It's Within the Law to Make Your Own Thursday Headlines

 

Courtesy Turner Classic Movies.

This week's Notable Opening Night is Sept. 11, 1912, when Within the Law was the opening production at the Eltinge 42nd Street Theatre.

Within the Law is a play I never heard of until preparing this week's post. Written by Bayard Veiller, it was prominent enough to get a burlesque parody (Without the Law, starring Marie Dessler) two months after opening. Within the Law also became an MGM movie twice in the 1930s, first with Joan Crawford, then Ruth Hussey. Looking back, I'm surprised that Carol Burnett never spoofed Within the Law on her show.

Mary Turner (played onstage by Jane Cowl) vows revenge on ex-boss Edward Gilder (Dodson Mitchell) when she's falsely accused and convicted of stealing from his department store. Gilder's a scuzzball, glad to see Mary behind bars as an example for the employees he's underpaying and willing to overlook actual stealing from a well-connected customer. Anyway, after her three years in prison, Mary leads a gang that's just able to avoid getting caught. She also marries Edward's son Richard (Orme Caldara), although I can't imagine why he'd want her. Mary's almost the patsy a second time when one of her underlings murders a police stooge just before the cops were able to nab the girl for robbing the elder Gilder's. I couldn't find any indication that she reformed, so I guess crime ended up paying.

Within the Law was the longest-running of Veiller's nine Broadway plays, concluding its run after nearly 550 performances. A 1928 revival with a pre-fame Claudette Colbert in the ensemble failed, and after that, a 1952 performance on WOR's Broadway Television Theatre. Perhaps this might be another play worth rediscovering. 

On a happier note, the Eltinge 42nd Street Theatre still exists. It's now the AMC Empire 25, a prominent movie house on 42nd Street.

Next week, I'll sing you an unexpected song.