Word: swiftian
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Dates: during 1930-1939
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MANDOA, MANDOA!-Winifred Holtby -Macmillan ($2.50). If civilization could be put in a nutshell, the neat result might well resemble Mandoa, Mandoa! Founded on the Swiftian principle of satiric contrast (Gulliver v. Lilliput)-in this case the white man's burden v. the black man's blessings-this brilliant novel makes mincemeat alike of the noble savage and the noble civilizer. If Authoress Holtby were not so entertaining, her carefully unmoralized tale might cause some well-clothed shudders. Prettily executed and often good for a laugh, Mandoa, Mandoa! may well seem to thoughtful readers a shrewd axe-blow...
...might suppose that such a Swiftian critique of the motion picture business springs from an attack of cinematic sour grapes on the part of either Mr. Hart or Mr. Kaufman, who makes his first stage appearance in the part of a disappointed author. Actually, neither man has ever been to Hollywood. But each has spent 30 min. in a studio at Astoria...