In 1928, Lawson moved to Hollywood, where he wrote scripts for films such as "The Ship for Shanghai", "Bachelor Apartment", and "Goodbye Love". In the winter of 1930-1931, during the Great Depression, Lawson wrote "Success Story". The Theatre Guild rejected the script, but Harold Clurman, a reader for them, had recently formed the Group Theatre and needed new scripts. Clurman and Lawson reworked the play during the summer of 1932, and "Success Story" opened on September 26, 1932 for 121 performances. Lawson also adapted his play, "Success at Any Price", for film, writing the screenplay for the 1934 work.