What Fresh Lunacy is This?

Robert Oliver Reed (13 February 1938 – 2 May 1999) was an English actor known for his upper-middle class, macho image, hellraiser lifestyle, and “tough guy” roles. Notable films include The Trap (1966), playing Bill Sikes in the Best Picture Oscar winner Oliver! (1968), Women in Love (1969), Hannibal Brooks (1969), The Devils (1971), portraying Athos in The Three Musketeers (1973), Tommy (1975), Lion of the Desert (1981), Castaway (1986), The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) and Funny Bones (1995).



At the peak of his career, in 1971, British exhibitors voted Reed 5th most popular star at the box office. An alcoholic, Reed's issues with drink were well publicised. He had the dubious distinction to be described by Bette Davis as:

‘possibly one of the most loathsome human beings I have ever had the misfortune of meeting'

Sellers has written several books on celebrities, but this is his most enjoyable. He has interviewed Reed's family and ex-wives/girlfriends to get behind the image he produced for the public. The book contains numerous anecdotes exist, such as Reed and 36 friends of his drinking in one evening: 60 gallons of beer, 32 bottles of scotch, 17 bottles of gin, four crates of wine, and a bottle of Babycham. He subsequently revised the story, claiming he drank 106 pints of beer on a two-day binge before marrying Josephine Burge:

‘The event that was reported actually took place during an arm-wrestling competition in Guernsey about 15 years ago, it was highly exaggerated.'

Steve McQueen told the story that in 1973 he flew to the UK to discuss a film project with Reed and suggested the two men visit a London nightclub. They ended up on a marathon pub crawl during which Reed got so drunk he vomited on McQueen.

Reed became a close friend and drinking partner of The Who's drummer Keith Moon in 1974 while working together on the film version of Tommy. With their reckless lifestyles Reed and Moon had much in common, and both cited the hard drinking actor Robert Newton as a role model. Christopher Lee, a friend and colleague of Reed, commented on his alcoholism in 2014:

‘when he started, after [drink] number eight, he became a complete monster. It was awful to see.'

All in all an enjoyable read about a great of British cinema, Oliver Reed. Simultaneously a gentleman, an alcoholic, an eccentric, a bully, a misogynist, and an underrated actor. A man who found it impossible to control his inner demons. What is interesting are the comments made by people who were saying how much they adored and admired Ollie when he was sober. It's sad to think of how much more he could have made of life and relationships if he didn't hide his true nature behind drink. Should the reader be amused by his sometimes violent ‘pranks'. I'm not so sure.

The book is fairly repetitive and reminded me of White Line Fever in some ways. A monotonous cycle: Ollie made a movie, done a bunch of crazy stuff while intoxicated, then made another movie. In between his drinking spiralled out of control, the people around him suffered, and his health declined. Perhaps we could have got more depth from his family, friends and acquaintances? If you know little of Ollie you'll be shocked, appalled and bored by his tiresome behaviour without the depth of insight this biography needed to balance it.

However, even after years of abuse for playing Antonius Proximo, an old, gruff gladiator trainer in Ridley Scott's Gladiator (2000) in what was his final film, Reed was posthumously nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

He was perhaps the last hellraiser of his generation and they don't make them like Ollie anymore. And maybe that isn't such a bad thing?

RIP, Ollie.