The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-05-10
M Hollywood.
By PAUL HARRTeoK
NEA Service Stan Correspond.

By PAUL HARRISON
 NEA Service Stan Correspondent
 Hollywood.-By the time you read this, Ted Peckhaln will have moved on to fresh triumphs in the east or on the continent, and doubtless will nave thought up some perfectly colossal ideas which will have netted him another million dollars.
 But wanted to find out what Master Peckham thought of Holly WI u, so I caught up with him during the last hours of his un- happy stay in this uncultured cole ony. Hollywood didn't appreciate him, and he admits it.
 This is something new for Mas ter Peckham, because he has crashed practically every slick paper magazine and most of the newspapers in the United States with accounts of his exploits as a gigolo-generaliSsimo - boss of a horde of handsome valiants who will take lonely ladies out for an evening at so much per hour.
 Only $15O0 . Week
 I found him packing. Into a number of bags he was stufilng some shirtc and evening ties and spring exercise contraption, together with great mound of newspaper clip- pings and some scrapbooks already filled with gratuitous and hattering publicity.
 He waved sadly at the stack of fresh clippings and sighed, "I can't understand it, really. This is the only place I've ever been where didn't get good press no- tices. Why, these are actually un- friendly It just goes to show you about Hollywood.
 T came out to make picture, you know. A picture about my escort service. But I decided I didn't want to be an actor, at least unless could get quite a lot of money. And would you imagine? they were perfectly astounded when I asked for $5O,00O and 8 10- week guarantee. They had thought would be delighted with as little as $500 a week. So we just couldn't come to terms"
 Idea SheIved
 This was news indeed, because Hollywood didn't know that Para mount was begging Master Peckham to act in the picture, which was to have been called Gentlemen for Hire."
 At the studio 1t was said that he had been engaged to serve as technical adviser on the script, helping a couple of professional writers named Eve Greene and Harlan Ware. It also was said that the 22-year-old Wonder Boy had tried to turn writer, director, and producer overnight. If he had been allowed to go on like that he would have taken over all the jobs in the studio, including Adolph Zukor's.
 So, as a matter of self-preserva- tion, they shelved the idea. of Gentlemen for Hire" and as- signed the team of writers to 8 different story.
 Peckham then proceeded to open an escorts bureau here. His an- nouncements said he would select and train thousand young men to beau lonely movie actresses and feminine visitors around the gay spots.
 But he couldn't find many men with the required college educa- tion, good-family background and impeccable morals. Tn front of re- porters, he muttered about "ad- venturers, chiselers, cheap crooks and phoney nobility" and declared that he had been obliged to im- port escorts from New York.
 ". . Mistake"
 You can imagine what Hollywood thought of that, although its resent ment might have been somewhat as- Suaged if 1t had known the facts. When I tried to learn some details about the importation of suitable gentlemen, Master Peckham said airly, "Oh, that was just publicity stunt. I didn't really bring any, body here from New York. But the bureau isn't doing much busi- ness in Hollywood anyway. Most of my men are hired in Pasadena by the society crowd.
 You know, I have a very prominent social background my self, and 1t was being in the so- cial register that enabled me to become SO successful because I am known and trusted by the better people. No doubt it was a mistake for me to come to Hollywood, where of course I am not known"
 Upon leaving Hollywood, Master Peckham's plans were to go to Cleveland. where he expected to re- ceiye quite an ovation as home town boy who has made good. Then to New York for a few days and on to London. to recruit thou sand men, most of them titled" for coronation escorting. Paris next, with another thousand gentlemen for hire, and after that he wants to open ofiices in the Orient.
 Next autumn" he said, T expect to appear in Broadway revue. And after that l may consent to do a