The Lawless Years

The Lawless Years is an American crime drama series that aired on NBC from April 16, 1959, to September 22, 1961. The series is the first of its kind, set during the Roaring 20s, preceding The Untouchables by half a season.[1]

The Lawless Years
GenreCrime drama
Directed byAllen H. Miner
James Neilson
StarringJames Gregory
Robert Karnes
John Vivyan
Theme music composerRaoul Kraushaar
William Loose
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes47
Production
ProducerJack Chertok
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time25 mins.
Production companiesJack Chertok Television Productions
California National Productions
Release
Original networkNBC
Original releaseApril 16, 1959 (1959-04-16) 
September 22, 1961 (1961-09-22)

Premise

The series depicts the activities of real-life police detective Barney Ruditsky as he fights organized crime in New York City.[2] Its original title was Ruditsky.[3]

The show has "a certain claim to authenticity . . . in its meticulous attention to period detail" and in depicting actual cases on which Ruditsky worked.[2] Unlike other police dramas of its time, The Lawless Years focuses more on character studies than on action.[4]

Cast

Main

Guest stars

Episodes

Season 1: Spring/Summer 1959

Ep Title Directed by Written by Original air date
11"The Nick Joseph Story (pilot)"Allen H. MinerJo EisingerApril 16, 1959 (1959-04-16)
22"The Immigrant"Allen H. MinerJo EisingerApril 23, 1959 (1959-04-23)
33"The Jane Cooper Story"Allen H. MinerPeggy O'Shea & Lou ShawApril 30, 1959 (1959-04-30)
44"The Cutie Jaffe Story"Allen H. MinerAllen H. Miner
Based on the Memoirs of: Barney Ruditsky
May 7, 1959 (1959-05-07)
55"The Dutch Schultz Story"Allen H. MinerJo Eisinger
Based on the Memoirs of: Barney Ruditsky
May 14, 1959 (1959-05-14)
66"The Lion and the Mouse"Allen H. MinerAllen H. Miner & Arthur E. OrloffMay 21, 1959 (1959-05-21)
77"No Fare"Allen H. MinerJohn Meredyth LucasMay 28, 1959 (1959-05-28)
88"The Payoff"Allen H. MinerJohn Meredyth Lucas
Based on the Memoirs of: Barney Ruditsky
June 11, 1959 (1959-06-11)
99"The Marie Walters Story"Allen H. MinerJo EisingerJune 18, 1959 (1959-06-18)
1010"The Maxie Gorman Story"Allen H. MinerJo EisingerJune 25, 1959 (1959-06-25)
1111"The Muddy Kasoff Story"Allen H. MinerJo EisingerJuly 2, 1959 (1959-07-02)
1212"Framed"Allen H. MinerAllen H. Miner
Based on the Memoirs of: Barney Ruditsky
July 16, 1959 (1959-07-16)
1313"Four the Hard Way"Allen H. MinerAllen H. MinerJuly 23, 1959 (1959-07-23)
1414"The Tony Morelli Story"Allen H. MinerPeggy O'Shea & Lou ShawJuly 30, 1959 (1959-07-30)
1515"The Ray Baker Story"Allen H. MinerCharles LarsonAugust 6, 1959 (1959-08-06)
1616"Lucky Silva"Allen H. MinerJohn Meredyth Lucas & Allen H. Miner
Based on the Memoirs of: Barney Ruditsky
August 13, 1959 (1959-08-13)
1717"The Morrison Story"Allen H. MinerJo Eisinger
Based on the Memoirs of: Barney Ruditsky
August 20, 1959 (1959-08-20)
1818"The Poison Ivy Story"Allen H. MinerAllen H. Miner
Based on the Memoirs of: Barney Ruditsky
August 27, 1959 (1959-08-27)
1919"The Prantera Story"Allen H. MinerCharles Larson
Based on the Memoirs of: Barney Ruditsky
September 3, 1959 (1959-09-03)

Season 2: Fall 1959

Ep Title Original air date
201"The Al Brown Story"October 1, 1959 (1959-10-01)
212"The Big Greeny Story"October 8, 1959 (1959-10-08)
223"The Art Harris Story"October 15, 1959 (1959-10-15)
234"The Billy Boy 'Rockabye' Creel Story"November 5, 1959 (1959-11-05)
245"The Big Man"November 12, 1959 (1959-11-12)
256"The Joe Angelo Story"November 19, 1959 (1959-11-19)
267"The Billy Grimes Story"December 3, 1959 (1959-12-03)
278"The Sonny Rosen Story"December 17, 1959 (1959-12-17)

Season 3: Spring/Summer 1961

Ep Title Original air date
281"The Jack 'Legs' Diamond Story"May 12, 1961 (1961-05-12)
292"The Sonny Rosen Story II"May 19, 1961 (1961-05-19)
303"Louy K, part one"May 26, 1961 (1961-05-26)
314"Louy K, part two: 'Sing Sing'"June 2, 1961 (1961-06-02)
325"Louy K, part three: 'Birth of the Organization'"June 9, 1961 (1961-06-09)
336"Louy K, part four: 'Heyday of the Organization'"June 16, 1961 (1961-06-16)
347"Louy K, part five: 'The Disintegration'"June 23, 1961 (1961-06-23)
358"The Miles Miller Story"June 30, 1961 (1961-06-30)
369"The Kid Dropper Story"July 7, 1961 (1961-07-07)
3710"Ginny"July 14, 1961 (1961-07-14)
3811"Little Augie"July 21, 1961 (1961-07-21)
3912"The 'Mad Dog' Coll Story, part one"July 28, 1961 (1961-07-28)
4013"The 'Mad Dog' Coll Story, part two"August 4, 1961 (1961-08-04)
4114"Blood Brothers"August 11, 1961 (1961-08-11)
4215"The Vincent Gorida Story"August 18, 1961 (1961-08-18)
4316"Artie Moon"August 25, 1961 (1961-08-25)
4417"Triple Cross"September 1, 1961 (1961-09-01)
4518"The Jonathan Wills Story"September 8, 1961 (1961-09-08)
4619"Romeo and Rose"September 15, 1961 (1961-09-15)
4720"Ike, the Novelty King"September 22, 1961 (1961-09-22)

Production

Jack Chertok was the producer.[1] The real Ruditsky served as technical advisor.[2] California National Productions produced the series.[5]

The series was broadcast initially from 8 to 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursdays. In July 1959 it moved to 8:30-9 p.m. ET on Thursdays, and in October 1959 it moved to 10:30-11 p.m. ET on Thursdays. When it returned in May 1961, it was on from 9 to 9:30 p.m. ET on Fridays.[2]

Seeking sponsors

Episodes' content made finding a sponsor difficult.[4] The series began with no sponsor because the premiere episode had one gangster killing another criminal "by plunging an ice pick into a vital spot."[6] Before that development, the trade publication Variety reported that Philip Morris was the "hottest prospect" to take on the series to advertise its Parliament and Marlboro cigarette brands.[7] Variety added that cigarette company P. Lorillard was also "in there pitching for the story" as a potential co-sponsor with Whitehall Pharmacal.

A week after that article appeared, Variety reported that NBC was offering sponsorship of The Lawless Years for a "special introductory price".[8] The $25,000-per-episode rate was "approximately $20,000 below the actual production cost of each episode."[8] The reduced rate was to be good until the fall season began, at which time the network hoped to increase the per-episode charge to $45,000.[8]

Midas Muffler Company became a sponsor in July 1959, "making its first major buy in network video" as it agreed to sponsor segments of The Lawless Years for July through September.[9]

Critical response

Critic John Crosby praised the look of the program: "the series is beautifully filmed and the settings and costumes and all the outer trimmings are marvelously authentic . . . they comprise a large part of the charm of The Lawless Years."[10] He added that the show's plots were secondary in importance to the 1920s-era settings.[10]

Newspaper journalist Hal Humphrey wrote, "The opening chapters in Ruditsky's hoodlum-infested underworld made gripping drama."[6]

References

  1. McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 472. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
  2. Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 774. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  3. "Prohibition". Variety. March 4, 1959. p. 42. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  4. Irvin, Richard (October 28, 2022). Pioneers of "B" Television: Independent Producers, Series and Pilots of the 1950s. McFarland. p. 59. ISBN 978-1-4766-8996-8. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  5. "Web Sales: Syndication's Syndrome". Variety. March 18, 1959. p. 40. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  6. Humphrey, Hal (May 3, 1959). "'Lawless Years' On Its Own: Admen Objected To Thug's Use Of Icepick So New Series Rides Without Sponsor". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 149. Retrieved May 16, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Philip Morris hot on 'Lawless Years'". Variety. March 4, 1959. p. 17. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  8. "'Lawless Years' At Bargain Prices". Variety. March 11, 1959. p. 31. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  9. "NBC's $1,000,000 Summer TV Coin Out of Chi Shop". Variety. July 1, 1959. p. 26. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  10. Crosby, John (July 10, 1959). "'Lawless Years' Relives 'Old Days'". Chillicothe Gazette. New York Tribune. p. 3. Retrieved May 16, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
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