writing is terrific. A friend of mine read the entire book in a matter ...more
Such a sexy wicked man. Can't help but believe he could have seduced me as well.
The funniest autobiography I ever read-Flynn just doesn't care to tell everything.
Wickedly interesting but not so wicked in comparison to todays celebrity antics
I read this over 30 years ago...found it very entertaining then.
Errol is just a beautiful, beautiful man.
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Errol Flynn appeared in some 60 films from 1933 to the late 1950s and gained the reputation of being the quintessential Hollywood swashbuckling sword-wielding adventure hero. His private life was a different matter altogether, and he was involved in a number of scandal-laden Hollywood incidents.
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“All I had to do was stick my face into this gruesome mess and bite off the young sheep's testicles. Dag a hogget. I had good teeth. I put my nose into this awful-smelling mess, my teeth solidly around the balls of the six-month-old sheep, and took a bite while I held him upside down. My nose was in fur and ordure. I bit and spat out the product into a pile of what they called prairie oysters. We have them in America too: delicious to eat, but not delicious to remove. They said this was the most sanitary way to de-ball a sheep. After I was done, I passed the sheep onto the next man, who put a little coal tar on the same spot for purposes of cleansing and closing up the wound.
The sheep never let out a bleat.”
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The sheep never let out a bleat.”
