MICHAELA MORRIS in HOLLYWOOD

This novel tells a story instigated by a fictitious movie star named Bess Dress Blighty. Bess made the startling discovery that all a woman had to do to attract attention from the nation's press radio and budding TV was to take her clothes off. But alas that action was the sum total of the attention she received. If Bess spoke about the obstacles placed in the paths of career women or the denial of equal rights and opportunities with men or drew attention to the plight of women who were deserted by their husbands or lovers and left to raise children on an income of less than zero nobody gave a damn. But on the other hand the mere action of taking her clothes off excited frenzied attention from everybody - including the nation's top church leaders newspaper editors radio commentators gossip columnists TV programmers and even Washington politicians. Indeed although the line-up of would-be censors was prodigious it seems that some bigot was especially envious of Bess's successful efforts.