The horse latitudes are certain zones in the ocean which used to be the despair of sailing vessels. They are characterized by dead calms, light, baffling winds and hot, dry weather. If a ship came along and got stuck in one of those dead calms, drinking water might soon run out and then everyone would go berserk, including the horses (if they were onboard). In fact as passengers and crew clambered around in their berserkness, the horses might get thrown overboard. At least that's H. Allen Smith's story -- and he's sticking to it. Always quick to see the zany side of even the most serious of situations and known as a prankster, Smith descended on the Paramount lot like a plague of locusts and then proceeded to offer such vital contributions as mowing the lawn and asking for the men's room. He rubbed elbows daily with such great names as Charlie McCarthy and Edgar Bergen, W. C. Fields, and James Cagney as well as leading agents, directors and producers.

Ｈ・アレン・スミスが描く本作は、ハリウッドという虚構の海で立ち往生する狂気を捉えた傑作です。停滞を意味する「馬の緯度」を撮影所の日常に重ねる比喩の妙は、単なるユーモアを超えています。大スターさえも悪戯の共演者に変える鋭い観察眼は、華やかな業界の裏に潜む人間臭い滑稽さを鮮やかに暴き出します。 著者の文体の核心は、深刻な状況ほど笑いを見出す不屈の精神にあります。絶望的な凪を軽妙かつ辛辣な知性で描き切る手腕は、現代の読者にも強烈なカタルシスを与えます。これは単なる回顧録ではなく、人生の停滞期をいかに粋に生き抜くかという、普遍的な人間賛歌としての文学的輝きを放っています。