La belle et la loi

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.

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.

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.

Early in his film career, Neal briefly worked at MGM. His first role was in "Out West with the Hardys" from Mickey Rooney's "Andy Hardy" series. This one came next and is from the studio's B-movie unit, starring Ruth Hussey as a clerk wrongfully convicted of theft. After serving 3 years in prison, she seeks revenge on the department store tycoon who sent her upriver. It's not bad and it's certainly a cut above the cheap PRC and Republic movies in Neal's later career.

The film itself is a remake of a 1911 play about a saleswoman who becomes a criminal mastermind using legal means ("Within the Law") to screw with the system she blames for her downfall. It spawned 5 film versions, including a silent one with Norma Talmadge and the most famous being "Paid" in 1930 with Joan Crawford. This is the final version.

Hussey was actually a major lead in MGM's B-unit, but is best known today for her supporting roles ("The Philadelphia Story," "Susan and God") and her time on Broadway. She's a little too sophisticated for a saleswoman, but she still pulls it off. A few MGM regulars, including Paul Kelly performing his standard gangster role, are involved. Neal isn't especially good as the rich department store son Hussey marries and (surprise, surprise) falls in love with. The film again highlights that he was much better at playing crooks and crooks than a jovial protagonist.

The story is highly improbable. But I enjoyed the working class versus the rich tones, as well as a smart woman being the leader of a group of crooks and crooks. Finally, I'm always amused by some of the weird women's fashions of the time (costumes here from Dolly Tree). In the final scene, Hussy is wearing an outfit that seems more suited to a carnival or magic act.

Shop assistant Ruth Hussey (Mary) is falsely accused of theft and prosecuted by department store owner Samual S Hinds (Gilder) as an example to others. She is sentenced to 3 years in prison and promises to get revenge on him.

What makes this enjoyable is that there are no pathetic women who cry and go all soppy or scream and faint and all that kind of nonsense which I find intolerable. So, the film scores an extra point for me on this front. Hussey vows revenge and that is exactly what she does as she emerges from her time in prison having studied legal loopholes. This allows her to execute her plans on her release and ensure that she operates within the law.

The cast are all good. I couldn't stand Tom Neal (Dick) as the department store's son at the beginning but he won me over so another point for that. Speaking of Tom Neal, this cast contains 3 people who you should read up about - Tom Neal, Paul Kelly (Joe) and Rita Johnson (Agnes). A couple of nasty people and a victim of a cover-up - a hairdryer accidently 'fell' on her head causing brain damage!!!

An entertaining short film that is worth keeping to watch again.