The Wild Party is a book-length narrative poem, written by Joseph Moncure March, who also wrote The Set-Up.
Published in 1926[1] by Pascal Covici, Inc., the poem was widely banned, first in Boston,[2] for having content viewed as lewd.
The poem tells the story of show people Queenie and her lover Burrs, who live in a decadent style that March depicts as unique to Hollywood.
It had the feel Of hammers clanging; and stone; and steel: And torches of the savage, roaring kind That rip through iron, and strike men blind: Of long trains crashing through caverns under Grey trembling streets, like angry thunder: Of engines throbbing; and hoarse steam spouting; And feet tramping; and great crowds shouting.
[4] The Wild Party was adapted into a film version in 1975, and two stage musicals, both produced in New York City in the same 1999–2000 theater season.