Have You Read... Reed All About Me by Oliver Reed (Coronet)?
Anecdote heavy? Of course! Alcohol heavy? What do you think?
Most autobiographies feature pictures of the author at work or play. Oliver Reed’s memoir contains a shot of the actor in his garden holding a cat while wearing neither shoes nor trousers.
Yes, this is that kind of autobiography - you won’t find rhapsodies about the magic of filmmaking or sensitive insights into Reed’s work here.
The fact Reed All About Me got written at all is pretty incredible given Ollie’s well-documented dyslexia and the threat the enterprise posed to his drinking time. That the book not only dishes the dirt but also lovingly details his restoration of Broome Hall and his friendships with Ken Russell and Keith Moon is almost miraculous.
From its four-page dedication (for, among others, Ollie’s kids, the Queen Mother, dogs and cats, ‘Mad Tony’ and ‘Another Roger’) to the back jacket shot of the author gruffly realigning his ‘mighty mallet’, it’s clear that Reed isn’t one to mince his words.
Yes, there are more profound titles on the market, but this book features a song about the delights of going down on Swedish models, co-written by Keith Moon. You don’t get that in Bergman On Bergman. And he was Swedish!