Within the Law

This programmer, starring Ruth Hussey, concerns a woman, Mary, who, unjustly accused of stealing, vows revenge on her employer. While in prison, she studies law books and realizes that one can use the law to commit crimes and stay out of jail. She joins a team of con artists, of whom a prison friend, Agnes, is a member.

Mary's knowledge of legal cons is a boon to her friends, as it would be today if she had worked at Enron. It's the most interesting part of the movie. Life becomes a little more complicated for her when she sets out to use her boss' son as revenge.

This is an ordinary B movie. What's fun is that it was made in the 1938-1939 era when Gone with the Wind was all the rage. When Mary asks the prison librarian for a book, Gone with the Wind is suggested. Her friend Agnes refers to herself as Scarlett O'Hara. Guess everybody had it on the brain.

Mary Turner (Ruth Hussey) works at a department store and some stolen store merchandise is found in her locker. She is innocent but her employer, Mr. Gilder, prosecutes her--and she receives three years in prison. Not surprisingly, Mary is bitter and wants revenge. But she's smart...and spends her time in prison studying law and looking for LEGAL ways to hurt her ex-employer. When she is released from prison, Mary meets up with a gang of crooks (headed by Joe Garson--played by Paul Kelly) and insists they listen to her...as they will legally be able to make a ton of money off Gilder family. While there are several scams she wants to use, legal scams, the big score is to marry Gilder's son (Tom Neal) and destroy the family.

Does the story seem believable in any way? No....but it's highly entertaining and unusual. I loved the plot, though must admit near the end it did became a bit too complicated. Overall, well worth seeing...and ironic because two of the actors in the film, Neal and Kelly actually DID spend time in prison in real life...both for Manslaughter.

When live theatre was popular, talented, young writers aspired to see their work on stage. In this adaptation, the tools of the dramatist are put to good use: reversals, rising and falling action, minor and major crises. Ruth Hussey plays a young woman working in a department store, accused of theft when stolen goods are found in her locker. Despite her protestations of innocence, the stern store owner insists on prosecution. During her three years in prison, where she is befriended by beautiful Rita Johnson, she makes full use of the library, where she studies and learns how to steal "within the law." There's never a dull moment in this compact 65 minute drama, with good actors and snappy dialogue. With newsreels, trailers, and a cartoon, it makes for a satisfying evening.

There's quite a bit to like in this movie in its first half. Ruth Hussey's portrayal of the downward spiral into a life of crime after being wrongly convicted is well done and believable. The plans she concocts for legally extorting large sums from her former employer are clever and add quite a few nail biting moments. Despite the film's pedigree I found myself expecting more and more clever twists. But in its windup the film becomes melodramatic and predictable. Love wins all, love sacrifices all, blah, blah, blah. Boring, boring, boring. The producers opted for a safe and bland conclusion when a more original ending would have raised this film to a much higher standing. Oh well, Ruth Hussey, Paul Kelly and Rita Johnson are all very good in their roles so I guess they make it worth a look.

Back in the days before television, there was nothing wrong with being a "B" movie. They went by quickly and some were pretty darned entertaining -- "Within the Law," for example. Ruth Hussey plays a sweet young girl who's accused of theft. Despite being innocent, she's sentenced to three years in jail and comes out swearing revenge against the department store tycoon who testified against her. Her plan -- to humiliate him by marrying his son. But she falls in love with the guy which creates a problem when a few old friends try to rope her into robbing the tycoon's home. Does it all work out in the end? Of course. But along the way, there are several lively twists along with contributions from old pros like Paul Kelly and William Gargan.