An Object Lesson

his seven-acre Mulholland Drive estate, where he had formerly treated friends and freeloaders to tremendous fun. As middle age, alcohol and ailments blurred his memory and features, some magic still clung to his name. A new agent found him roles in several fi lms that fi nally confi rmed his acting ability but were insufficient to satisfy his debts.

In 1959, during the process of saving Zaca from an IRS tax lien, Flynn’s heart gave out. Fifty years old, he had once claimed to be the most litigated-against man of modern times. If so, Zaca was the mostentangled object. She languished nearly twenty years after his death, beset by claims and counter-claims, stripped by souvenir hunters. In 1978, her rotting hull was rescued and restored for $6 million by a Monaco-based businessman. Reputedly haunted by music and laughter, locals required two exorcisms, Anglican and Catholic, to drive Flynn’s ghost from Zaca.

Forty-some years ago, A.M. Foley swapped the Washington, D.C. business scene for a writing life on Elliott Island, Maryland. Tidewater Times kindly publishes Foley’s musings on regional history and life in general. Published works are described at www.HollandIslandBook.com .