Outside the Law
About Outside the Law
Silent Madden and his daughter Molly have given up crime in San Francisco after counsel from Chang Low, a Confucian teacher in Chinatown. Black Mike Sylva frames Madden for murder. Molly, not knowing Mike set it up, goes back to his gang and agrees to a jewel robbery. She learns she is to be framed too. She and Dapper Bill Ballard take the jewels and hide in a small apartment. A boy who lives across the hall softens her. The gang finds them. The shootout leaves Black Mike dead and Bill and Molly with the police.
Cast & crew
More about Outside the Law
Tod Browning produced, directed, and co-wrote it with Lucien Hubbard and Gardner Bradford. The Los Angeles premiere was December 26, 1920. General release was January 6, 1921. New York opened January 16, 1921. A 1926 reissue cut some of Chaney's scenes as Ah Wing. Dr. Edward Kilenyi prepared a score for that reissue, and Paul Leni arranged a presentation. Browning remade the story in 1930.
Themes
Look
William Fildew photographed the Universal crime picture.
Music
Edward Kilenyi wrote a score for the 1926 reissue, not for the 1920 release.
Preservation
The circulating print is the 1926 reissue, with some of Chaney's Ah Wing scenes removed. That version is on the Internet Archive.
Notes
- Priscilla Dean plays Molly Madden, also called Silky Moll. Ralph Lewis plays Silent Madden. Wheeler Oakman plays Dapper Bill Ballard.
- Lon Chaney plays both Black Mike Sylva and Ah Wing. Wikipedia says this was the first time he played an Asian character. It was his second film with Browning.
- E. Alyn Warren plays Chang Low. Wikipedia spells the name Chang Lo. Stanley Goethals plays the kid across the hall.
- The copy in circulation is the 1926 reissue, eight reels in the original release.
- Stills survive of Chaney in both roles.
Scenes
- Black Mike frames Silent Madden and Molly goes back to the gang.
- Molly and Dapper Bill hide with the jewels until the boy next door changes her mind.
- The Chinatown shootout kills Black Mike.
Influenced
- Outside the Law (1930)
Also available
- Internet Archive (OutsideTheLaw)
