My Wicked, Wicked Ways

My Wicked, Wicked Ways
The Aurum Press 2005 cover
Author(s)	Errol Flynn Earl Conrad
Original title	My Wicked, Wicked Ways
Country	Jamaica
Language	English
Genre(s)	Autobiography
Publisher	G. P. Putnam's Sons Cooper Square Press Aurum Press
Publication date	December 1959 New edition (25 Feb 2005)
Media type	Print
ISBN	9781845130497
Preceded by	Showdown

My Wicked, Wicked Ways is an autobiography written by Australian actor Errol Flynn with the aid of ghostwriter Earl Conrad. It was released posthumously following the sudden death of the actor and became immensely popular for its cynical tone and candid depiction of the world of filmmaking in Hollywood.^[1] My Wicked, Wicked Ways has sold over one million copies and still sells remarkably well, with paperback sales in the United Kingdom between 1992 – 1999 amounting to £18,500.^[2]

Writing Process

The original publisher, Putnam paid an advance of $9,000 to Flynn for the rights of his autobiography. Ghostwriter Earl Conrad was sent to Flynn's home in Jamaica to collaborate with the actor throughout the writing period. According to Beverly Aadland, Flynn's teenage girlfriend, Conrad was usually drunk and spent most of his time chasing Jamaican women. Aadland also claims that her and Flynn had difficultly removing him, saying "He was basically a doorstop with paid vacation".^[3] Jeffrey Meyers' introduction in the Aurum edition of My Wicked, Wicked Ways claims that Errol dictated the book to Conrad from August to October in 1958, and that he was a "literary stand in".^[4]

Controversies

The book is noteworthy for its depictions of major Hollywood players from the Classic Hollywood period including Jack Warner, John Barrymore, Bruce Cabot, Flynn's first wife Lili Damita and director Michael Curtiz. Flynn also writes of falling in love with co-star Olivia de Havilland.^[5]

Adaptations

• A TV movie adaptation called My Wicked, Wicked Ways: The Legend of Errol Flynn directed by Don Taylor and starring Duncan Regehr as Flynn was released in 1985.^[6]

References

1. ^ Flynn, Errol (1959). My Wicked, Wicked Ways. Aurum Press. pp. 05–06.. 
2. ^ Flynn, Errol (1959). My Wicked, Wicked Ways. Aurum Press. pp. 05–06.. 
3. ^ Flynn, Errol (1959). My Wicked, Wicked Ways. Aurum Press. pp. 03–04.. 
4. ^ Flynn, Errol (1959). My Wicked, Wicked Ways. Aurum Press. pp. 03–04.. 
5. ^ Errol Flynn? He never had his wicked way with me, says Gone With The Wind star Olivia de Havilland Retrieved 08/10/11
6. ^ My Wicked, Wicked Ways: The Legend of Errol Flynn (TV 1985), IMDb.com

External links

• Flynn, Errol (1959). My Wicked, Wicked Ways. Aurum Press. ISBN 0815412509.