- member ▁j ury ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁hit , ▁running ▁for ▁seven ▁months . ▁Dor is ▁N olan , ▁in ▁her ▁Broadway ▁debut , ▁received ▁positive ▁criticism ▁for ▁her ▁port ray al ▁of ▁the ▁lead ▁role . ▁Several ▁regional ▁produ ctions ▁followed . ▁An ▁off - B road way ▁rev ival ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁under ▁the ▁title ▁Pent house ▁Leg end , ▁was ▁a ▁commercial ▁and ▁critical ▁failure . ▁A ▁film ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁play ▁was ▁released ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 1 ; ▁the ▁story ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁adapted ▁for ▁television ▁and ▁radio . ▁ ▁Rand ▁had ▁many ▁he ated ▁disput es ▁with ▁Wood s ▁over ▁script ▁changes ▁he ▁wanted ▁for ▁the ▁Broadway ▁production . ▁Their ▁disput es ▁clim ax ed ▁in ▁an ▁arbitr ation ▁hearing ▁when ▁Rand ▁discovered ▁Wood s ▁had ▁di vert ed ▁a ▁portion ▁of ▁her ▁roy alt ies ▁to ▁pay ▁for ▁a ▁script ▁doctor . ▁Rand ▁dis lik ed ▁the ▁changes ▁made ▁for ▁the ▁Broadway ▁production ▁and ▁the ▁version ▁published ▁for ▁amateur ▁produ ctions , ▁so ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁she ▁re - ed ited ▁the ▁script ▁for ▁publication ▁as ▁the ▁" def init ive " ▁version . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Background ▁and ▁first ▁production ▁ ▁Rand ▁drew ▁insp iration ▁for ▁Night ▁of ▁January ▁ 1 6 th ▁from ▁two ▁sources . ▁The ▁first ▁was ▁The ▁Tri al ▁of ▁Mary ▁D ug an , ▁a ▁ 1 9 2 7 ▁mel od rama ▁about ▁a ▁show g irl ▁pro sec uted ▁for