DANCING ON THE BRINK OF THE WORLD

by Frances Moffat ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 29, 1977

A string of anecdotes about dicey, pricey San Francisco society--from the golden oldies who shouted ""filet of sole"" after a Bernhardt performance (the only French they knew) to the FBI's most wanted urban guerrilla. Moffat follows the burgeoning fortunes of the late 19th-century blithe spirits (Crocker, Colt, Fair, Stanford, Greenway, Hearst, Spreckles, Atherton) and their equally embellished progeny through countless marriages, divorces, and illustrious affairs. The pre-income-tax excesses are staggering (a violet-covered floor), the cast fashionably eccentric, with impostors and social climbers surfacing periodically in the best neighborhoods or for Monday lunch at the St. Francis. Calling this social history--or even coherent--is seriously overstating its gossipy intent, but those who Register Social doings may appreciate the ritzy shenanigans as much as Moffat, a veteran Chronicle columnist.

Pub Date: June 29, 1977

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Putnam

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1977

Categories: NONFICTION