the success of "dr strangelove" and the re-published version of "candy" was the turning point in southern's career, making him one of the most celebrated writers of his day. in the words of biographer lee hill, southern spent the next six years in "an olympian realm of glamour, money, constant motion and excitement", mixing and working with the biggest literary, film, music, and tv stars in the world. his work on "dr strangelove" opened the doors to lucrative work as a screenwriter and script doctor, and allowed him to greatly increase his fee, from the reported $2,000 he received for "dr strangelove" to as much as $100,000 thereafter.