Under the Gaslight

For the 1914 film, see Under the Gaslight (film).
Under the Gaslight
The famous train scene.
Written byAugustin Daly
Date premiered12 August 1867
Place premieredWorrell Sisters' New York Theatre
Original languageEnglish
GenreMelodrama
Advertisement for debut of play in August 11, 1867 issue of the New York Herald with full cast listing.
"Barney Oldfield's A Race for a Life" [1913] with left to right:Hank Mann; Ford Sterling; Al St John and in foreground Mabel Normand
Gloria Swanson in Teddy at the Throttle 1917

Under the Gaslight is an 1867 play by Augustin Daly. It was his first successful play, and is a primary example of a melodrama, best known for its suspense scene where a person is tied to railroad tracks as a train approaches, only to be saved from death at the last possible moment.[1][2]

  1. ^ Kabatchnick, Ammon. Blood on the Stage, 1800 to 1900: Milestone Plays of Murder, Mystery, and Mayhem, pp. 351-52 (2017)
  2. ^ Fisher, James. Historical Dictionary of American Theater: Beginnings, pp. 441-42 (2015)