Author Rowan Keith
Published 18/03/2024
The case of Ruth Snyder and Henry Judd Gray, which inspired Sophie Treadwell to write Machinal in 1928, also captured the imagination of writers and directors for decades to come. The 1920s saw the emergence of the true crime genre in American books and magazines, and the Snyder / Gray case swept the nation into a tabloid frenzy. In the real-life case, Ruth Snyder and her lover Henry Judd Gray murdered Snyder’s husband in order to claim his life insurance policy. Here we take a look at some notable adaptations of the case.
1933 – Lloyd Bacon directs Picture Snatcher starring James Cagney as a reformed gangster
Inspired by the photographer who snuck into Ruth Gray’s trial to take a picture of her execution, Picture Snatcher’s protagonist is a former gangster who quits to pursue his dream of becoming a newspaper reporter. He ends up landing the gig by stealing a wedding picture, and later goes onto take a picture of a woman’s execution that directly mirror the circumstances of Ruth Snyder, using the same infamous hidden camera strapped to his ankle.
1934 – James M. Cain writes his novel The Postman Always Rings Twice
Cain attended Ruth Snyder’s trial in 1927 as a journalist alongside Sophie Treadwell. Cain was intrigued by the details of the crime, but also by Snyder and her lover Gray turning on each other during the trial. The title of the novel is inspired by a key detail from the case – Synder agreed with the postman that he would ring twice to signify whenever he has insurance documents to deliver so she could stop her husband from receiving them. The novel was notorious at the time of publication and its sexual and violent content caused it to be banned in Boston. Several film adaptations are made of the novel, in Hollywood as well as France, Italy and Brazil.
1935 – James M. Cain writes Double Indemnity
Cain returns to the Snyder Gray case as the inspiration for his novel Double Indemnity. The novel follows an insurance agent who is seduced by a married woman and convinced into murdering her husband, depicting the woman as the stereotypical ‘femme fatale’. The novel is published as a series in Liberty magazine and is later published as a complete novel in 1943.
1944 – Billy Wilder directs the film adaptation of Double Indemnity
Although Double Indemnity was initially deemed ‘thoroughly unacceptable for screen presentation’ by the Hollywood coding office in 1936, the film rights were eventually bought by Paramount in 1944. The film was immediately successful and is regarded as being one of the key examples of Film Noir in Hollywood.
1954 – William March writes his novel The Bad Seed
March’s novel The Bad Seed depicts a mother’s realisation that her young daughter is a murderer. In the novel, the character Bessie Denker is referenced throughout as a well-known serial killer. Denker’s execution is based on the details of Ruth Snyder’s death.
1981 – Lawrence Kasdan makes his directorial debut with Body Heat
Body Heat was part of the neo-noir movement in the 1980s, directly inspired by Double Indemnity. Like Double Indemnity, Body Heat cast the Ruth Snyder stand-in as a classic femme fatale. Kathleen Turner, the actor in the role, was named one of the ‘100 Sexiest Stars in Film History’ by Empire magazine, with them citing her role in Body Heat in the article, and in 2005 the New York Times credited the role as starting her career built on ‘frank sexuality’.
1991 – Guns N’ Roses release Use Your Illusion featuring the image of Snyder’s execution in the artwork
The band are pictured posing in front of a picture of Ruth Snyder’s execution under the headline ‘Dead!’, the notorious tabloid front page. The picture is part of the enclosed album artwork and sold on posters.
Machinal is on stage at The Old Vic from 11 Apr 2024 and tickets are on sale now. We recommend booking early to get the best choice of seats and ticket prices.