THE COLONY

The fact that some of these pieces which are so loosely affiliated into a novel appeared originally in Playboy will certainly account for its casual structure as well as its brassy sophistication. Mr. Russell was no doubt a citizen of The Colony and this is a knowing, when not leering, look at those assembled in pursuit of self and pelf: Clayton Horne, a writer, and his former friend Chet Montague who's not good enough, or bad enough, to make it; ""Pink butter"" starlet Lovey Dovey with a calculating head on her beautiful body; an actor, an agent, a rock artist, and probably the best piece here is on Horne's scripting of Tamburlaine in a motel room and later of an underground vehicle which proves to be unavailable. All of this takes place in the new Hollywood which doesn't seem any more sensible than the old--only smaller and more insubstantial. Some smut and some entertaining flak.