Often an actor brings baggage to a character that consists of a previous role. While Patrick McGoohan didn’t have a name in The Prisoner, fans figured he was once more playing John Drake of Secret Agent. Darren McGavin’s Kolchak seemed to be a variation of his Mike Hammer. Few viewers understood that Inspector Luger on Barney Miller evolved from James Gregory’s earlier gig as a Manhattan cop on TV. He played Barney Ruditsky, the detective in charge of New York City’s Gangster Squad. His dramatic exploits were turned into The Lawless Years. This was a half hour of criminals getting busted during the ’20s and ’30s.
The show is similar to The Untouchables with its gritty portrayal of mobsters in their prohibition heyday. Ruditsky was a real person like Eliot Ness. He took down Murder Incorporated as his claim to fame. The Lawless Years started the same season as The Untouchables. The big difference between the shows was Ness had died before his life was turned into a TV series. Rudisky was the technical adviser of The Lawless Years. He helped shape his broadcast legacy. Unlike The Untouchables which has enjoyed a healthy syndication life over the decades, The Lawless Years has been obscured. This is why few people could see Inspector Luger had a legendary past when stopped by at the 12th Precinct to pester Fish and Wojo. The Lawless Years: The Complete Series shines a light on Gregory’s early exploits as a NYPD detective.
“The Nick Joseph Story” gets the series started right with a massive guest villain. Vic Morrow (Combat) is the the street hood Nick Joseph. He and his gang learn the the power of killing the right person. Doors open quick for Morrow, Harry Dean Stanton (Big Love) and Richard Bakalyan (The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre). Vic looks go when he’s extremely wicked. While the show is only half an hour long, they compact the action by having Gregory narrate his biggest cases. The action can jump forward without losing the audience. He presents a slide show on his office wall to make sure the major criminals are identified. Harry Dean Stanton and Vic Morrow return as different criminals in later episodes. Like many crime shows, the best guest stars become repeat offenders.
The second (and final season) goes large with the five part “Louy K” miniseries. We follow Louy K (Paul Richards) from his innocent life as a singer at the Temple to his rise in the underworld. He hooks up with Dutch Schultz (John Dennis) to make a name for himself. But their racket upsets Legs Diamond who remembers Louy from prison. They don’t care as they create the infamous Syndicate. But you can’t stay on the top too long cause others want to shoot him down. What makes this story arc work is that Gregory doesn’t have dominate every scene. He only needs to show up for the critical moments in Louy’s life.
The Lawless Years: The Complete Series is perfect for fans of The Untouchables that want more of the mobster action. He sounds so much like Inspector Luger while summarizing the rogues gallery. It’s a shame the series only lasted two seasons and was eclipsed by The Untouchables. This is a show worth discovering for Gregory’s performances and the guest villains. Oddly enough, the TV season after The Lawless Years ended, Gregory turned up on The Untouchables working on the wrong side of the law.
The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The first season has a sepia tone while the second season is black and white. The sepia makes things look a bit more nostalgic. The transfers are rather good for a forgotten show from 1959.
There are no bonus features.
The Lawless Years: The Complete Series belongs filed before The Untouchables and Barney Miller. James Gregory gives us the basis for Inspector Luger as he cleans up the Big Apple from gangsters.
Timeless Media Group presents The Lawless Years: The Complete Series. Starring: James Gregory. Boxset Contents: 45 episodes on 6 DVDs. Released: September 25, 2012. Available at Amazon.com.
