page_title: Peter Lawford
section_title: Early career
hierarchical_section_title: Peter Lawford / Career / Early career
caption_attribution_description: Cropped screenshot of Peter Lawford from the trailer for the film The Picture of Dorian Gray. Further cropped from Image:Peter Lawford in The Picture of Dorian Gray trailer.jpg
context_page_description: Peter Sydney Ernest Lawford was an English-American actor, producer, and socialite, who lived in the United States throughout his adult life.
  He was a member of the "Rat Pack" and the brother-in-law of President John F. Kennedy and senators Robert F. Kennedy and Edward Kennedy. From the 1940s to the 1960s, he was a well-known celebrity and starred in a number of highly acclaimed films. In later years, he was noted more for his off-screen activities as a celebrity than for his acting; it was said that he was "famous for being famous".
context_section_description: In 1938, Lawford was travelling through Hollywood when spotted by a talent scout. He was screen tested and made his Hollywood debut in a minor part in the film Lord Jeff starring Freddie Bartholomew.
  The outbreak of World War II found the Lawfords in Florida. In a matter of days, they realized that they had been stranded. Their money was in Britain and Britain was at war. Their assets were frozen. Peter, then 16, took a job parking cars. When he saved enough money for the fare, he went back to Hollywood where he supported himself working as a theater usher until he began to get film work.
caption: In The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)
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