HOLLYWOOD BY STARLIGHT By R. J. 'Whitney This record of
Californian banalities (Chapman and Hall, 7s. ad.) though -described by its blurb as being a frank exposi- tion in naked relief of the Hollywood mind, is actually a very casual and indiscriminate account of Mr. Minney's adventures with the show-pieces of the film world. Few of its characters seem to have the mentality that lends itself satisfactorily to an exposition (even one as superficial as Mr. Minney's) and Charlie •'Chaplin is the only one who comes through with any success. At the same time we learn that Douglas Fairbanks is very fond' of playing practical jokes ; that Mae West, in private life, is the sort of person you would expect to meet at the Vicarage; and life in Hollywood, in spite of the fact that Ili rold Lloyd's children must always be accompanied by detect i yes and every girl with a small salary is a possible black- mailer, is in reality anything but the crude, unprincipled exislcnee described by the newspapers, and that its supper part i es are comparable to the dignity of a reception at London- derry House. The accompanying photographs are varied and include a collection of oil-derricks,' 'the author and friend astride a wooden horse, and a champion wrestler jumping on to his fallen opponent's stomach.
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