Errol Flynn My Wicked Wicked Ways — A How-To Guide
Errol Flynn's autobiography came out in 1959, just a couple of years before he died. The full title is My Wicked, Wicked Ways. It covers his life from childhood in Tasmania through his Hollywood career and personal troubles. The book is known for being frank about his relationships, drinking, and legal issues. The original edition was published by Putnam. You can find it on Amazon, AbeBooks, or eBay. A Kindle version is available through most ebook retailers. The ISBN for the first edition hardcover is 0-399-10366-4. Paperbacks from Signet and Grove Press are common. Prices range from $5 for a used paperback to $30+ for a first edition in good condition. I bought my first copy in 2003 at a used bookstore in Portland. It was a Grove Press paperback with dog-eared pages. The spine was cracked but the text was complete. I paid $3.50. That copy is still on my shelf now, twenty years later.
What the Book Actually Covers
Flynn wrote about his early years in Australia, his escape to Hollywood in the 1930s, and his rise to leading man status. He details his roles in The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Sea Hawk, and other Warner Bros pictures. The second half covers his personal life: multiple marriages, alcoholism, and the 1943 statutory rape case that nearly ended his career. One thing beginners often miss is that Flynn was a terrible liar. He admitted as much in the book. The publisher hired Gene London to help shape the manuscript, but Flynn's own voice comes through clearly. He wasn't trying to paint a sanitized picture. He wanted to be honest about who he was.
Common Problems When Reading It
The chronology jumps around. Flynn wasn't strict about dates. He sometimes conflated events from different years. I spent about two hours cross-referencing the timeline with his filmography. The result was worth it. You get a clearer picture of what actually happened versus what he claimed. Another issue is the legal material. Flynn was convicted in 1945 but the conviction was overturned on appeal. The book doesn't go into great detail about the appeals process. If you want the full legal history, you need to look elsewhere. The case files are available through court records, but they're not easy to access.
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Why This Book Still Matters
Most Hollywood autobiographies from that era are sanitized. Stars wanted to control their public image. Flynn didn't. He wrote about his sexual relationships, his drinking, and his legal troubles without holding back. The result is a more honest portrait than you'd get from most celebrities of that period. I've recommended this book to film students for decades. It shows what the studio system was like from the inside. Flynn describes his relationships with directors, producers, and other actors. The details about how films were made in the 1930s and 1940s are valuable. They're not in any textbook I know.
Limitations You Should Know About
The book has gaps. Flynn died in 1959, and he was dying when he wrote it. Alcoholism had taken a toll. Some sections feel rushed. He sometimes skipped over important events. The chapter on his later years is particularly thin. If you want more detail about that period, you'll need to consult biographies by John Emerson or other scholars. The writing style is casual. Flynn wasn't a professional author. The sentences run long sometimes. The punctuation is uneven. But that's part of the charm. It feels like he's talking to you directly. You're not reading a polished manuscript. You're hearing his voice.
Where to Find More Information
Beyond the book itself, there are several good biographies. Flynn: The Man Who Played Robin Hood by Stephen M. Silverman is thorough. Errol Flynn: A Biography by Anthony Tryon is also useful. The Flynn estate maintains some archives at the University of Texas. They're open to researchers by appointment. The book is available through most major booksellers. Amazon has new and used copies. Project Gutenberg has a free text version of the first edition. The PDF is about 2.4 megabytes. You can download it in about 30 seconds on a standard broadband connection.
Final Thoughts
If you're interested in classic Hollywood, this book is essential. It shows what the studio system was like from the inside. Flynn describes his relationships with directors, producers, and other actors. The details about how films were made in the 1930s and 1940s are valuable. They're not in any textbook I know.
