that Nellie faced death 17 times during the course of each production. Even the title was typical, reflecting the main character's affinity to the expected working class audience. Reception The Broadway production was a hit, pulling in $4000 per week at the box office. At the time, the New York Dramatic Mirror complimented Winfield's performance on Broadway as "a natural and spirited rendering". The Scranton Republican described the action as "nerve-wracking" and said it taught the importance of honesty "in an intelligent, plausible way". Literary critics tended to dismiss the play, calling it "formulaic", "far-fetched", "cheap melodrama", and "one of the most perfectly bad plays of its era". A review in The Sun said Davis had just written the play "several nights ago", suggested a press agent did the casting, and mocked an adult actress for playing Nellie's young male cousin. Franklin Fyles called it a "bum play" with plot points that were "worn out", but nonetheless predicted it "would draw in women like a bargain sale". A review of a road production in the Los Angeles Herald said it was "impossible to take seriously" and "utterly lacking in cohesiveness, continuity or ethics". Adaptations In 1924, Emmett J. Flynn directed a silent movie adaptation of the play for Goldwyn Pictures. Claire Windsor starred as Nellie. Following the movie, a novelization of the story by Grace Miller White was published by J. S. Ogilvie. References External links Text of the novelization at the Internet Archive 1906 plays Broadway plays Melodramas American plays adapted into films