Genius

A hilarious satire of Hollywood's Golden Age. Following in the tradition of Auntie Mame, Patrick Dennis skewers the insane world of fictional director Leander Starr. Rumored to be based on Orson Welles, Starr is outrageous and memorable in this glamorous comedy of errors. Fleeing the IRS, creditors, and jilted lovers, Starr holes up in Mexico City with his faithful valet. To his surprise, the proprietor is Catalina Ximinez, the leading lady in Starr's early masterpiece, Yucatán Girl. By accident or intent, others descend on Casa Ximenez—Starr's ex-wife, his estranged socialite daughter, a shady Mexican film producer, and a tax collector who has chased Starr around the world. Starr concocts a plan to distract them all, and possibly stage a comeback: an abbreviated epic covering the history of Mexico titled Valley of the Vultures. This edition includes a long-lost short story and an afterword by the author's son. For readers who enjoy witty comedies and classic Hollywood stories.