Ayn Rand, born in 1905 in St. Petersberg, Russia, escaped to America in 1926 during the greatest rise of Soviet Communism, and remained in the United States for the rest of her life. Here she became a much respected author of "The Fountainhead," and "Atlas Shrugged"; the themes of freedom and individualism were her life's passion, and won her a devoted following. Her books continue to sell over 300,000 copies each year.

Almost upon her arrival in America, Rand applied for a screenwriting position at the DeMille Studios in Hollywood. On the same day, a chance meeting with DeMille took her onto the set of "The King of Kings," where she was hired as an extra for the film. But, it took her until her 1936 Broadway success, "Night of January 16th," that she first achieved fame as a writer. The play, a courtroom drama of a trial before a jury drawn from each night's audience, had two endings for each verdict. Although a success, it Ayn struggled to keep the integrity of her script intact from people who didn't share her vision.