Benchley re-entered Hollywood at the height of the Great Depression and the large-scale introduction of the talkie films he had begun working with years before. His arrival put him on the scene of a number of productions almost instantly. While Benchley was more interested in writing than acting, one of his more important roles as an actor was as a salesman in "Rafter Romance," and his work attracted the interest of MGM, who offered Benchley a considerabl sum to star in a series of short subjects. Benchley, who had also been offered a syndicated column by Hearst, was able to film the shorts in New York and keep up with his new column. Before heading back to New York, Benchley took a role in the feature film "Dancing Lady" (1933), which also featured Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Fred Astaire, Nelson Eddy, and the Three Stooges.