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Biography
Topic Started: Jul 19 2006, 01:38 PM (761 Views)
car
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Having recently read Ollies' auto-biography ( about the 4th time I think) and a couple of other biograhies. I was wondering which one people prefer - or could recommend. My favourite at the moment is Evil spirits by Cliff goodwin.

As well as being very easy and entertaining to read there is a feel of authenticity in the book. There are some parts that are non too flattering to Ollie but even these are not derogatory. The overall feel of the book is that it is written by someone who admires the subject....and why not.
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highlander
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My favourite too, one thing I would like to know about that bio is was it true that Oliver Reed did that interview when he sang "Wild Thing" sober? If so what a frigging good actor he was!!! :D

His auto bio was done in the 70's if I'm not mistaken, have not read it yet and it's a shame two decades were missed out on but I will read in tonight! (Just love Ebay!)
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OliverReed.net
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I prefer 'Reed All About Me'. I think I prefer the first-person narrative - as if Oliver was telling it to you himself. Plus there are some great anecdotes in there too - which made me laugh out loud :lol:

I have no problems with 'Evil Spirits' - but feel its padded out a bit with superfluous info (times, date, places) which don't add too much to the story of the man himself.

Shame Ollie didn't get to write another one later in his life - what a read that might have been ;)
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car
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I think if you could compare the two clips I mentioned - the one where he is acting drunk in Hanibal and the Word interview - they aare very similar. Wonderful acting. He was also acting 'drunk' on the Michael Aspel show.
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Madame de Winter
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Getting back to books about the great man (sorry!)
I just think that maybe Ollie probably had a selective memory (haven't we all) and the book Evil Spirits was probably a more realistic version of who he was...the good, the bad and the occasional ugly. I generally like that book....and still read it over again.
Ok...you can go back to what you were just talking about guys....! :D
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OliverReed.net
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Speaking of biographies...

Ollie was (apparently) a big fan of Errol Flynn - even had one of his shirts according to his accounts in 'Reed All About Me'.

Well I've just read Errol Flynn's auto-biography 'My Wicked Wicked Ways' - and what a read!

From the book you can see why Ollie might have been inspired by Flynn (I wonder if he ever actually read this book? - I reckon he may have!) - but it also shows how Ollie could be regarded as the mere apprentice to what Flynn achieved before him.

From his autobiograpghy Flynn was a charmer, a chancer and a rake who became a movie star, an epic womanizer and true hedonist - a spectacular life lived in just 50 short years.

Just my opinion though - but I urge you to read it for yourselves. Absolutely marvellous!
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OliverReed.net
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Just one last thing on Flynn, great video montage from YouTube
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