The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-08-15
In New York
By PAUL HARRISON

NEW OEk, AuB. 10 - bEOdQWdy success stories-in reverse: A Lon- don bank clerk named Frederick Stainer took to the stage and de- cided to change his name-to Les lie Howard And a New York stenographer, one Ethel Zimmer- man, won a fair measure of fame as songstress when she clipped the Zim from her name.
 A stranded beachcomber in Bu- enos Aires decided to have one more try at New York, where he wrote some plays, and in no time at all people were calling Eugene O'Neill a genius A girl who grew up with the conviction that she was ugly had an ambition to do minor character roles on the stage. But Katharine Cornell now is Americas First Lady of the theater.
 At the insistence of his wife, an English actor came to America with Mrs. Patrick Campbell's com pany for a four months tour. But George Arliss has stayed 20 years. |. Sinclair Lewis had an inven- tive mind, but was concinced he'd never be able to write. So at first so sold his plots to Jack London. Charles Collins didn't have much truck with sassiety doin's puncher. But that was before he married Dorothy Stone and be- came her dancing partner.
 Scandalously Rich.
 One of the rialto's most colorful producers came to town in the stokehole of freighter with ideas for his first smash hit, Broad way" Since then Jed Harris has made, lost. and again made mill lions Alex Yokel was having ups and downs-mostly the latter -as a theatrical press agent when he begged sufficient cash to stage Three Men on a Horse" greatest comedy hit of last season. And it's still prospering. An East Side youngster named George White black. When he produced his first Scandals" he couldn't even afford an office of his own. But the show crossed more than million dol lars.
 Earl Carroll counted only $69 among his assets when he put White Cargo" into rehearsal. But he stayed off creditors until the money began rolling in George Ross reminds me that most pro- ducers keep a utilitarian ace-in- the-hole to fall back on when things don't go just right in the theater. Sam Harris still owns a gold mine in California. Lee Shu- bert has hotel and night club in- terests. Crosby Gaige still collects he invented. Lawrence Langer has a prosperous practice as a patent attorney. Dwight Deere Wiman has a major interest in farm ma chinery company. And Harry Moses hasn't relinquished his rights in 8 corset factory which he head ed before getting acquainted with the drama.
 Maxim Gorky (this isn't very close to Broadway was foiled in a suicide attempt at 19 because he was sure he'd never amount to anything Mahatma Gandhi (this isn't either) once was voted the best-dressed man at Oxford a good many years before he went in for loin-cloths George Ranft, a sleek young Hell's Kitch- efi boxer, decided to become a dancer, and changed his name to Raft Carl Laemmle went into show business 30 years ago. Borrowed $1,200 from relatives to open a nickelodeon.
 Fired With Enthusiasm.
 Fanny Brice became a great Ziegfeld comedienne, but the glori- fer first refused to hire her be- cause he maintained she wasn't funny Not so long ago a movie company cancelled Fred Astaire's contract because 1t was decided he had no screen appeal. The late Ring Gardner was fired from a Boston newspaper when everyone agreed he'd never learn to write. Broadway producers offered Marie Dressler minor roles when 1t was decided her popularity had vanished. So she went to Hollywood. An advertising agency and Humphrey Cobb parted company because. al- though he gathered statistics ac- curafely, he wasn't considered a good enough writer to prepare re- ports. So Cobb wrote Paths of Glory" current best-seller.
 A former choir boy with the strictest sort of upbringing, Noel Coward became the writer of the most sophisticated plays and songs. David Freedman was trained to be e rabbi. and still oc- cupies his spare time with heavy studies. But he is Manhattan's highest-paid ghost-writer for some ! of the leading comedians.